Gasperini Expresses Disappointment After Roma's Loss To AC Milan Amid Dybala Injury Concerns

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Roma's recent defeat to AC Milan left Gian Piero Gasperini feeling both angry and disappointed. The match at San Siro ended 1-0 in favour of Milan, with Strahinja Pavlovic scoring the decisive goal in the 39th minute. Despite having six shots on target and an expected goals (xG) of 1.95, Roma failed to find the net.

Paulo Dybala had a chance to equalise late in the game but missed a penalty, his first miss in 19 attempts for Roma. This was his first penalty miss since November 2021 when he played for Juventus against Salernitana. Unfortunately, Dybala also suffered a thigh injury while taking the penalty, adding to his woes.

Gasperini expressed concern over Dybala's injury, stating, "The biggest issue is Dybala's injury. He hurt himself taking the penalty, and when it happens like that, it can be serious." He acknowledged Dybala's importance to the team and hoped for his swift recovery after the international break.

Reflecting on the match, Gasperini noted that Roma created numerous opportunities but struggled with finishing. "I think we made a qualitative leap this evening in everything except our finishing," he said. The team has now failed to score in two of their last four Serie A matches, matching their previous record over 30 games.

The coach emphasised his team's need to improve their counter-attacking play. Rafael Leao assisted Pavlovic's goal, marking his fifth assist against Roma in Serie A. Gasperini remarked on this style of play: "The other thing we need to improve is that I see many clubs pouring forward and they manage to get a goal somewhere."

Looking Ahead

Despite the setback, Gasperini remains optimistic about Roma's future performances. He stated, "I'm having a hard time finding anything that went wrong; many things went well." He believes that by continuing on this path, Roma can secure more points in upcoming matches.

Roma had an opportunity to move to the top of Serie A but instead dropped to fourth place after this defeat. Gasperini acknowledged the team's frustration: "We are very angry and very disappointed about the result." However, he remains confident in their ability to bounce back.

In summary, while Roma faced disappointment against Milan, Gasperini sees potential for improvement. The focus now shifts to enhancing their attacking strategies and hoping for key players like Dybala to recover quickly from injuries.