MILAN: Roma moved three points behind Serie A leader Inter Milan on Saturday night after a hard-fought 2-0 win over Sassuolo in Rome.
Down to the bare bones due to a clutch of injuries and players away at the Africa Cup of Nations, Roma moved into third thanks to quickfire late goals from Manu Kone and Matias Soule which broke Sassuolo’s brave resistance.
Kone thumped home the opener with his head from Soule’s pinpoint cross in the 77th minute to spark delirium in the Stadio Olimpico.
And fans were sure of the three points for their team two minutes later when Soule calmly rolled home Stephan El Shaarawy’s delicate flick at the end of a flowing passing move.
Argentine forward Soule told DAZN he would buy El Shaarawy “a bottle of wine” in front of his grinning veteran teammate who in stoppage time hit the bar and and had a goal ruled out for offside.
“Thankfully the second half was played in a difference spirit to the first, matches get more open as they go on... all we can do is carry on going as we are,” said Soule.
Roma, who had seven players out of action and five academy players on the bench, is level on 39 points with second-placed AC Milan who plays at Fiorentina on Sunday.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s team was a completely different proposition in the second half after a drab opening period in which Sassuolo — 12th and 10 points above the relegation zone — held its own.
Both Milan and Inter, who hosts Napoli in the weekend’s headline clash at the San Siro, have a game in hand on Roma due to their participation in the Italian Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.
After Napoli, Inter faces lowly Lecce at home on Wednesday while the next day Milan make the short trip to lakeside Lombard rivals Como, whose hopes of Champions League football were dented slightly by a 1-1 draw with 10-man Bologna.
Martin Baturina’s stunning late strike salvaged a point for Como who trailed to a goal from Nicolo Cambiaghi netted shortly after half-time. He was later sent off for violent conduct.
Como is four points behind fourth-placed Napoli, who plays its game in hand against Parma in Naples on Wednesday.
Atalanta beat Torino 2-0 and continued its climb towards the European places under Raffaele Palladino.
An early strike from Charles De Ketelaere and Mario Pasalic’s solo counter-attack goal in the final seconds gave Atalanta a scrappy fifth win from six league matches and moved Palladino’s team three points away from the Conference League spot currently occupied by Como. Agencies
Also read: Serie A: AC Milan held by Genoa