SERIE A: Roma consolidate third-place with 3-0 win over Udinese

Roma secured a comfortable 3-0 win against Udinese in Serie A, solidifying their third-place position in the Serie A table.

Edoardo Bove, Lorenzo Pellegrini, and substitute Tammy Abraham were on target for Roma. Meanwhile, Udinese’s Roberto Pereyra had a tough time on the pitch, conceding a penalty and having a spot-kick saved.

Roma moved three points ahead of AC Milan and five points ahead of fifth-placed Inter Milan, both of whom dropped points on Saturday. The top four teams in Serie A qualify for the Champions League the following season.

After being involved in European action midweek, Roma was the only team to win, as Napoli drew and Juventus lost 1-0 at Sassuolo earlier on Sunday.

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Although Roma won their previous two Serie A matches without conceding a goal, they had lost to Feyenoord in the Europa League midweek. During that game, Paulo Dybala and Tammy Abraham had come off injured. As a result, Dybala was ruled out for the game against Udinese, but Abraham was fit enough for the bench.

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Roma took the lead eight minutes before halftime, thanks to an on-field review that determined Andrea Belotti’s header, which was going wide, had come off Pereyra’s arm. Although Bryan Cristante’s spot-kick hit the right post, Bove scored the rebound.

Pellegrini doubled Roma’s lead ten minutes after the break, and Abraham secured the win in stoppage time by heading in Leonardo Spinazzola’s cross.

Despite Udinese being gifted a penalty in the 69th minute following a handball by Gianluca Mancini, Pereyra’s penalty was saved by Roma goalkeeper Rui Patrício.

It was Pellegrini’s first goal from open play in over 18 months, and it came on his 100th match as captain of his hometown club, days after he missed a penalty against Feyenoord.