Transformed Roma face Inter test

– Daniele De Rossi (right) faces the first true test of his new Roma regime today as rampant Inter Milan come to town looking to defend their four-point Serie A lead.

Former Italy midfielder and Roma icon De Rossi has had a perfect start since taking charge of his boyhood team last month.

Three wins from three have calmed some of the fan anger at Jose Mourinho being sacked and have put Roma firmly back in the mix for Champions League football.

Roma are one point from Italy’s top-four, although they have played a game more than fourthplaced Atalanta, who are at Genoa tomorrow.

However those three wins have come against Verona, Salernitana and Cagliari, three teams battling relegation, and the first two were far from convincing.

Saturday’s test is of a different order of magnitude as Italy’s best team travel to Rome on a run of six straight wins in all competitions and a 20th Serie A title firmly in their sight.

However De Rossi, unlike his predecessor, is positive about the qualities his team has and is convinced they can rescue what has been a largely disappointing season.

“To get out of a negative period you have to do it together, as a team,” De Rossi said after Monday’s 4-0 thumping of Cagliari.

“This is a very good team, I keep trying to convince them of this fact.”

Today’s match in Rome is also an acid test for De Rossi’s more expansive style of football ahead of next week’s trip to old foes Feyenoord in the Europa League play-off round.

De Rossi will face an almost full-strength Inter side without suspended coach Simone Inzaghi, with injured substitutes Juan Cuadrado and Davide Frattesi unavailable.

Inter lead second-placed Juve by four after beating their closest rivals last weekend. –