Roma vs. CSKA Moscow: Winners and Losers from Champions League Game
Roma's long-awaited return to the Champions League couldn't have gone better thanks to a 5-1 win against sorry-looking CSKA Moscow at the Stadio Olimpico.
The Giallorossi were rampant right from the whistle, with Juan Iturbe opening the scoring after just six minutes before he, Gervinho, Francesco Totti and Maicon poured on the misery in a goal-packed first half.
The Biggest Loser: Football
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This was supposed to be a very different article. And though there's still plenty of positives to take from what was a thrilling display from the hosts on their return to the Champions League, the evening's festivities were marred by a faction of CSKA's fans who showered the Curva Nord with dozens of flares before attacking a group of stewards midway through the second half.
It was a frightening display of violence that destroyed what had been a jovial atmosphere at the Olimpico, and as armoured police entered the fray to protect stadium workers and fans, the Monte Mario and Tevere stands began to empty as throngs of Roma fans—mostly families—left in disgust.
Considering that the Russian side are already being sanctioned this year for racist displays during last year's competition, per ESPN.com, it will be interesting to see UEFA's reaction to this incident.
The latest punishment—they will play behind closed doors against Bayern Munich in their next game—is a cumulative one. Having already incurred a partial ground closure because of racist disturbances during their game with Manchester City last season, a section of CSKA's travelling support displayed racist and far-right banners during their away match with Viktoria Plzen.
It's impossible not to sympathise with innocent fans who suffer because of the actions of an idiotic minority, but such a large-scale, orchestrated aggression must be met with stiff punishment.
Winner: Gervinho
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Anyone who follows Serie A will know that the problem with Gervinho at Arsenal clearly wasn't the Ivorian.
Last season, the 27-year-old was reunited with his former coach from Lille, Rudi Garcia, and immediately took Italian football by storm, delighting fans and terrorising defences with his lightning-quick runs.
Roma's return to the Champions League has allowed Gervinho to prove his point to a bigger audience. Switching flanks seamlessly with Juan Iturbe and Alessandro Florenzi and linking up brilliantly with the creative duo of Francesco Totti and Miralem Pjanic, he scored twice on the night and provided the assist for Iturbe's opener.
Fully deserving of the standing ovation he got once he was replaced by Adem Ljajic late on.
Losers: Leonid Slutsky and CSKA
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Leonid Slutsky has been at the helm in Moscow since 2009, during which time he's lead CSKA to some impressive results in Europe.
In his first season, they emerged from a tough group that included Manchester United, Wolfsburg and Besiktas. From there, they beat Sevilla and reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history, where they lost to Jose Mourinho's Inter, who would eventually go on to win the tournament.
In 2011-12, they again got out of the group phase, besting Trabzonspor and Rudi Garcia's Lille, only to lose to Real Madrid in the next round.
Last season, Manchester City and Bayern Munich proved too much for them, and this year Roma's addition to that mix means that another happy campaign in the UCL is all but impossible, especially after such a resounding opening defeat.
Winner and Loser: Juan Iturbe
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Football can be a cruel game. Having scored his first goal in a Roma shirt and provided two assists, Juan Iturbe limped off at the Olimpico after just 25 minutes, clutching his inner leg.
Up until that point, the Russians had no answers for his tricky dribbling, pace or incisive passing, and it looked very much like being a night to remember for the No.7.
The injury was a harsh blow for the Argentine, who was signed amid much fanfare during the summer for €22 million from Hellas Verona, but he'd already made quite the impression on European football's biggest stage, and Calcio fans will be looking forward to seeing him in action again soon.
Some questioned the size of the fee paid for the 21-year-old, but on the evidence of his performance against CSKA, it might yet prove to be a bargain.
Losers: Manchester City and Bayern Munich
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CSKA were caught off balance early on against Roma and weren't allowed to find their footing for the rest of the night.
The Russians always looked like the weakest team in this group, but it's unlikely they'll be found so open again, and following their humiliation in Italy, they'll be desperate to save some face against Manchester City and Bayern Munich.
The English and German champions have, of course, more than enough quality to beat CSKA, but they might find that Slutsky and his squad favour shutting up shop to another rout. An upsetting draw is not beyond the realms of possibility.
Winner: Morgan De Sanctis
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Despite arriving from archrival Napoli, Morgan De Sanctis quickly became a fan favourite at the Olimpico last season thanks to some fine keeping and no shortage of bravado under pressure.
Against CSKA, he was at his best again. On the whole, he wasn't under much pressure, but he made a couple of excellent stops when called upon, including a daring one-on-one with Seydou Doumbia that earned him rapturous applause.
Loser: Fabio Capello
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In the buildup to the game, former Roma manager Fabio Capello warned the Giallorossi not to expect an easy game against CSKA.
Speaking to the Gazzetta dello Sport, here in Italian, current Russia boss Capello predicted difficulties for the home side and said he was eager to see how some of the most important members of the his squad dealt with a tough fixture against a quality team.
The 68-year-old Italian was present at the Olimpico, where he played for three years and won the Scudetto as a manager, to watch several of his key players, including goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev and captain Vasili Berezutski, capitulate under Roma's pressure.
Capello is a divisive figure in the Italian capital, despite his success there, and his latest musings won't have done much to endear him to Romanisti. And having seen his best and brightest undone so easily, it will be hard for him to draw any positives from a Russian perspective.
Winner: Maicon
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Maicon left the Brazil national squad in troubled circumstances recently, and his agent has been quoted as saying that his career with the Selecao is over, per Mark Doyle of Goal.com.
Lack of discipline is rumoured to be the cause of his dramatic exit, but the veteran full-back is showing no signs of it in a Roma shirt.
Despite being one of the Giallorossi's oldest regular starters, the ex-Manchester City and Inter star is one of Garcia's most dependable players, and his tireless efforts and forceful bursts forward on the counter-attack suggest that he's also one of the fittest.
His running and passing were nigh-on perfect against CSKA, and he was a constant threat down the right.
Winner: Rudi Garcia
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His work at Lille and last season's campaign with Roma have already proved that Rudi Garcia is among the top managers in Europe, but there's nothing like success on the biggest stage to boost a manager's profile.
The Giallorossi are still a work in progress and don't have the depth to compete with the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern, Barcelona and Chelsea. On top of that, the Scudetto will remain the main focus for Roma this year, even if their fans will be very optimistic about their fortunes in the UCL after this impressive win.
But having said all that, Garcia will still want to make an impression in Europe, and his best XI has the quality to trouble any of the top sides. It will be fascinating to see how far he can take them this season, and how—or if—it affects their push for the league title at home. For now, he's off to the perfect start on both fronts.
Winner: Francesco Totti
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Roma's evergreen captain has again proved himself to be a man for all seasons.
Francesco Totti might have thought his days were numbered in the UCL back several seasons ago, but he's been integral to the Giallorossi's return to the competition, and despite the fact he's 37, he remains one of their most important players.
It's a mark of just how good Er Pupone still is that this wasn't one of his finest performances in recent memories, but it was still one of the best on the night, and he at the centre of almost every positive move for Roma.
He assisted the fourth goal, and on another night, he might have seen a couple of his own attempts find the back of the net.
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