Claudio Ranieri's decision not to include Eldor Shomurodov in the squad turned out to be a big mistake!

"Roma" has concluded its participation in the Europa League quarter-finals. The Romans faced one of Spain's strong teams, "Athletic Bilbao," in this stage. In the first match, the "wolves" celebrated a 2:1 victory thanks to Eldor Shomurodov's goal, but lost 1:3 in the return match, thus exiting the competition.

Xummels' red card became a decisive factor

The main reason for the Romans' defeat is highlighted as the central defender Mats Xummels receiving a red card in the 11th minute, leaving the team with one less player. This not only negatively impacted the team's overall tactical plan but also dealt a serious blow to the players' morale. Italian football experts discussed a lot about coach Klaudio Raneri's mistake in team selection while analyzing "Roma's" performance in this game.

Experts' opinion: Eldor Shomurodov should have been in the starting lineup

A number of well-known Italian football analysts and experts fully analyzed "Roma's" defeat, mentioning the team's tactical errors.

Roberto Prutsso:
"There is no rule that a goal will be scored immediately in a foul situation. However, "Roma" actually played with nine players in the first half. If Xummels was sent off, Artyom Dovbik was completely absent on the field. He did not bring any benefit to the team as a forward. Now his future will be seriously analyzed."

Franchesko Kazano:
"I regret that we couldn't score more goals in the first match. "Roma's" chances in the competition were very high, but due to Xummels' mistake, the team couldn't even reach the quarter-finals. Currently, the team should focus on securing a spot for the next season of the Europa League in the national championship."

Mario Mattioli:
"In this match, Eldor Shomurodov should have played in the starting lineup. Klaudio Raneri made a big mistake. The team lost because they couldn't make the right decision."

Titsiano Moroni:
"Xummels' sending off was a fair decision, but it had a huge impact on "Roma's" game."

Fabio Petrutssi:
"The goal scored just 20 seconds before the break mentally broke "Roma." This is the main reason for the defeat."

Andrea Di Karo:
"If "Roma" had played with a full squad and the score had not been opened in the first half, they could have advanced from this stage. However, Xummels' mistake ruined all plans."

Shomurodov's development and competition with Dovbik

"Roma" had purchased Artyom Dovbik, one of the top scorers in the Spanish championship, for a large sum last summer. The club management aimed to solve the problems in the attacking line through this. However, the Ukrainian forward, who started the season well, has not been able to show the expected performance lately.

At the same time, Eldor Shomurodov had not gained full confidence in the club since arriving at "Roma" in 2021. However, under coach Klaudio Raneri, his game has started to open up. Now Eldor has become not just Dovbik's substitute but his real competitor.

Italian experts highly evaluate Shomurodov

According to experts, Shomurodov plays an important role in the team. He is only behind Dovbik in terms of the number of goals, but it is emphasized that he is at a much higher level in terms of influencing the team and tactical effectiveness. Indeed, Shomurodov is showing a very effective game alongside Matias Sule, Tommazo Baldansi, Paulo Dybala, and Nicolo Pizilli.

Although "Roma" has exited the Europa League, this defeat should serve as a motivation for the team to draw serious conclusions. Experts unanimously agree that Klaudio Raneri made a mistake in team selection, especially that Eldor Shomurodov should have been in the starting lineup. The club must maintain its chances in the national championship to return to European competitions next season.

Eldor Shomurodov has a great opportunity to once again prove himself at a high level and secure the position of the main striker at "Roma."