Roma coach Rudi Garcia has called for fans to unite to lift the team ahead of tomorrow’s season opener away at Verona.
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Szczesny was making his competitive debut for Roma, as were fellow new signings Salah and Edin Dzeko.
“Dzeko and Salah need time to settle into the side but they’ve already done very well”.
On a warm night at the Stadio Bentegodi, it was the host that looked the better side for much of the first half.
Verona nearly took the lead with barely a minute on the clock but Juanito Gomez Taleb curled just over. From the resulting corner, Daniele De Rossi headed Jankovic’s looping header off the line.
Jankovic volleyed Verona into the lead on the hour but his side’s advantage lasted barely five minutes before Florenzi levelled with a long-range strike.
Roma was swiftly back on level terms with a 25-yard snapshot from Florenzi.
And there was still time for Rafael to produce yet more heroics, keeping out a Nainggolan header and ensuring that the hosts emerged with a well-deserved point.
First-half goals from Lucas Biglia and Ricardo Kishna proved enough to secure a winning start to the new Serie A campaign for Lazio as they downed Bologna 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico.
Argentina worldwide Biglia opened the scoring for the Rome side with a neat finish from the edge of the area after 17 minutes.
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Pioli handed Kishna – who was signed in July from Ajax – his debut in a front three alongside striker Keita Balde and Italy intenational Antonio Candreva, and the 20-year-old Dutch winger was soon on target. Bologna gave themselves a lifeline on the stroke of half-time courtesy of Matteo Mancosu but they couldn’t keep the pressure on their opponents and find an equaliser.
