Football is a team game, isn’t it? It means that you cannot just worry about your role on the pitch but to go beyond the call of duty if your team requires it.It’s what Roma’s striker Tammy Abraham did on Wednesday night in his team’s slender 1-0 victory over Bologna at Stadio Olimpico. In the dying seconds of their match, the former Chelsea attacker cleared a header off his goal-line and salvaged two points that seemed destined to go down the drain.
For a long part of the season, since late August, Roma has been struggling with their defensive record at home. It was Abraham’s heroics that gave Jose Mourinho’s side their first clean sheet in Rome after four long months.The goal that ultimately settled the match was the early penalty from captain Lorenzo Pellegrini. The skipper slotted in cooly from the penalty spot after Paulo Dybala had been felled in the box.Bologna threatened to spoil Serie A’s return for the home fans as Riccardo Orsolini and Marko Arnautovic both had half chances for Thiago Motta’s team. Thankfully for Mourinho, heroics from goalkeeper Rui Patricio and Abraham kept the points in the Giallorossi’s account.NOT TODAY! Dajeeeeee!!!! 💛❤️#tammyabraham #ASRoma pic.twitter.com/lmKIgUm1TW— IlGoldiTurone (@IlGoldiTurone) January 4, 2023 Meanwhile, Roma’s city rivals Lazio let their early lead slip away at Lecce, allowing Gabriel Strefezza and Lorenzo Colombo to cancel out Ciro Immobile’s strike and reach 12th in the standings.Both Lazio and Roma will have a difficult task of obtaining one of the top four places that guarantee Champions League football and a healthy cash injection that goes with it.SERIE A – Matchday 16Wednesday Salernitana – Milan 1-2 (0-2)/Bonnazzoli 83 – Leao 10, Tonali 15/Sassuolo – Sampdoria 1-2 (0-2)Berardi 64 pen – Gabbiadini 25, Augello 28/Spezia – Atalanta 2-2 (2-0)/Gyasi 8, Nzola 31 – Hojlund 77, Pasalic 90+3/Torino – Verona 1-1 (0-1)/Miranchuk 64 – Djuric 45/Roma – Bologna 1-0 (1-0)/Pellegrini 5 pen/Lecce – Lazio 2-1 (0-1)/Strefezza 57, Colombo 71 – Immobile 14/20.30: (1.70) Fiorentina (3.80) Monza (5.70)20.30: (5.20) Cremonese (3.70) Juventus (1.70)22.45: (2.45) Inter (3.40) Napoli (3.05)22.45: (1.70) Udinese (3.90) Empoli (5.50)***odds are subject to change