Serie A | Roma 1-0 Sassuolo: Pellegrini can’t stop scoring

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Susy Campanale | Last updated 3/17/24

Lorenzo Pellegrini’s curler from outside the box proved enough for Roma to squeeze past Sassuolo and stay in the hunt for Champions League qualification.

The Giallorossi were coming off Thursday’s painless defeat at Brighton, losing Paulo Dybala, Chris Smalling and Rasmus Kristensen, but Tammy Abraham was on the bench for the first time since knee surgery in June. At least Romelu Lukaku shook off a recurring hip inflammation to start with Houssem Aouar in a more advanced role. Sassuolo stunned Frosinone on new coach Davide Ballardini’s debut, but Kristian Thorstvedt and Josh Doig were suspended with Domenico Berardi out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.

See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.

Lukaku immediately went close, nodding the Leonardo Spinazzola cross wide, but found it difficult to create chances against a Sassuolo side with 10 men behind the ball.

Spinazzola limped off with a muscular problem after just 36 minutes, making way for Angelino, and Stephan El Shaarawy several times turned into a left-back with defensive blocks on Pedersen.

Lukaku’s glancing header flashed just wide on the Lorenzo Pellegrini cross, but the deadlock was finally broken when Pellegrini cut inside from the left and bent a right-foot curler into the far bottom corner.

That's a brilliant finish!

Lorenzo Pellegrini gives Roma the lead in style

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/TQCapkdMwP

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 17, 2024

Sassuolo fought back, as Mile Svilar had to get down quickly to beat away the Uros Racic daisy-cutter from the edge of the area, while Martin Erlic threw himself in the way of Lukaku’s strike.

Tommaso Baldanzi tested Andrea Consigli at the near post on a Zeki Celik pull-back, but Sassuolo almost equalised on 81 minutes in chaotic fashion.

Diego Llorente risked an own goal by redirecting a Nedim Bajrami pull-back from the by-line onto the upright from point-blank range and Mattia Viti turned the rebound over.

Roma 1-0 Sassuolo

Pellegrini 50 (R)

17-03-2024 17:00 MatchDay 29 Stadio Olimpico

Roma

Sassuolo 1 - 0

Player statistic

2nd half

Lorenzo Pellegrini (Assist: Leandro Paredes)

50' Lorenzo Pellegrini 59' Sardar Azmoun 89' 90'

Martin Erlic

Match statistic

63 Possession % 37 10 Total shots 8 4 Shots on target 2 3 Shots off target 2 3 Blocked shots 4 4 Corners 7 3 Offsides 0 11 Fouls 10 Roma Sassuolo

Starting lineups

Mile Svilar Goalkeeper 14

Diego Llorente Defender 23

Gianluca Mancini Defender 37

Leonardo Spinazzola Defender 37' 2

Rick Karsdorp Defender 70' 4

Bryan Cristante Midfielder 22

Houssem Aouar Midfielder 70' 16

Leandro Paredes Midfielder 7

Lorenzo Pellegrini Midfielder 90

Romelu Lukaku Attacker 86' 92

Stephan El Shaarawy Attacker 86' 47

Andrea Consigli Goalkeeper 13

Gian Marco Ferrari Defender 3

Marcus Pedersen Defender 5

Martin Erlic Defender 21 Mattia Viti Defender 86' 7

Matheus Henrique Midfielder 14

Pedro Obiang Midfielder 72' 6

Uros Racic Midfielder 79' 9

Andrea Pinamonti Attacker 79' 45

Armand Lauriente Attacker 92

Grégoire Defrel Attacker

73'

Substitutes

Rui Patrício Goalkeeper 9

Tammy Abraham Attacker 63 Pietro Boer Goalkeeper 59

Nicola Zalewski Midfielder 52 Edoardo Bove Midfielder 5

Evan Ndicka Defender 61 Niccolò Pisilli Midfielder 67 João Costa Attacker

Angeliño Defender 37' Tommaso Baldanzi Midfielder 70' 19

Zeki Celik Defender 70' 17

Sardar Azmoun Attacker 86' 3 Dean Huijsen Defender 86' 19

Marash Kumbulla Defender 2 Filippo Missori Defender 28

Alessio Cragno Goalkeeper 25

Gianluca Pegolo Goalkeeper 15

Emil Konradsen Ceide Attacker 35 Luca Lipani Midfielder 23 Cristian Volpato Midfielder 72' 24 Daniel Boloca Midfielder 73' 11 Nedim Bajrami Midfielder 79' 8

Samuele Mulattieri Attacker 79' 44

Ruan Tressoldi Defender

86'

This article first appeared on Football Italia and was syndicated with permission.

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