The Japan Times - Dybala boosts Roma's Champions League hopes, Fiorentina honour Commisso

Dybala laid on new arrival Donyell Malen, who signed on loan from Aston Villa on Friday, for a classy close-range finish midway through the first half before ensuring a third straight win for fourth-placed Roma in the 72nd minute.

The Argentina international's brilliantly guided finish from Devyne Rensch's cross was his first goal in nearly three months and helped put Roma on 42 points.

Dybala has had a difficult first campaign under Gian Piero Gasperini with familiar injury problems and the rise of countryman Matias Soule suggesting his time might be up in the Italian capital.

But the 32-year-old was excellent in a win which was revenge for being eliminated from the Italian Cup by Torino on Tuesday night, and moved Roma three points ahead of fifth-placed Juventus in the battle for Champions League football.

Roma have won the Conference League and reached the Europa League final in recent years but last featured in Europe's elite club competition in the 2018/19 season when they were eliminated by Porto in the last 16.

The capital city club trail league leaders Inter Milan by seven points but have looked a way off winning a first Scudetto since 2001 in defeats to the Milan clubs and Napoli who are leading the title race.

- Fiorentina bouncing back -

Without a win until just before Christmas, Fiorentina claimed a deserved third success in six matches thanks to goals in the first half from Rolando Mandragora and Roberto Piccoli.

Paolo Vanoli's side sit just inside the relegation zone but level on 17 points with Lecce, who are 17th and face AC Milan later on Sunday.

Fiorentina have a superior goal difference than Lecce and only sit below them by virtue of having played a game more.

That means a defeat for Lecce at the San Siro against title-chasing Milan would push Fiorentina, who less than a month ago looked destined for the drop, out of the bottom three.

Sunday's win was a fine way to pay tribute to American media mogul Commisso, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 76 and was remembered with a minute's silence ahead of kick-off.

During pre-match preparations, Fiorentina players wore T-shirts with a picture of Commisso and the message "Thanks Rocco", in tribute to a man who just missed out on giving the Tuscan club a first major trophy since 2001.

Italian-born billionaire Commisso was the founder of Mediacom Communications, one of the largest cable TV providers in the United States, and was a passionate football fan who had also owned the New York Cosmos before acquiring Fiorentina in 2019.

He invested in a new 120-million-euro ($139-million) training centre and redevelopment of the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence, works which are still ongoing ahead of Fiorentina's centenary next season.

He hired current Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano, who took Fiorentina to three finals, two in the Conference League and one in the Italian Cup.

Italiano, who tasted cup success with Bologna last season, has had a tough time in recent weeks after a strong start to this campaign, with his eighth-placed team picking up just five points in nine matches since the start of December.

M.Saito--JT