Roma’s teenager Zaniolo told to stay grounded
rome — AS Roma teenager Nicolo Zaniolo has been told to keep his feet on the ground after he became the youngest Italian to score twice in a Champions League match as they beat visiting Porto 2-1 in their last 16, first leg on Tuesday.
Roma coach Eusebio Di Francesco sent out the warning after the 19-year-old scored his brace for the Serie A side in six second half minutes at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday.
Zaniolo gave Roma a comfortable advantage before Porto substitute Adrian Lopez responded with an away goal.
“It’s right for him to be lauded, he has done well,” Di Francesco said in a post-match news conference.
“He is on a path of development that is beyond expectations; the matches he doesn’t play well in are also a motive for growth.”
Zaniolo told Sky “It’s an incredible night, I’m speechless and never would have expected such a thing.”
“But we’ve got the second leg coming up, we shouldn’t have conceded the goal.” The night belonged to the youngster from Tuscany who has become a fan favourite since arriving from Inter Milan, where he never played a top-flight game, in exchange for Radja Nainggolan last summer.
On Tuesday, he was given an ovation by an ecstatic home crowd who see him as the heir to club legend Francesco Totti.
The match sparked into life midway through the second half as Zaniolo netted with a precise finish after Edin Dzeko’s lay-off. He soon had his second when Dzeko went on the counter-attack, his shot bouncing off the post with Zaniolo on hand to tap in the rebound.
“Celebrating under the ‘curva’ is an extraordinary feeling,” said Zaniolo. “Zaniolo is not a surprise any more,” said Roma captain Daniele De Rossi. “His physical strength is incredible for a guy of his age and he combines it with great technique. He is already a great player, but he will become a great champion.”
Eusebio Di Francesco’s Roma, last year’s semifinalists, had fallen to the Portuguese club in both their previous meetings, most recently the 2016 play-off round in qualifying. —