Lorenzo Pellegrini has done it again. Roma’s number 7 has scored another derby goal, his fourth in Rome derbies, and once again in front of Lazio's Curva Nord.
Remarkably, all four of Pellegrini's derby goals have come in matches Roma went on to win. This latest strike may not have been his most spectacular, but it was surely the sweetest, considering the context of how it arrived.
After four months of struggle, during which Pellegrini was sidelined by injury, stripped of the captain’s armband under Gian Piero Gasperini’s new system and even came dangerously close to losing his place at the club he has loved since childhood.
Until the final days of the transfer window, a sale seemed possible, not because Gasperini or sporting director Ricky Massara pushed for it, but because the Friedkin family had considered offloading him to ease the wage bill and strengthen elsewhere.
Is Pellegrini the solution?
No deal materialised, however, and Pellegrini remained in Rome. At the first opportunity, he rewarded that decision, scoring the winning goal in the derby: three vital points and a perfect new beginning.
Let’s take a step back: Gasperini’s football thrives on fast, dribbling wingers who create overloads in attack (they pursued Jadon Sancho for weeks). At Roma, however, he has only Matias Soule available on the right, with Leon Bailey sidelined because of an injury.
In the first three games, he tried playing several players on the left wing: Stephan El Shaarawy, Paulo Dybala, and Tommaso Baldanzi were all given an opportunity, but none of them convinced. Then Pellegrini returned. After four months out, he played over 70 minutes, scored the decisive goal, intelligently tracked Nicolo Rovella (Lazio’s key playmaker), nearly set up Angelino with a superb assist, and came off only when he had emptied the tank.
Friedkin must rethink
Gasperini hailed him as a “superior player” and made clear his intention to build around him, while also calling for support from the Friedkin family and from a fanbase that has not always treated Pellegrini kindly.
That criticism has often gone beyond reason. Wearing Roma’s shirt alone (excluding Sassuolo and Italy), Pellegrini has 56 goals and 54 assists, numbers worthy of a top player, and not easily replaced, as Roma learned first-hand this summer.
The sticking point remains his salary: €4–4.5 million net per year, a heavy figure for a club under pressure to cut costs before June 30.
It is far too early to speak of renewals or future exits, though. What matters now is the next match. Pellegrini has made himself fully available to Gasperini with professionalism and humility, and the coach repaid that commitment by throwing him straight back into action. His performance against Lazio was outstanding, especially given his long absence and the weight of the circumstances.
True champion
He rose to the moment like a champion, once again proving his worth and setting an example by placing the team above everything else. At the final whistle, there was no bitterness in his interviews, no controversy, only words of love for Roma.
The goal itself was a beauty: a precise right-footed finish into the corner, created by Soule’s assist after Devyne Rensch won the ball high against Nuno Tavares, a textbook Gasperini pressing sequence.
The season is long, and many challenges remain, but Pellegrini’s message to the city and to the club is clear: he is back, and he is back in style. With a goal worth three points and a derby triumph that will live long in the memory.