Temperatures were rising; pulses were racing as both teams fought in the sweltering heat to break the deadlock.
Then came a moment of inspiration from Roma’s new signing. A couple of stepovers past the Torino defenders and Justin Kluivert made his way to the byline before whipping in a sumptuous cross only for Edin Dzeko to execute a volley and finish with aplomb.
Significantly the Giallorossi would go on to seal all three points in the dying minutes with Kluivert giving the Roma faithful a taste of what he can produce. For Kluivert, football is in his blood, he is after all the son of Dutch great, Patrick Kluivert.
And many believe Kluivert junior with all his qualities can be better than his father, given that he is already technically superior. What’s more is that the 19 year old managed to score a hat-trick in the Eredivisie prior to his move to Italy, something his father could not accomplish.
But last season when the winger stated his intention to leave Ajax there were fears for his career. The departed Johan Cruyff at one point lamented the fact that too many of his country’s brightest footballing talents leave the Eredivisie too soon for top clubs and end up seeing their stock decline dramatically.
Exacerbating matters was Barcelona and Manchester United’s interest in the starlet. However thankfully, Kluivert opted for the Stadio Olimpico. In picking Italy, he made a wise move that can benefit his career greatly.
This is a club where he can grow without the pressures of playing at Manchester United or Barcelona where the demands can be overwhelming for someone of his age. Moreover his arrival in the boot-shaped land coincides with Cristiano Ronaldo joining Juventus highlighting how Serie A is starting to be a force as it was in the noughties.
For the former Ajax player Roma represents the right springboard for him to develop further into the footballing champion he can be. Should he fulfil his potential one day, it will be his decision to join i Lupi that will go down as the greatest catalyst of what he achieves.