Football Italia

Dejan Kulusevski was among the best Tottenham players in a 2-2 draw against Roma, and Tuttosport suggests the ex-Juventus winger would suit Thiago Motta’s playing style.

Tottenham star Kulusevski impressed fans and Italian media on Thursday, although a solid performance against Claudio Ranieri’s Roma was not enough to help Spurs win the game.

Tottenham star Kulusevski would suit Motta’s Juventus

‘Kulusevski provided one assist for Johnson, hit the woodwork and made many excellent moves. Today, he’d surely be a good fit for Motta’s Juventus,’ wrote Tuttosport newspaper in its pagelle (player ratings).

According to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Kulusevski was Tottenham’s best performer against Roma on Thursday.

Kulusevski, 24, has seven assists and two goals in 19 appearances with Spurs this term.

He moved to North London from Juventus in the 2022 January transfer window.

During his one-and-a-half-year spell in Turin, Kulusevski provided ten assists and scored nine goals in 73 appearances.

A product of the Atalanta academy, Kulusevski also played with La Dea and Parma in Serie A, grabbing 15 goals and 15 assist in 94 matches in Italy’s top flight.

The final transfer fee for Tottenham was circa €40m, including add-ons.

Kulusevski’s contract in North London expires in June 2028.

Roma players received high ratings from Italian sports papers after a 2-2 Europa League draw against Tottenham, but the media could not agree on the most disappointing players for the Giallorossi and Spurs.

Ranieri’s Roma secured an away 2-2 draw at Tottenham on Thursday, arguably a positive result for the Giallorossi, who have already changed three coaches this season and find themselves just three points above the relegation zone in Serie A.

Italian newspapers hailed last night’s result in North London as a success and gave many Giallorossi players high ratings.

Italian media split on most disappointing Tottenham vs Roma players

According to Gazzetta, Angelino was the best Roma player in North London on Thursday, rated 7/10. The Spaniard provided the assist for Mats Hummels’ late goal.

Corriere dello Sport also rated Angelino highly (6.5), but according to the Rome-based paper, Mile Svilar, Hummels, Evan N’dicka Manu Koné, and Paulo Dybala deserved a higher mark (7). According to CorSport, N’dicka was the MOTM last night.

At the same time, Italian newspapers split over the most disappointing players in North London.

Rodrigo Bentancur was rated 5.5/10 by Gazzetta but received 6.5 on Corriere dello Sport.

The same is true of Roma’ Zeki Celik, rated 5 by Gazzetta and 6.5 by Corriere dello Sport.

Ange Postecoglou admits it is ‘frustrating’ for Tottenham Hotspur after Roma snatched a last-gasp 2-2 Europa League draw in London, but Claudio Ranieri has ‘a good side.’

It was a hugely entertaining match in London that went down to the wire with chances at both ends, specifically 24 for the hosts and 18 for the Giallorossi.

Spurs had taken the lead twice, through a Son Heung-min penalty and Brennan Johnson strike, but Evan N’Dicka’s header and a last-gasp Mats Hummels tap-in allowed Roma to snatch a point.

“It’s frustrating, particularly when they score so late in the game. But it was a good game. We should have put it to bed early and it’s disappointing not to see it through,” Postecoglou told TNT Sports.

“We should have shown a bit more composure. We had a couple of chances cleared off the line. We sort of kept them in the game.”

Postecoglou gives credit to Ranieri’s Roma

It was wide open, as while Angelino performed a goal-line clearance and Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke hit the woodwork, so did Roma and they had three goals narrowly ruled offside.

The Giallorossi were in crisis and making only their second appearance under Claudio Ranieri, who is their fourth coach of 2024.

“They are a good side. There is a reason why they are in the Europa League,” assured Postecoglou.

“They had a great season last time, but they have had some tough time this year. They had quality players, but we had the chance to win the game.”

Italy international Guglielmo Vicario is out for several months with a fractured ankle, so Fraser Forster took over in goal and had to make some big saves.

“He did well. We expect that from him. He is a very experienced goalkeeper and he did his part,” concluded Postecoglou.

“We created a lot of chances. We should have been clinical and won the game.”

Tottenham have shown themselves to be remarkably unpredictable in true ‘Spursy’ tradition, going from defeats to Galatasaray and Ipswich Town to beating Manchester City 4-0 in the Premier League at the weekend.

