‘Extraordinary’ Edin Dzeko praised by Roma boss Eusebio Di Francesco after double strike makes him top goalscorer in Champions League
- Edin Dzeko scored twice as Roma beat CSKA Moscow on Tuesday night
- The striker is this season’s joint-top goalscorer in the Champions League
- Dzeko’s goals helped relieve some of the pressure on Eusebio Di Francesco
Edin Dzeko has been hailed as ‘extraordinary’ after his two goals helped Roma beat CSKA Moscow 3-0 and took his tally in this season’s Champions League to five in three games.
The 32-year-old former Manchester City striker is the competition’s top scorer this season, alongside Lionel Messi, having bagged a hat-trick in his previous game, a 5-0 thumping of Viktoria Plzen.
Dzeko is also averaging a goal every 54 minutes, and Roma boss Eusebio Di Francesco was quick to praise his star striker, who helped the team bounce back from a shock home defeat by SPAL in Serie A on Saturday. Di Francesco is now battling to save his job, according to reports in Italy.
Edin Dzeko celebrates with his team-mate Lorenzo Pellegrini after scoring for Roma
‘If he’d scored [against SPAL] that would have been even better,’ said Di Francesco of the Bosnia and Herzegovina international.
‘I must say, he’s an extraordinary player, and not just in terms of his finishing – he gets the team playing, brings the ball down and produces good service for his team-mates.
‘He’s a fantastic professional, his pre-match preparations are always spot-on. When he has a bad game he might appear lethargic, but he does well when he’s determined.
‘There were things I wasn’t happy with against SPAL, some occasions where focus was lacking. That’s football, you can never let your guard down.
‘We showed a lot of good things, including the ability to dig in. CSKA are good between the lines but we found our rhythm, producing some good play and creating chances.’
Dzeko scores his first goal of the night from close range against CSKA Moscow on Tuesday
He added a second to ensure Roma’s victory and take himself to five goals in Europe this term
The only Champions League game Dzeko has not scored in this season was the 3-0 defeat by reigning champions Real Madrid in the first group game. Roma are now level on points with Real at the top of Group G, behind only on their head-to-head record.
Dzeko will be hoping to emulate last season’s success in the competition when Roma reached the semi-finals only to lose 7-6 on aggregate to Liverpool.
He does, however, have just two goals to his name in Serie A this season, with Roma languishing in a disappointing seventh place.