Last gasp goals help Roma to all three points against 10-man Hellas Verona

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Last gasp goals help Roma to all three points against 10-man Hellas Verona
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Roma took their time to grind Verona down but got a crucial win in the end
Roma took their time to grind Verona down but got a crucial win in the endAFP
Jose Mourinho's Roma needed a goal in the final few minutes from teen academy graduate Cristian Volpato (18) to take the lead over a Verona side that went down to ten men well before halftime. A third goal was added in injury time to make it 3-1 and edge Roma above rivals Lazio and into the top four of Serie A.

Hoping to avoid a seventh successive Serie A defeat for only the third time in the club's 119-year history, Verona began encouragingly, as Roma's defense had to remain alert to ensure the game remained goalless.

Jose Mourinho should have been celebrating his side taking the lead in the 19th minute, only to be caught by the camera glancing on in disbelief as Tammy Abraham hit the foot of the post after taking the ball around Lorenzo Montipo.

Only eight minutes later, Roma were made to pay for Abraham’s miss as Verona survived a prolonged intervention from VAR to take the lead.

In pursuit of his first goal in over two and a half years, defender Pawel Dawidowicz found himself in the correct position at the other end of the field to slot Davide Faraoni’s effort past Rui Patrício.

Ten minutes after handing Verona a treat, Dawidowicz gave his side the tricky task of completing the remainder of the match with 10 men after referee Juan Luca Sacchi, via the assistance of VAR, showed the Polish international a red card for a reckless challenge on Nicolo Zaniolo.

However, with the hosts looking good for a slender lead at HT, Verona’s Halloween villain Zaniolo equalised for Roma in injury time after Abraham again had struck the post.

With a victory enough to catapult Roma above Lazio into the final UEFA Champions League qualification position, the Giallorossi were dealt a blow in the 53rd minute when goalscorer Zaniolo was forced off with an injury.

What's more, Roma could not find a way past Montipo in the concluding stages, with substitute Nemanja Matic heading against the crossbar.

A third of Verona’s goals (7) had been conceded in the final 20 minutes of games this season, and they were breached, not once, but twice in the concluding stages as Volpato and then Stephan El Shaarawy fired beyond the beleaguered figure of Montipo.

Roma now face a momentous week ahead at the Stadio Olimpico, as Mourinho's men first face Ludogorets in the Europa League on Thursday, knowing only a victory will be enough to secure progression to the play-off round of the knockout stages, before facing arch-footballing adversaries, Lazio, in the Rome derby on Sunday.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Cristian Volpato (Roma)

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