Roma 2-1 Spezia: Paulo Dybala scores penalty to seal a Europa League berth for Roma in dramatic game

Paulo Dybala scored a 89th minute penalty to seal a Europa League berth for Roma next season, as they defeated Spezia 2-1 in a dramatic game at the Stadio Olympico. 

The result means relegation threatened Spezia will face off against Hellas Verona in a relegation play-off next week, despite taking the lead in the game through Dimitris Nikolaou’s header after just six minutes. 

Jose Mourinho’s side needed to win tonight to fend off Juventus from overtaking them in the Serie A standings, with Max Allegri’s team trailing them by just one point in seventh place before kick-off. 

The Old Lady secured a 1-0 win against Udinese tonight, but it is Roma who clinched the final Europa League spot, thanks to their fight back against Spezia.

While their qualification for the Europa League is something to celebrate, it came at a cost as Tammy Abraham suffered a nasty looking knee injury after he was subbed on during the second half but was removed from the field looking in a lot of pain.   

Paulo Dybala (pictured) scored a late penatly to give Roma a 2-1 win against Spezia on Sunday

The win meant Roma will now qualify for next-year’s Europa League after their agonising loss in the final to Sevilla this week

It was a dramatic game that had several penalty shouts, a red card, lots of drama and some great goals

There were plenty of talking points coming into this game, most of them surrounding the Roma manager, with questions recently rising over whether Mourinho will stay at the Serie A club next season.

The 60-year-old has also been heavily criticised this week after he fired abusive language towards referee Anthony Taylor following Roma’s Europa League final loss against Sevilla. 

And while he has since been charged by UEFA, he was not on the touchline at the Stadio Olympico tonight, as he serves a ban having received his fifth yellow card of the season during his side’s 2-1 defeat by Fiorentina last week. 

Despite that, fans inside the stadium applauded the head coach, letting out a huge cheer when the Italian’s name was announced over the tannoy, before revealing a banner that read ‘We are with you Mou’.

And Roma were perhaps still feeling the effects from their agonising loss in Thursday’s final, going a goal down within six minutes of kick-off. 

Dybala (pictured middle) was at the centre of the drama, making several penalty shouts while scoring the winning goal during the match 

Jose Mourinho, who has been heavily criticised this week after he verbally abused Anthony Taylor, was not in the dug out as he served a suspension

Dimitrios Nikolaou (right) scored the first goal for Spezia putting them 1-0 up after six minutes

Spezia pumped a free-kick inside Roma’s penalty area with Mehdi Bourabia collecting the ball on the right-side of the box.

Showing some excellent vision, he swung a fast cross past the goalmouth, with Nikolaou meeting the ball with his head, pumping it into the ground and past Mile Svilar in net to score his first goal of the season. 

Spezia were given a let off soon after, with Stephan El Shaarawy deflecting a threatening 25-yard effort onto the cross bar. The Italian was one of four replacements for Roma following their midweek defeat, replacing Leonardo Spinazzola, while Abraham, Rui Patricio and Nemanja Matic also started on the bench. 

The home side started to grow into the game a little more, taking the lion’s share of possession, but struggled to create chances. Andrea Belotti arrived inside the penalty area twice in quick succession putting his hands up for two penalty shouts. But neither were given.

El Shaarawy had a more substantial penalty appeal soon after, breaking through before clashing with Kelvin Amian Adou inside the area before going to ground. Again the referee waved play on. 

Dybala would epitomise Roma’s first-half frustrations failing to find the back of the net once again, striking a long range, yet threatening shot over the cross bar. But that was a testament to Spezia’s defending, with Leonardo Semplici’s side exacerbating the Europa League finalists for large parts in the opening 45 minutes. 

Roma would finally break the deadlock just before half-time, with Nicola Zalewski whipping a curling ball in towards the goal. His pass appeared to be met by Edoardo Bove who looked like he had flicked the ball into the back of the net with his head. He wheeled away, seeming to claim the goal off his team-mate, but on second impressions, it was difficult to see if he had made contact, or even, changed the direction of the ball flight. 

In any event, Roma would go in at half-time having clawed their way into the match, but should have been a couple of goals ahead, having had 71 percent possession and 10 attempts on goal in the first half. 

They started a lot more brightly in the second period, with Zalewski again proving a handful, playing a wonderful pass across the face of the goal towards Lorenzo Pellegrini, who couldn’t quite wrap his foot around the ball to tap in. 

Belotti was substituted in the 63rd minute meaning he would end his first season with Roma having not scored a Serie A goal, despite making 30 league appearances this season. 

Mid-way through the second half, news trickled through the stadium that Juventus had scored, putting Roma out of the Europa League places at that moment and frustrations soon started to boil over on the Roma touchline in what was a frantic few minutes. 

Things almost went from bad to worse as M’Bala Nzola arrived in the penalty area, but struck, what could have been a game-changing goal, over the bar. Roma, meanwhile, went up the other end of the pitch, with Dybala breaking through to receive the ball inside the penalty area but tangled with Arkadiusz Reca and appealed to the referee for a penalty, but to no avail.

Roma equalised before half-time with Edoardo Bove (second from right) appearing to head in Nicola Zalewski’s (not pictured) pass

But Dybala was the match-winner scoring in the 89th minute to secure sixth place for Roma

Dybala has now scored 12 times in the league for Roma and was pivotal in attack for them today

Spezia, meanwhile, will play Hellas Verona in a relegation play-off next week to decide who will leave the Serie A this season

The Argentine was in the thick of the action again just five minutes later, receiving a yellow card after he clashed with several opposition players. The 29-year-old then had another crack at goal testing Jeroen Zoet in net with a stunning long-range effort. 

The Spezia goalkeeper would be called upon again to deny Roma another opportunity just moments later, and with the home team knocking on the door, his side ultimately succumbed to a late spot-kick. 

El Shaarawy was brought down inside the Spezia box by Amian, who received a second yellow card, reducing the away side to 10-men. 

Dybala converted the pressure spot-kick sending his strike into the top-left corner and score his 12th league goal of the season, securing Roma’s spot in sixth place in the Serie A table and their place in the Europa League next season. 

Despite an extra eight minutes of added time, Spezia could not muster an equaliser and will now go toe-to-toe with Hellas Verona next week in a relegation play-off, after they were beaten 3-1 by AC Milan at the San Siro.