De Rossi's debut at Roma was a triumph, with a 2-1 victory over Verona

It was an unusual setting for De Rossi's debut, Roma immediately abandoned Mourinho's defensive tactics in favor of a more aggressive approach in a 2-1 victory against relegation-threatened Hellas Verona in Serie A on Saturday. Romelu Lukaku and Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini scored six minutes apart in the first half, both assisted by Stephan El Shaarawy. El Shaarawy weaved his way between three defenders to set up Lukaku's goal from the middle of the box, then flicked the ball to Pellegrini for the second off a cross from Lukaku.

Later, Verona’s Michael Folorunsho scored midway through the second half with a long, twisting strike after teammate Milan Djuric missed a penalty attempt, setting up a nail-biting finish for Roma. The victory brought Roma within two points of the top four and the Champions League zone, which was De Rossi's goal when he signed a six-month deal. Verona, which defeated Roma 2-1 in August, stayed 18th.