STADIO ENNIO TARDINI (Parma) – Roma overcame a second-string Parma evening to progress to the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia on a freezing cold Thursday night in Emilia-Romagna.
A quiet first half passed without much to report. The Giallorossi dominated the ball and although Parma were camped out in their own half the visitors struggled to carve out much that resembled a chance.
Cengiz Under was closest to doing so as he drifted in from the right and slipped a delightful through ball into the six-yard box but it was just out of Diego Perotti’s reach.
Gianluca Mancini headed over from an Aleksandar Kolarov freekick and other than a couple of Andreas Cornelius ventures forward that were pulled back for offside the Crociati barely had a sniff over the halfway line.
Juraj Kucka fizzed a shot past the top corner to start the second. Roberto Inglese teed him up nicely and the Slovak’s shot deflected and flew inches wide.
No corner was awarded though and Roma capitalised and immediately. Lorenzo Pellegrini exchanged a one-two with Nikola Kalinic and expertly curled the ball into the far bottom corner from the edge of the area with a fine finish.
Dejan Kulusevski was introduced for the final 20 minutes as Roberto D’Aversa looked to inject some life into proceedings but his plans hit a setback as an Antonino Barilla handball gave Roma a penalty.
Pellegrini dispatched from 12 yards for his second of the game to book the Giallorossi a quarter-final date with Juventus.
