An early penalty from Paulo Dybala was all Roma needed to earn three points and a 1-0 victory over Torino and subsequently leapfrogging Milan and Inter in the table.
The capital club increased their point total to 53 and now sit third in Serie A after a suffocating defensive display over Ivan Juric’s men.
The Giallorossi put on a defensive clinic after their early goal from the spot in the 8th minute. Referee Andrea Colombo ruled Torino defender Perr Schuurs handled the ball when he slid and attempted to block a shot from Nicola Zalewski.
The Granata tried to strike back right away but midfielder Samuele Ricci had his shot blocked. The hosts struggled to create anything for the remainder of the affair, ending the clash with an expected goals (xG) of .26 in total.
“We gifted Roma an early goal which killed us,” Juric told Torino Channel.
“We have to grow in nearly every aspect and improve our individual performances. Since our team is younger we tend to lack a killer instinct or a bit of viciousness.”
He added, “There’s still nine games left in the season and we have to raise the bar and try to do as well as we can. We’ll take the day off tomorrow then focus on the match in Salerno.”
