chiesa di totti 
25-04-2024 23:56
25-04-2024 23:56
Roma Defeats Udinese Thanks to Last-Gasp Cristante Header
At this stage in the season, every point is worth its weight in gold. So when Roma hit the road to face relegation-battling Udinese on April 14th, three points felt like a formality. After all, Roma was on a roll, winning three of their previous four matches and 10 of 15 since Daniele De Rossi took over in mid-January.
However, Roma's hopes for an easy-breezy victory were put on ice in the 23rd minute when Roberto Pereyra more or less stumbled into an early goal, putting De Rossi's side on the back foot. Lacking their usual bite, Roma struggled to create clear-cut chances against Udinese, putting their fourth-place hopes in serious jeopardy.
Roma would pull level in the 63rd minute when Bryan Cristante played a swerving, in-swinging cross from the right flank. The cross caught Romelu Lukaku in stride for a no-doubt headed goal, his first league goal since early March against Monza.
But things would soon take a dramatic turn for the worse when Evan Ndicka collapsed on the pitch in the 72nd minute, clutching at his chest. Ndicka was stretchered off the pitch and whisked away to the hospital to undergo a battery of cardiac tests while the match itself was suspended out of an abundance of caution.
It wasn't long before pictures of a smiling Ndicka made waves on the club's social media channels, but the good news didn't end there. With no evidence of cardiac arrest and Ndicka seemingly on the mend, the 24-year-old Ivorian defender was given the all-clear to resume sporting activities earlier this week.
Rather than replaying the match in its entirety, Roma and Udinese picked up right where they left off, with the game knotted at one goal apiece in the 72nd minute. And in another quirk of Italian football, the clubs were able to alter their lineups, but Udinese took it a step further, replacing manager Gabriele Cioffi with Azzurri legend and 2006 Ballon d'Or winner Fabio Cannavaro.
After Udinese keeper Maduka Okoye re-started the match with a drop ball, the contest resumed. While Roma enjoyed the lion's share of possession, both sides saw half-chances saved, turned away, or narrowly missed. With time winding down and the match deep into stoppage time, it seemed like this 18-minute oddity would end in a 1-1 draw, a just result considering the circumstances.
But Roma saved the best for last, securing three critical points after Cristante converted a 95th-minute Paulo Dybala corner, heading the ball to the opposite post past a flat-footed Okoye.
While Roma wasn't able to climb the table with today's result, the win gives the Giallorossi a four-point cushion over sixth-place Atalanta, though Gian Piero Gasperini's crew has a game in hand.
If you missed any of today's action, please enjoy the highlights.
However, Roma's hopes for an easy-breezy victory were put on ice in the 23rd minute when Roberto Pereyra more or less stumbled into an early goal, putting De Rossi's side on the back foot. Lacking their usual bite, Roma struggled to create clear-cut chances against Udinese, putting their fourth-place hopes in serious jeopardy.
Roma would pull level in the 63rd minute when Bryan Cristante played a swerving, in-swinging cross from the right flank. The cross caught Romelu Lukaku in stride for a no-doubt headed goal, his first league goal since early March against Monza.
But things would soon take a dramatic turn for the worse when Evan Ndicka collapsed on the pitch in the 72nd minute, clutching at his chest. Ndicka was stretchered off the pitch and whisked away to the hospital to undergo a battery of cardiac tests while the match itself was suspended out of an abundance of caution.
It wasn't long before pictures of a smiling Ndicka made waves on the club's social media channels, but the good news didn't end there. With no evidence of cardiac arrest and Ndicka seemingly on the mend, the 24-year-old Ivorian defender was given the all-clear to resume sporting activities earlier this week.
Rather than replaying the match in its entirety, Roma and Udinese picked up right where they left off, with the game knotted at one goal apiece in the 72nd minute. And in another quirk of Italian football, the clubs were able to alter their lineups, but Udinese took it a step further, replacing manager Gabriele Cioffi with Azzurri legend and 2006 Ballon d'Or winner Fabio Cannavaro.
After Udinese keeper Maduka Okoye re-started the match with a drop ball, the contest resumed. While Roma enjoyed the lion's share of possession, both sides saw half-chances saved, turned away, or narrowly missed. With time winding down and the match deep into stoppage time, it seemed like this 18-minute oddity would end in a 1-1 draw, a just result considering the circumstances.
But Roma saved the best for last, securing three critical points after Cristante converted a 95th-minute Paulo Dybala corner, heading the ball to the opposite post past a flat-footed Okoye.
While Roma wasn't able to climb the table with today's result, the win gives the Giallorossi a four-point cushion over sixth-place Atalanta, though Gian Piero Gasperini's crew has a game in hand.
If you missed any of today's action, please enjoy the highlights.