David Pizarro marked his return to the first team under new AS Roma coach Vincenzo Montella by scoring a 90th-minute penalty to give Roma a 2-1 win at Lecce in Serie A on Friday.
The Chilean was frozen out of the first team by former coach Claudio Ranieri, who tried to sell him during the January transfer window.
However, the win failed to hide familiar failings by Roma, who again almost let a lead slip away before Lecce midfielder Gianni Munari handled Marco Borriello’s header to give Pizarro a chance to score the winner.
Mirko Vucinic gave Roma the lead in the first half, but Lecce dominated the second and drew level midway through the half through Guillermo Giacomazzi.
“The coach said that Pizarro was the penalty-taker,” Borriello said. “As he put the ball down, he asked me if I wanted to take it. I was ready, but then he changed his mind.”
The victory means Roma are unbeaten in three games since Montella took over, but they now have a tough week, with the second leg of their Champions League round-of-16 match with Shakhtar Donetsk, followed by the Rome derby against SS Lazio.
“We are delighted that we have taken seven points from the last three games,” Montella said. “Especially the two wins we’ve had away from home.”
After a slow start, Roma increased the tempo of the game and Vucinic began causing the defense problems with his runs from the left, but it was Borriello who had the first chance, the striker blasting over the bar after racing beyond the defense in the 23rd minute.
Roma continued to press, Marco Cassetti firing a low shot wide and Rodrigo Taddei chipping over from the edge of the box.
Vucinic’s pace allowed him to open the scoring. He shrugged off Andrea Rispoli on halfway, raced to the edge of the area and shot low past goalkeeper Antonio Rosati.
The hosts hit back. Ruben Olivera whipped a cross to the back post and Giacomazzi looped a header goalward, which goalkeeper Alexander Doni tipped out from under the crossbar.
“We played well and had a good rhythm, especially in the first half,” Montella said. “After halftime, Lecce improved their organization and didn’t let us play.”
Lecce started the second half in determined mood. Daniele Corvia headed Giacomazzi’s cross wide and Olivera flashed a volley narrowly past the post.
Corvia then went close again with a volley, before Giacomazzi equalized in the 65th minute with a glancing header over Doni from Munari’s cross.
It was Giacomazzi who gave away the penalty as Borriello headed Simone Perrotta’s cross goalward.
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