On January 6th, Beijing time, a focus match in Serie A concluded. In the Rome derby, the home team Roma defeated their local rivals Lazio 2-0, with goals from Pellegrini and Saelemaekers, while Lazio forward Castellanos was sent off with a red card in the final moments. Roma has recently been doing well, and they need to thank Milan for the gift they sent. AC Milan missed the mark! They misplaced their trust in Fonseca and let go of the winged defender: now he has made 6 goals in 7 games, shining in Serie A.
The Rome derby is always intense, and in this match, Roma committed 12 fouls and received 4 yellow cards, while Lazio players committed 18 fouls, resulting in 5 yellows and 1 red. The two teams clashed at the end of the game, with Castellanos receiving a red card for a malicious foul. In this tense match, Roma player Saelemaekers became the key player, contributing one assist and one goal to help Roma win.
Just 10 minutes into the game, Saelemaekers delivered a wonderful pass from the right flank to find captain Pellegrini, who then curled a shot into the net to give Roma the lead. In the 18th minute, Saelemaekers had two consecutive shots in the penalty area, with his initial shot being saved before he followed up to score, extending Roma's lead. Ultimately, thanks to Saelemaekers' MVP performance of creating 2 goals, Roma won the derby.
Roma had previously gone through a period of 2 draws and 4 losses, remaining winless in 6 consecutive matches. However, in their last 7 games, they have won 5, drawn 1, and lost 1, improving their form and currently ranking 10th in Serie A. Roma's recent resurgence is largely due to Saelemaekers' outstanding performance after his return. In Roma's last 7 matches, Saelemaekers has played in every game, scoring 3 goals, providing 2 assists, and creating 1 penalty (converted by Paredes). After recovering from his injury, Saelemaekers has helped Roma bounce back.
Saelemaekers is a fast and technically skilled winger with a good defensive attitude. He can play on both the left and right sides and is capable of playing as a winger, midfielder, wing-back, or full-back, making him a versatile player on the flanks. Last season, Saelemaekers was loaned to Bologna by Milan, where Bologna became a dark horse, finishing 5th in Serie A and qualifying for the Champions League.
Saelemaekers actually performed well in Milan's preseason matches this summer, showing highlights under Fonseca. Milan won 4 and drew 1 in the preseason, beating Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Barcelona, with Saelemaekers scoring 1 goal and providing 1 assist in the preseason. However, Fonseca did not keep him, instead loaning Abraham from Roma and sending Saelemaekers on loan to Roma. Is Saelemaekers not as good as Okafor?