Roma beat 10-man Lecce 2-1 to go fifth in Serie A, just four points off top spot.
Chris Smalling continued his recent heroics when he gave Roma the lead after just six minutes. An excellent Lorenzo Pellegrini cross found Smalling waiting in the air to head home.
Lecce lost captain Morten Hjulmand 15 minutes later to a red card for a studs-up challenge which left Andrea Belotti writhing in pain. The challenge was initially deemed only a foul, but VAR upgraded it to a red.
Roma battered the visitors after that but couldn’t extend their lead. In the 39th minute, Lecce got an unexpected equaliser when Gabriel Strefezza scrambled home a loose ball after a short-corner routine.
Jose Mourinho introduced Tammy Abraham at half-time and the England striker won a penalty within a minute of coming on.
Paulo Dybala converted the spot-kick to restore Roma’s lead, but suffered a thigh injury in doing so and had to be withdrawn.
Lecce defended desperately and countered gamely, but Roma were never really threatened and held on for a comfortable victory.
TALKING POINT – MOURINHO KNOWS BALL
Jose Mourinho may no longer be at the cutting edge of European football, he knew exactly how to manage this match. His half-time changes, particularly the introduction of a second striker in Abraham, had the desired effects almost immediately.
Though he didn’t score, Abraham was a constant threat. Although it was injury-related, the replacement of goal scorer Dybala with midfield veteran Nemanja Matic was also vintage Mourinho.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – CHRIS SMALLING
Smalling was very strong again against Lecce, as he has been all season. He defended well when called upon and got the important early goal. He won four aerial duels, made two interceptions, two clearances and three blocks all without conceding a foul.
PLAYER RATINGS
ROMA: Rui Patricio 7; Mancini 6, Smalling 7, Ibáñez 5; Zalewski 7, Pellegrini 6, Cristante 6, Viña 5; Dybala 7, Zaniolo 6; Belotti 5. Subs: Spinazzola 6, Abraham 5, Kumbulla N/A, Matic 6, Shomurodov N/A
LECCE: Falcone 7; Gendrey 7, Baschirotto 6, Umtiti 6, Pezzella 6; Askildsen 5, Hjulmand 3, González 6; Banda 7, Ceesay 7, Strefezza 6. Subs: Blin 5, Helgason N/A, Oudin N/A, Colombo 6, Di Francesco 6
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
6′ GOAL ROMA: Roma recycle possession and the ball comes to Nicola Zalewski in space on the right. The wing-back hangs a cross up at the far post and Chris Smalling leaps above Valentin Gendrey to head home Roma’s opener .
9′ SMALLING GOES CLOSE TO ANOTHER: Smalling wins a header in the box, flicking on to Nicolo Zaniolo who flashes a shot back across the face of goal. Smalling almost manages to flick it home but his improvised shot is off target.
22′ RED CARD LECCE: The visitors are down to 10 men after captain Morten Hjulmand is sent off following a VAR review. His studs definitely struck Belotti’s shins, so he can’t have a great deal of argument.
39′ GOAL LECCE: A short corner routine ends with a loose ball in the Roma box which Gabriel Strefezza pounces on to rifle home for the equaliser.
46′ ABRAHAM WINS PENALTY: Seconds after entering the game, Roma’s big center forward is fouled in the box when Askildsen aims at the ball but kicks his heel.
48′ GOAL ROMA: Paulo Dybala converts the spot-kick after a long wait to make it five goals in five games.
50′ DYBALA INJURED: The Roma goal scorer gestures to his team-mates that his thigh has been injured, perhaps in the action of taking the penalty and has to be subbed off.
