Sinners & Saints: Roma 2, Genoa 0

In certain contexts, the word “redemption” implies the correction of moral failing. While Roma’s loss to Real Madrid last Wednesday didn’t cross any ethical lines, the Giallorossi’s 2-0 win over Genoa yesterday had a redeeming quality.

The respective level of quality between Daniele De Rossi’s Grifone side and José Mourinho’s nouveau Galacticos couldn’t be starker, but Saturday’s win was anything but a cakewalk.

Roma may have won the possession battle in the first 45 minutes, but Genoa matched them stride for stride in the areas that mattered most: shots, passing, defensive actions, and perhaps most impressively, touches in the box, where DDR’s side managed 12 to Roma’s 11, despite only seeing 39% of the ball.