Roma win seven-goal thriller against Spezia

MILAN: Lorenzo Pellegrini scored a last-gasp winner as Roma bounced back from their Italian Cup defeat by Spezia with a 4-3 win over the promoted side to move third in Serie A on Saturday.

Pellegrini blasted home in injury time, minutes ater Daniele Verde had pulled Spezia level, with relieved Roma coach Paulo Fonseca racing to hug the midfielder.

“The hug was a team moment that shows that we are all together,” said Fonseca. “We showed great spirit. It was a game which was essential for us to win.”

The capital side have been in turmoil since their chaotic 4-2 extra-time loss to Spezia on Tuesday.

The official scoreline was changed to 3-0 on Friday, as Roma made six substitutions, with just five allowed, during the last-16 clash which they finished with nine men.

In a statement Serie A, which organises the Italian Cup, said the 3-0 loss has been awarded because it was a larger margin of defeat than the one handed to Roma on the field.

Captain Edin Dzeko was let out of the team on Saturday, officially because of a muscular injury, but amid reports of a fall-out with Fonseca.

Borja Mayoral scored a double for the hosts, neting the first ater quarter of an hour, only for Roberto Piccoli to pull 14th-placed Spezia level seven minutes later by pouncing on a mistake by home goalkeeper Pau Lopez.

Real Madrid loanee Mayoral sloted home his second on 52 minutes, before Rick Karsdorp tapped in to make it 3-1 three minutes later.

Diego Farias again responded for the visitors just before the hour, scoring the third goal of a dramatic six-minute spell at the Stadio Olimpico.

An error from Chris Smalling allowed former Roma winger Verde to equalise in the 90th minute, firing home let-footed ater the England defender missed his atempted clearance.

Pellegrini had the final say, though, drilling the ball into the roof of the net from close range ater Bruno Peres’ unselfish cutback.

It was a first league win in three games for Roma, ater last week’s defeat by Lazio in the Rome derby and a draw with title rivals Inter Milan.

Roma move ahead of Napoli into third. On Friday, Fonseca said he had the backing of the team and club but reports in Italy claim there was a brawl in the Roma dressing room in the atermath of the Spezia defeat, and tensions are high between the coach and captain Edin Dzeko.

Dzeko and midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini also reportedly demanded the reinstatement of Gombar, who was popular among the players