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·10 March 2024

Serie A | Fiorentina 2-2 Roma: De Rossi never gives up

Fiorentina saw Cristiano Biraghi’s penalty saved by Mile Svilar and Diego Llorente completed the Roma comeback with the last kick of the game for a dramatic 2-2 draw.

Both teams were fresh from UEFA victories on Thursday, as the Viola beat Maccabi Haifa 4-3 and the Giallorossi crushed Brighton and Hove Albion 4-0. Andrea Belotti faced his former club, with Lucas Beltran suspended and Christian Kouame injured, but Lucas Martinez-Quarta and Arthur Melo returned to the squad. Rasmus Kristensen sat out a ban, with Tammy Abraham the only one left on the treatment table, so they switched to a 3-5-2 formation.

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Romelu Lukaku forced a low save from Pietro Terracciano on Paulo Dybala’s pass after four minutes, but it was the hosts who took the lead.

Maxime Lopez’s corner was flicked on by Nico Gonzalez and Luca Ranieri got there ahead of Evan Ndicka to nod in at the far post.

The Viola kept pushing, as Rolando Mandragora curled wide of the top corner and Belotti forced a save from Mile Svilar at a tight angle.

Gianluca Mancini was booked early on for taking down Riccardo Sottil and risked a second for clipping Belotti’s ankle on 27 minutes. Daniele De Rossi saw he was on his last warning and hauled the defender off.

Evan Ndicka made a decisive interception with two Fiorentina players sliding in to meet the Biraghi cross and Houssem Aouar didn’t get enough curl on his finish, but Sottil missed a free header after Belotti knocked it down for him.

Fiorentina thought it was 2-0 on 38 minutes when Belotti pounced on a ricochet with a volley from a tight angle, but Leandro Paredes was there for the decisive goal-line clearance.

Moments later, Ndicka got back for a crucial block on Giacomo Bonaventura’s finish after he was sent clear on goal by Nico Gonzalez.

Roma came out for the second half with the same personnel, but moved to a 4-3-3 formation.

Belotti steered a header well wide from a corner, but Terracciano had to make two tricky saves on Bryan Cristante in quick succession.

The change of system definitely made a difference and they equalised when Dybala surged forward, spread it down the left for Angelino, whose cross was deflected off Ranieri to turn into an accidental assist for the Aouar free header from 12 yards.

Roma nearly turned it around moments later, as Cristante threw himself at the Angelino cross, but just failed to connect from six yards.

Instead, Fiorentina restored their advantage after some chaotic defending on the Biraghi cross, as Belotti nodded it down, Aouar made a half-hearted attempt to clear and Mandragora flicked it in off the outside of the left boot from six yards.

Fiorentina lead Daniele De Rossi's Roma 2-1! 👀 Huge result! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/MT9MmiZDgt — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 10, 2024

Fiorentina were awarded a rather soft penalty when Paredes lightly tugged Belotti’s shirt as the striker turned his former teammate. However, after his heroics in the Europa League shoot-out against Feyenoord, Mile Svilar again proved himself by keeping out the Biraghi spot-kick. It also confirmed the Viola’s problems, having failed to convert four penalties in Serie A this season.

This left it open and Lorenzo Pellegrini fired straight at Terracciano after a long period of Roma pressure. Everybody went up for the final corner deep into stoppages, it was not cleared properly, Ndicka nodded down the cross and Diego Llorente smashed the volley into the roof of the net to equalise.