Juventus is undoubtedly Italy's best team, but with the way Roma are playing right now, the giallorossi could be Serie A's most entertaining.
People often rag on Serie A for being a boring league, and sometimes they have a point. Many Italian teams play a more pragmatic style, looking to slow things down and find ways to control the match defensively rather than go for the throat.
Of course, many teams aren't AS Roma.
Under Rudi Garcia, Roma have evolved into a side that can be exhilarating to watch. They're fast, they're dynamic, they're talented, they're aggressive. They have their flaws, and they're certainly not the best team in Serie A (that's pretty unquestionably Juventus at this stage), but if you want fun, look no farther than Italy's capital city.
Francesco Totti's ageless grace and style, Miralem Pjanic's silky passes and stunning free kicks and Gervinho's ability to shred a defender one-on-one were all on fine display as Roma took down Inter Milan 4-2 on Sunday, withstanding a pair of equalizers from Roberto Mancini's side and exploiting Inter's flaws to the fullest as they flew forward relentlessly.
It wasn't just those three attackers that carried the match for Roma, though. Seydou Keita and Radja Nainggolan put a stranglehold on Inter's attempts to run their attacks through midfield, and Nainggolan was also a force in Roma's attack, using long balls and switching passes to find Roma runners and keep Inter's defense off balance. Maicon also stepped up from his fullback position to frequently help Gervinho overwhelm Inter's left back Dodo, who Roma quickly realized wasn't getting enough support from midfield.
Roma's attack was direct, it was dazzling, and it frequently left Inter players trying to figure out what the heck had just happened. Sure, they had some issues in defense. Andrea Ranocchia took advantage of Roma's set piece woes and Pablo Osvlado was given space in front of goal too easily. But even after both of those players scored their equalizers, Roma never looked shocked, never slowed down, never fell in to a more defensive outlook. They just kept pressing and firing, and sure enough they found two more goals to win the match.
This Roma side is never boring. They're one of several Serie A sides trying to give calcio a makeover, and they've been the most consistently fun team to watch in Italy this season, even when they're bad. This weekend, though, they were very, very good, and entertained all who watched them run Inter Milan in to the ground.
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