ROMA REELING AFTER CHIEVO STALEMATE

MILAN: Roma threw away a two-goal lead as tailenders Chievo snatched a 2-2 draw at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday to dent morale before a daunting midweek trip to Champions League holders Real Madrid. Stephan El Shaarawy and Bryan Cristante put Roma, who lost to AC Milan before the international break, firmly in command by the half-time interval. But Chievo, beaten 6-1 by Fiorentina last time out and deducted three points by the Italian football federation for false accounting, battled back in the second half. Valter Birsa pulled a goal back after 52 minutes with Polish striker Mariusz Stepinski sealing a point for the club from Verona seven minutes from time. “This was a game we had under control, we should have closed it down. This can’t happen against Real,” Roma coach Eusebio Di Francesco told broadcaster DAZN. In games like this you have to score four goals. This didn’t happen, and it kept Chievo alive.” The Roma coach added: “We’ll be going out to challenge Real Madrid on Wednesday. We mustn’t lose our heads, even if these results destabilise us.” Chievo are propping up the table on -1 points after they were docked three points and fined €200,000 for false accounting. President Luca Campedelli was also banned for three months after the Italian federation found Chievo guilty of deliberately inflating the figures of transfer dealings with Cesena. “We’re on the right path,” said Chievo coach Lorenzo D’anna. “We feared it would be a repeat of the Fiorentina game, but instead we kept our composure.”