Hummels can be “exceptionally good”.

Mats Hummels received high praise from his coach after his last-minute goal for AS Roma. The former German international is “not yet in top form,” said Claudio Ranieri after the Italian club’s 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur. In the Europa League game, Hummels was “a key figure in the defense”.

“I believe that he can be not only good in defense, but exceptionally good,” said the 73-year-old Italian. “The fans will be thrilled to have rediscovered the champion they admired in Germany.”

Hummels played for Roma for the first time on Thursday evening. First, he caused a penalty kick early in the game, which Leverkusen’s former player Heung-Min Son converted to make it 1-0 for Spurs in the fifth minute. It was one of the moments that “only the video referee sees,” Ranieri said about the foul. Referee Glenn Nyberg from Sweden initially did not award a penalty.

Hummels goal shortly before the end

In stoppage time, Hummels made it 2-2. The 35-year-old was there following a corner kick at the second post and just had to push the ball over the line from close range. With now six points from five games, the Romans have to finish 21st in the table. However, they are still worried about getting into the next round.

Hummels was out of contract for weeks in the summer and only moved to Italy at the beginning of September. In his only game under Ranieri’s predecessor Ivan Juric, he only played a good 20 minutes as a substitute and scored an own goal. Ranieri, on the other hand, gave Hummels hope for significantly more playing time early on.