Pellegrini fires Roma to win over Lazio, Milan cruise past Udinese

Lorenzo Pellegrini fired Roma to victory in the derby with Lazio on Sunday, the former captain coming in from the cold with the only goal in a 1-0 win at a boisterous Stadio Olimpico.

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Roman-born Pellegrini lost the captaincy of his boyhood club and was placed on the transfer list over the summer, but he was decisive against Lazio in his first appearance of the season and put Roma fourth in Serie A on nine points.

Ahead of kickoff fans unfurled a banner which read “welcome back, captain” for Pellegrini who also had to have surgery for an injury to his right thigh in May.

“I never doubted their affection for me and I have a lot of love for them too,” said Pellegrini to DAZN.

Sunday's 38th-minute strike was Pellegrini’s fourth in a Rome derby and repaid the faith shown in him by new coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who started the 29-year-old in one of Roma's biggest games of the season.

Gasperini seemed to have frozen out Pellegrini who has 36 caps for Italy but on Saturday hinted at a place in the derby, while making it clear the player was on borrowed time unless he “becomes an athlete and starts running”.

And after the derby win he doubled down on Pellegrini needing to improve physically as Roma prepare to begin their Europa League campaign at Nice on Wednesday.