Despite the lack of goals for 70+ minutes, the match between Novara and AS Roma was rarely boring. For much of the match, Roma applied plenty of pressure, but just couldn't find a way into the net. Novara, for their part, made quick on the counter, and with the likes of Marco Cassetti and Rodrigo Taddei in the Roma back line, it was easy enough for the home side to create chances, even if they rarely troubled Maarten Stekelenburg.
Novara Vs. Roma, 2011 Serie A: Roma Victory Keeps Novara In The Relegation Zone
That all changed around the 60th minute. As Roma began to look truly threatening, Attilio Tesser panicked, and decided a point would be better than none at all. With a mindset that reflects Novara's standing in the table (18th, with just one win), the mister pulled forward Takayuki Morimoto, who'd been one of his side's better players, and replaced him with Luigi Giorgi, a defender.
Such a strategy backfired, however, with Roma needing just ten minutes to find their way through the allegedly tighter Novara defense -- coincidentally, the same about of time that Bojan Krkic had been on the pitch. Bojan looks better in every appearance, and today showed his worth with a low shot from just outside the box, put through on a pass by Miralem Pjanic. Just three minutes later, Pablo Osvaldo, looking every inch a mighty pirate with his flowing locks and battered visage, headed in Roma's second, with the goal again created by Pjanic.
Novara threatened at the end, but efforts by Riccardo Meggiorini and Marco Rigoni both went just wide. Roma head home with a 2-0 victory and temporary possession of sixth place.
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