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A20 SPORTS
Tuesday 27 November 2018

Serie A or Champions League? Roma resembles different squads

By ANDREW DAMPF Schick, Dzeko's reserve at
AP Sports Writer center forward, has scored
ROME (AP) — It's anyone's only one goal in all compe-
guess which Roma will titions.
show up against Real Ma- This is shaping up as a cru-
drid on Tuesday. cial week for Roma, with a
Will it be the squad that home match against Inter
seems to rise to the oc- Milan following the Madrid
casion in the Champions game.
League? Or will it be the Any further stumbles could
team that struggles to put cause Di Francesco his
together consistent results job, with former Fiorentina
in Serie A? coach Paulo Sousa — who
Lately, Roma has resem- recently attended a Roma
bled two different squads match — having acknowl-
in the two competitions. edged that he's interested
Building on last season's in taking over if necessary.
semifinal appearance, POLITICAL PRESSURE
Roma has won three Italy's hard-line interior min-
straight matches in the ister, Matteo Salvini, had
Champions League after some advice for AC Milan
opening the campaign coach Gennaro Gattuso
with a 3-0 loss at Madrid. following a 1-1 draw with
Over the three wins, Roma Lazio on Sunday.
outscored the opposition Parma's Gervinho celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during a Serie A soccer match "If I were Gattuso I would
between Parma and Sassuolo at Ennio Tardini Stadium in Parma, Italy, Sunday Nov. 25, 2018.
10-1 and the Giallorossi sit Associated Press have made some substitu-
level on points with Madrid tions. The players were tired
at the top of Group G. standings. The lost oppor- explanation," Roma coach compete at a high level in and I don't understand why
In Serie A, however, Roma tunities have left the Gial- Eusebio Di Francesco said. both competitions. he didn't change anything
has lost three times to op- lorossi in seventh place, One reason could be that With five goals in four in the second half," said Sal-
ponents near the bottom nearly 20 points behind after selling off the back- matches, Edin Dzeko is the vini, an avowed Milan fan
of the standings. A 1-0 loss leader Juventus. bone of the squad — goal- co-top scorer in the Cham- who attended the match
at relegation-threatened It's the worst start since keeper Alisson to Liverpool, pions League but the Bos- wearing a scarf featuring
Udinese on Saturday fol- 2011-12, which was Roma's midfielder Radja Naing- nia-Herzegovina striker has Milan's red-and-black col-
lowed defeats to Bologna first season under Ameri- golan to Inter Milan, and a miserable rate of two ors.Lazio held onto fourth
and Spal. can ownership. beloved defensive mid- in 12 games in the Italian place — which carries the
In all, Roma has gained "I'm asking myself why this fielder Kevin Strootman to league. final Champions League
only seven points against happens and I'm angry Marseille — Roma no lon- Making matters more berth — with a last-gasp
the bottom six teams in the because I don't have an ger has the resources to complicated is that Patrik goal.q
Big 3 of Djokovic, Nadal, Federer closes 2018 ranked 1-2-3

By HOWARD FENDRICH For Djokovic, it marks the
AP Tennis Writer fifth time he has closed a
The Big Three is the year- year in the top spot, follow-
end top three, something ing 2011, 2012, 2014 and
that last happened in 2014. 2015. Only Pete Sampras,
With Novak Djokovic at with six year-end No. 1 fin-
No. 1, Rafael Nadal at No. ishes, did it more often.
2 and Roger Federer at The 31-year-old from Ser-
No. 3 on Monday, that trio bia is also the oldest man
of tennis greats leads the to be No. 1 at season's end
season's final ATP rankings and the first to finish atop
for the seventh time. the rankings after being
This is the first time, though, outside the top 20 during
that each of those three the year — or outside the
men spent some time at top 10 at the end of the
No. 1 during the same year. previous year (he was No.
The seven changes there 12 in 2017).
were the most since 1999, Simona Halep ended the
when there were eight. season at No. 1 in the
Djokovic won Wimbledon WTA rankings for the sec-
and the U.S. Open in 2018, ond consecutive year; she
while Federer took the Aus- clinched that spot more
tralian Open, and Nadal than a month ago. An-
earned the title at the gelique Kerber was No. 2
French Open. among women, followed
They accounted for Nos. In this Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, file photo, Novak Djokovic, of Serbia celebrates, after by Caroline Wozniacki,
1-3 in the final rankings in defeating Alexander Zverev, of Germany, in the ATP World Tour Finals men's singles tennis match Elina Svitolina and Naomi
2007-11 and 2014, too. at the O2 arena in London. Osaka.q
Associated Press