It would be too biased to say that a Roma victory over Man City tonight would be good for football, but it would certainly be a huge positive for Italian football which is in need of a feelgood story on the European scene.
While it would have been nicer to see Roma in an easier Champions League group than the one they were placed in, the Giallorossi can be optimistic.
A beefing up of the squad has seen them hit the ground running with five wins from five in Serie A, while they opened their first Champions League campaign in three years with a brilliant 5 - 1 at home to CSKA Moscow, with Gervinho in form that Arsenal fans would not recognise and the legend that is Francesco Totti orchestrating things from deep.
Team spirit seems as strong as ever since manager Rudi Garcia took over at the start of last season and some of their second half goals this season point to a reservoir of inner strength which has made them the only viable candidate to dethrone Juventus in Serie A.
The summer purchases of Ashley Cole, Juan Iturbe, Seydou Keita, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Seydou Keita and Davide Astori have also added greater experience and meant that Roma now have two players in each position which is vital due to the increased demand of European football this season. That's without mentioning the promising Salih Ucan, Dutch utility man Urby Emanuelson and Greek international José Holebas who arrived during the summer.
There is a Champions League preview of all the matches involving Premier League sides at the end of this week's Monday Rewind:
Defensively they should make Man City work hard to create chances, given their strong record at the back under Garcia. Only one goal - away to Parma - has been conceded in the league, while the goal they gave up at CSKA was a consolation when the Romans were already 5 - 0 up and cruising.
That defensive strength stems from last season when they conceded just 25 times in 38 games in a Serie A campaign that would normally have delivered the league title - but for an almost irritatingly consistent Juventus side. Only Juve allowed fewer shots than Garcia's team.
Yet, the are not a defensive side at all despite their excellent record at the back.
There is creativity in midfield where Radja Nainngolan has become a key player since his arrival in January.
I watched Roma's impressive 2 - 0 win over Fiorentina in their league opener and aside from his goal, the Belgium international was my Man of the Match.
This season he is averaging two chances per game and has a pass completion rate just shy of 90 per cent.
And accuracy with the ball is a key part of Roma's midifeld. Capitano di Futuro Daniel De Rossi (who is unavailable through injury tonight), Miralem Pjanic and Nainngolan all average around the 90 per cent mark when it comes to pass accuracy, especially impressive given that the stats show that a significant percentage of their passes go forward rather than backwards.
Last season, the club topped the Serie A charts in terms of possession, averaging just short of 60 per cent and had the highest pass accuracy, even above Juventus.
Yet it is not sterile possession either as they were among the top three Serie A sides in terms of shots attempted last season.
And when it came to counter-attacking goals, they managed double figures in 2013/14 - among the top three in Italy.
Rudi Garcia
That is helped by the pace available to the team through Gervinho.
The former Arsenal winger is a man reborn under his former Lille manager Garcia and although he is still prone to missing the odd chance, he already has three goals to his name this season in all competitions.
He is also among five Roma players who are in the Top 30 Serie A players when it comes to key passes made this season.
And of course, Totti is part of that group and his enduring qualities are impervious to age, even at 38.
Injuries could be an issue though, with the likes of De Rossi, goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis and centre-back Leandro Castan among half a dozen players set to miss the City game through injury.
But the resilience that they have developed over the past 18 months will still make them a tough nut to crack for City.
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