Claudio Ranieri reveals he told Roma to ‘attack’ Tottenham constantly and ‘prove to the fans you have not forgotten how to play football,’ so got the response he wanted in a 2-2 thriller.

This was only Ranieri’s second game on the Giallorossi bench after the 1-0 defeat to Napoli and the situation was dire when he took over as their fourth coach of 2024.

He had a nightmare start in London too, as Mats Hummels gave away a penalty in the opening minutes, but his men refused to give in even when seeing three goals ruled offside and hitting the woodwork.

They kept fighting and snatched a last-gasp 2-2 draw with Hummels from close range, after Evan N’Dicka’s header.

“The lads truly put in a great performance. I was not happy with the game against Napoli, as I don’t like to only defend and it was not the message I wanted to send to the players and the fans,” Ranieri told Sky Sport Italia.

“I was very clear this time, I told them I do not want a team that just defends. If they have an attack, then we need to attack them right away in return.”

It was an immensely entertaining and open game, because while Tottenham had 24 shots on goal this evening, Roma also managed 18.

“Fans of any club love a team that tries to win. You can achieve it or not, but the important thing is to try your best to get that victory, not sit wait and see what happens. I could not have been clearer with my players on what I wanted from them this evening.

“They gave me a strong response and never gave up. I told them the result is important yes, but the performance more so, because I need you to prove to the fans that you are here, prove you have not forgotten how to play football.”

Ranieri reassured Hummels and Dybala

Hummels had a nightmare so far in the Roma jersey with own goals and defensive errors, compounded by starting this game with a penalty giveaway.

“These are incidents that only VAR can see, he got there a tenth of a second later and the referee let it go on,” noted Ranieri.

“However, Hummels is someone with incredible experience, he pressed high, gave the defence a sense of security and is nowhere near fully fit. I am convinced this lad will bring so much to Roma and the fans will be very happy to rediscover the player they admired when he played for Germany.”

Ranieri’s approach means he wants Roma to take more risks and he revealed a post-match conversation with Spurs manager Ange Postecoglu too.

“This is what I asked. I said the result wasn’t the issue, I wanted them to dig deep for all their resources. I congratulated Tottenham and Postecoglu, because I admire their attacking spirit and making the most of their pacey players.

“We also surprised them a few times with a cross-field pass to change things up and move their defence, we just weren’t precise enough with our crosses, until we finally were. This is an important match because it reminds the players they have not forgotten how to play football, but it is still one match and we must build on that now.”

Paulo Dybala made his comeback to the starting XI and had a big opportunity, but was substituted at half-time. Ranieri was asked if there was any new injury concern for La Joya?

“Dybala has trained so little in the last 20 days that playing 45 minutes tonight was more than sufficient. He will slowly get back into shape and reach 90 minutes, but I didn’t feel we could risk him any more tonight. He had a huge chance in the first half and forced an incredible save.”

Ranieri famously inspired Leicester City players to the Premier League title with his ‘dilly-ding dilly-dong’ bell sound to wake them up in training. He joked yesterday that Roma needed more than a bell, perhaps the one in St Peter’s Cathedral that rings across the Eternal City. Can this game represent that bell?

“We can only hope!” he laughed.

Leandro Paredes assures the Roma comeback to hold Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League means this team is ‘alive’ and kicking under Claudio Ranieri.

The Giallorossi were in crisis going into the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this evening and it just got worse when Mats Hummels gave away a penalty in the opening minutes, converted by Son Heung-min.

Evan N’Dicka nodded in an equaliser, with Brennan Johnson pouncing to restore the advantage and plenty of chances at both ends, including woodwork rattled, an Angelino goal-line clearance and three Roma goals ruled offside.

In stoppages, Hummels made up for the earlier error by tapping in the Angelino assist for a well-earned 2-2 draw in London.

Paredes hails revitalised Roma

“It was a great performance,” Paredes told Sky Sport Italia.

“We can play like this always. It has been a difficult few months for the players, the coaches and the club, but we are on the right track now.

“We are alive and can do well.”

Ranieri was brought in to restore a Roma spirit to the squad and revitalise players including Paredes, who had slipped down the pecking order.

