Ascoli-Toro: the reactions

di Andrea Rosselli

 

Coach Alberto Zaccheroni is a very balanced man, and manages to keep the same attitude even after Toro's fourth victory in five matches. "These three points are really important for...

di Andrea Rosselli

Coach Alberto Zaccheroni is a very balanced man, and manages to keep the same attitude even after Toro's fourth victory in five matches. "These three points are really important for us, just take a look at the table" he said after the Ascoli match, "also because we're going to face a very tough schedule in the upcoming weeks. We wanted to win and we made it, although in the last part we should have been more cynical and command the match: it didn't look like Ascoli were one man down".

As usual, president Urbano Cairo was much more exuberant: "Abbiati is the second best Italian goalkeeper and Rosina is awesome" he said, "but what's making the difference for Toro is the teamwork. We are growing as a team, the defence doesn't concede almost anything and the midfield is always more solid".

But there's no time to celebrate: on Wednesday night the Granata will face one of the toughest matches of the season, hosting powerful Roma at the Stadio Olimpico. Zac will be surely forced to revolutionize his defensive line, as both Di Loreto and Cioffi (ejected and booked respectively) will miss the match through suspension (one round).

Things could have been much worse for Nikola Lazetic: in fact, on Sunday the Serbian player was caught by the TV cameras while he was elbowing Ascoli's defender Cudini, but the Federation decided not to proceed against him. A relief for Zaccheroni, as Lazetic has been one of the keys of Toro's current positive streak. Apart from Di Loreto and Cioffi, Zac could also miss skipper Diego De Ascentis, who picked up a muscular injury which forced him to leave the Ascoli pitch at the beginning of the second half, while Simone Barone will be back from his one-round ban.

If Toro cry, however, Roma don't laugh: in fact, the Giallorossi will surely miss suspended Panucci and injured Perrotta, as well as long-term sidelined Aquilani, Vucinic and Ferrari, while Chivu and De Rossi are doubtful.