April 26, (THEWILL) – Daniele de Rossi’s AS Roma kept their UEFA Champions League qualification dreams alive with a late 2-1 victory over Udinese in Serie A. The match, restarted 11 days after the original tie was abandoned due to Evan Ndicka’s medical emergency, saw the Giallorossi snatch all three points deep into stoppage time.
Udinese had taken the lead on 28 minutes through Roberto Pereyra’s fourth goal of the campaign. Roma equalised after the break via Romelu Lukaku’s 19th strike of the season, before the Belgian was forced off injured. With the match finely poised, Bryan Cristante rose highest in the dying seconds to head home a crucial corner and seal a vital 2-1 win.
The result sees Roma cement fifth place, four points adrift of the last UCL spot currently occupied by Bologna. Udinese, meanwhile, remain perilously above the relegation zone only on head-to-head record after a cruel late blow.
Prior to the late drama, Lorenzo Lucca and Thomas Kristensen had early Udinese chances, before Tommaso Baldanzi and Leandro Paredes went close for the visitors. Lazar Samardzic also spurned a golden opportunity to double the hosts’ advantage after Pereyra’s opener.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