“I have a very good rapport with the coach. We have strong players here, we can improve and we will.”

The 30-year-old Argentina international was widely expected to leave in January if Ivan Juric had remained on the Roma bench, as he had not started a match since the 1-0 defeat to Elfsborg on October 3.

Mats Hummels was hero and villain for Claudio Ranieri’s Roma, giving away an early penalty before snatching the last-gasp equaliser in a thrilling 2-2 draw away to Tottenham.

The Giallorossi made their debut under Ranieri in a 1-0 defeat to Napoli, as he came out of retirement to be their fourth coach of 2024. Paulo Dybala returned after muscular issues, with Mario Hermoso and Eldor Shomurodov injured. Spurs were fresh from a 4-0 victory over Manchester City, but the injury list included Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Richarlison, Micky van de Ven, Wilson Odobert and Mikey Moore.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It was a nightmare start for Roma and Mats Hummels, getting his Europa League debut for the club, as he brought down Pape Sarr in the box for a penalty awarded via VAR. Son Heung-min converted to give Tottenham the lead.

Son Heung-min opens the scoring early for Tottenham from 12 yards 🔥

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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 28, 2024

Dybala threatened an equaliser when getting on the end of the Zeki Celik roll across, but Fraser Forster stuck out a leg to parry.

It was a warning, as moments later the Giallorossi were back on level terms with Evan N’Dicka’s looping header on a Dybala free kick bouncing in off the underside of the crossbar.

Evan Ndicka equalises for Roma against Tottenham 🔥

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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 28, 2024

Stephan El Shaarawy had the ball in the net again on 23 minutes with a sensational right-foot volley from just inside the box on a Dybala dinked pass over the top, but he was marginally offside.

Absolute chaos at the back for Roma 🫣

How did they keep that out 🤯

📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/eepurSL2SB

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 28, 2024

It was end-to-end stuff in London, as first Angelino had to perform a goal-line clearance on Brennan Johnson’s strike with Svilar flapping at the Dominic Solanke follow-up, then Foster got down quickly for a fingertip save on the Dybala daisy-cutter.

Instead, Tottenham restored their advantage when Dejan Kulusevski got down the left and pulled back for Johnson to slide in first-time from 12 yards, getting there ahead of Angelino.

Brennan Johnson puts Tottenham back in the lead 🤍

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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 28, 2024

It was almost 3-1 soon after, as Kulusevski got away from Hummels for an angled drive that bounced off the far post, with Son incredibly ballooning the follow-up over the bar.

Svilar also got down for a great one-handed save on Son from six yards, but Matias Soule came on for Dybala at half-time.

Hummels made up for the earlier error with a decisive sliding tackle on Kulusevski in the penalty area, but Roma were unlucky to be behind when Artem Dovbyk had two goals ruled offside in the space of a few minutes, then Angelino’s deflected volley on a Celik cross thumped the crossbar.

Tottenham also clipped the frame of the goal with a Pedro Porro free kick and Leandro Paredes practically cleared off the line as Dominic Solanke got away from Hummels and crossed for what would’ve been a tap-in.

It was wide open, Manu Kone incredibly drilling wide from the edge of the area after a poor clearance straight to him.

Solanke stung Svilar’s gloves, then hit a header against the crossbar from point-blank range.

Roma kept pushing and after a stunning Forster reaction save to push the Gianluca Mancini volley over the bar, on the resulting corner Alexis Saelemaekers sent Angelino down the left to flash a ball across the face of goal for the Hummels tap-in from point-blank range.

Mats Hummels grabs the equaliser for Roma in injury time 🫣

📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/YFwddDcPM7

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 28, 2024

Tottenham 2-2 Roma

Son pen 5 (T), N’Dicka 20 (R), Johnson 34 (T), Hummels 91 (R)

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Brennan Johnson has several Italian teammates and proved what he’s learned with his celebration when scoring against Roma.

He found the net to give Spurs a 2-1 half-time lead in this evening’s Europa League match in London, meeting the pull-back from ex-Juventus winger Dejan Kulusevski.

See how it unfolds on the Liveblog.

The player celebrated by sliding towards the corner flag, then holding up one hand in the famous Italian gesture.

