Roma, reinvigorated by Daniele De Rossi, outclassed Monza 4-1 on home soil to move back into 5th place in the Italian Championship on Saturday on matchday 27. AS Roma signed its sixth victory in its last seven league matches thanks to goals from its captain Lorenzo Pellegrini (38th), Romelu Lukaku (42nd), Paulo Dybala (63rd), his 12th of the season, and Leandro Paredes (82nd).
It now has 47 points, one more than Atalanta (6th, 46 pts) who played one match less, just like Bologna (4th, 48 pts). These three teams covet 4th place, qualifying for the next Champions League, but Serie A could inherit a fifth place in C1 thanks to its UEFA coefficient.
Since succeeding Jose Mourinho in mid-January, De Rossi has transformed the club where he spent 18 seasons as a player: his team pocketed 18 points out of a possible 21 and conceded its only defeat against Inter (4- 2 at home), not without having manhandled the leader for an hour. Roma is still in the running in the Europa League: it hosts Brighton on Thursday in the round of 16 first leg.