What if Houssem Aouar finished his season at AS Roma on a high note? This hypothesis gains momentum after the convincing performance of the Algerian international on Sunday in Serie A during the away match against Fiorentina (2-2). With 10 matches remaining in the Italian championship, Roma sits in 5th place, three points behind Bologna, who holds the last qualifying spot for the Champions League.
The Algerian international (9 caps, 2 goals) scored just before the hour mark (58th minute). A goal scored with his head on a cross diverted by the Spanish player Angelino which allowed his team to equalize. But beyond this achievement – his 3rd goal this season in Serie A – the former Olympique Lyonnais player had an impressive performance. Rarely used by José Mourinho, Aouar, who played the entire match, made a strong impression on his return to the starting lineup.
His coach, the legendary Daniele De Rossi, appointed on January 16, also had words of praise for him in the post-match press conference. The 40-year-old coach congratulated the former Lyon player: “Houssem Aouar is strong, very strong. He scored a good goal: I’m happy because it will give him more confidence. I’m glad he played the whole match. With his morale on the rise, Aouar can give us a big hand.” In the end, the former Italian international kept his promise, as he had praised the Algerian on his arrival but had been slow to give him his first start.
87% pass accuracy!
On Sunday, on the pitch of the Artemio-Franchi Stadium in Florence, the former French international (1 cap in 2020) was unstoppable. With notably 87% pass accuracy, 56 touches, and 5 out of 6 ground duels won, Aouar was clearly having a good day. This bodes well for the Algerian national team, which will soon face Bolivia (22/03) and South Africa (26/03) for the debut of the Vladimir Petkovic era!