Well-known around the world, that move actually means ‘what?’ and he would’ve seen it quite a few times with Italy internationals Guglielmo Vicario and Destiny Udogie as teammates.

Johnson shows off Italian celebration in Tottenham-Roma

Brennan Johnson puts Tottenham back in the lead 🤍

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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 28, 2024

Mats Hummels continued his absolute nightmare start to life at Roma, giving away a penalty within minutes of his Europa League debut against Tottenham.

See how that game unfolds on the Liveblog.

The defender had joined as a free agent in September and was not used by coach Ivan Juric, who insisted it was not a matter of fitness, but a technical decision based on form in training.

When the German veteran was finally given an opportunity, he scored an own goal in the 5-1 defeat to Fiorentina on October 27.

His second appearance for the club was the second 45 minutes in the 1-0 defeat to Napoli.

This evening, Hummels made his first start in the Roma jersey and within three minutes had brought down Pape Sarr for a Tottenham penalty in the Europa League.

It was successfully converted by Son Heung-min following a VAR On-Field Review, putting Claudio Ranieri’s Roma at an immediate disadvantage.

Hummels gifts Tottenham opener against Roma

Son Heung-min opens the scoring early for Tottenham from 12 yards 🔥

📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/E1yyFc857H

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 28, 2024

Claudio Ranieri tries to get Roma back on track in the Europa League with Paulo Dybala, Artem Dovbyk and Mats Hummels against Tottenham, who are missing Guglielmo Vicario.

It kicks off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London at 20.00 GMT.

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game, Lazio-Ludogorets and Fiorentina-Pafos on the Liveblog.

The Giallorossi have had a disastrous 2024, firing Jose Mourinho, Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric, so Ranieri took over last week and made his debut in a 1-0 defeat to Napoli.

This is his third different stint at the club he has always supported and he came out of retirement to help rescue Roma’s campaign.

Dybala is back in the starting XI after his usual muscular issues, partnering Dovbyk, while Hummels gets his first start in to all intents and purposes a five-man defence.

Alexis Saelemaekers is in the squad for the first time since ankle surgery in September, but Mario Hermoso and Eldor Shomurodov didn’t make the trip.

Tottenham have quite a few problems of their own to deal with, not least the fact Italy international Vicario broke his ankle and will be out for several months, so Fraser Forster is in goal.

Cristian Romero, Richarlison, Micky van de Ven, Wilson Odobert and Mikey Moore are also out of action.

Their form has been oddly mixed, losing 3-2 to Galatasaray and 2-1 to Ipswich Town only to then crush Manchester City 4-0 at the Etihad on Saturday in the Premier League.

Ex-Juventus players Rodrigo Bentancur and Radu Dragusin start.

Italian Destiny Udogie is on the bench, but Dejan Kulusevski and Heung-min Son are in the starting XI.

Tottenham vs. Roma line-ups

Tottenham: Forster; Pedro Porro, Dragusin, B Davies, Gray; Bentancur, Sarr; Kulusevski, Johnson, Solanke; Son

Roma: Svilar; Mancini, Hummels, N’Dicka; Celik, Konè, Paredes, Angelino; El Shaarawy, Dybala; Dovbyk

Former Juventus coach Max Allegri will be in the stands for tonight’s Europa League game between Tottenham Hotspur and Roma, as he is already in London studying English, fuelling reports of a Premier League role.

The Tuscan tactician is a free agent after he was fired by Juve in May, just days after winning the Coppa Italia, and terminated his contract with the club by mutual consent over the summer.

He has been repeatedly linked with a new experience in the Premier League, including Everton, Leicester City and Manchester United approaches.

Allegri in London to learn English

According to Sky Sport Italia and the Corriere dello Sport, Allegri will be in the stands at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for this evening’s Europa League game between Spurs and Claudio Ranieri’s Roma.

This is because he has already been in London for several days to take part in an intensive course to improve his English language skills, something he has been working on for some time with limited results.

The fact Allegri is focusing so much on his English will further fuel those reports he is looking to take the next step in his career in the Premier League.

He had also been linked with the vacant job at Roma earlier this month before Ranieri was appointed to replace Ivan Juric, becoming their fourth coach of 2024.

Allegri, aged 57, has won six Serie A titles, five editions of the Coppa Italia and three of the Supercoppa Italiana.