Two individual errors from AS Roma players on Sunday led to two goals and saw Jose Mourinho’s side slip to their first defeat in Serie A as they were surprisingly crushed 4-0 at Udinese.
Roma went into the game having conceded only one goal in four matches this season.
Roma defender Rick Karsdorp and goalkeeper Rui Patricio were at fault for the first two goals by Destiny Udogie and Lazar Samardzic. Roberto Pereyra and Sandi Lovric added to Roma’s humiliation in the final 15 minutes.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“Individual errors are always group ones for me,” Mourinho said. “We have 10 points and a lot of teams are close. I want to congratulate Udinese, which was perfect tonight. I prefer to lose one match 4-0 than lose four matches 1-0. It’s hard for us and for our fans, but that’s life, there’s another match on Thursday. That’s what I told my players.”
It was a third straight victory for Udinese and lifted them up to fourth, level on points with Roma.
“The guys were extraordinary tonight, against a really strong team and we also played good football,” Udinese coach Andrea Sottil said. “We have to keep our feet on the ground, we are aware of our strengths, but we have to take it match by match, with hunger and humility against every opponent.”
Mourinho’s side were looking to move back top of Serie A, but they gifted Udinese the opener with less than five minutes on the clock.
Pereyra floated a cross in from the right and Karsdorp chested it down toward his own goalkeeper at the back post, but he did not realize that Udogie was right behind him and the teenager snuck in to prod home.
Udinese doubled their lead in the 56th minute when Patricio allowed Samardzic’s snapshot from distance to squirm out of his hands and into the back of the net.
Roma almost grabbed one back immediately, but Gianluca Mancini headed a corner off the left post.
The capital side fought desperately to get back into the game, but left themselves exposed at the back and Udinese sealed the result with two counterattacks.
One was finished off in the 75th minute when Jean-Victor Makengo laid the ball off for Pereyra to curl into the far side of the net. Seven minutes later, Pereyra turned provider to set up Lovric for his first goal since joining from Lugano in the summer.
US Cremonese picked up their first point in Serie A for more than 26 years with a 0-0 draw at home to US Sassuolo.
Cremonese had started their first season back in the top flight since 1995-1996 with four defeats.
Hellas Verona recorded their first victory this season by coming from behind to beat UC Sampdoria 2-1, turning the match around on the stroke of halftime.
Francesco Caputo scored a stunning opening goal for Sampdoria five minutes before the break, but Verona leveled four minutes later when Thomas Henry’s header came off the crossbar and went in off the back of goalkeeper Emil Audero’s head.
Scottish defender Josh Doig, a new signing, scored what was to prove the winner moments later.
Elsewhere, Marko Arnautovic scored two goals as Bologna drew 2-2 at Spezia.
ADVANTAGE ATLETICO: Well off the pace in La Liga, the Copa del Rey represents Atletico Madrid’s best chance of silverware this season Atletico Madrid on Thursday hammered Copa del Rey holders Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of their semi-final. After an Eric Garcia own-goal sent Diego Simeone’s side ahead early on, Antoine Griezmann, Ademola Lookman and Julian Alvarez struck to give Atletico a landslide lead by halftime. Barca defender Garcia was sent off in the final stages, with Atletico maintaining their significant advantage on the record 32-time winners, which they take into the second leg at the Camp Nou on March 3. Both sides missed good chances in the second half, with Barca’s Pau Cubarsi having a goal disallowed before Garcia was sent off
Dasun Shanaka hammered the fastest half-century by a Sri Lankan in T20Is as the cohosts thrashed Oman by 105 runs at the World Cup yesterday in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, for their second win in Group B. The 2014 champions piled up 225-5, the highest total of the tournament, before restricting an outclassed Oman to 120-9. The 43-year-old Mohammad Nadeem waged a lone battle for Oman, compiling an unbeaten 53 to become the oldest player to score a 50 in T20 World Cups. Having promoted himself up the order and under pressure to deliver, Sri Lanka skipper Shanaka smashed a 19-ball half-century. It has been
Kawhi Leonard on Sunday scored 41 points, grabbed eight rebounds and made four steals to lead the Los Angeles Clippers in a lopsided 115-96 victory at Minnesota. The 34-year-old forward, a two-time NBA champion, matched the second-best road scoring effort of his career as the Clippers improved to 25-27. “Just being aggressive. My teammates trust me,” Leonard said. “Every moment when I touch the ball — assist, shooting the basketball or getting a rebound — I’m just trying to help the team win.” Leonard made three steals in a row at the start of the contest. “Just wanted to come out early in the
FLOP TO CONQUEROR: It was sweet vindication for Sam Darnold, who played for four NFL teams before his debut season in Seattle ended in the ultimate win The Seattle Seahawks on Sunday coasted to Super Bowl glory, routing the New England Patriots 29-13 as Sam Darnold sealed his journey from flop quarterback to conqueror of the NFL’s biggest prize. Brushing off a reputation for wilting in big games, journeyman quarterback Darnold threw for a touchdown and 200 yards on the grandest stage of all to give the Seahawks their second-ever Lombardi Trophy. “It’s unbelievable. Everything that has happened in my career, but to do it with this team, I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Darnold said. The victory was buoyed by a dominant defensive display and kicker Jason Myers’
RSS