Chievo win hits Roma’s Europa League hopes

Source:AFP-Global Times Published: 2013-5-8 23:18:01

Frenchman Cyril Thereau scored a 90th-minute volley for Serie A minnows Chievo to secure a 1-0 win over Roma and upset the capital club's hopes of Europa League soccer next season.

Chievo achieved their aim of pulling far enough away from the relegation zone to secure top-flight soccer next season.

Chievo keeper Cristian Puggioni was alert to prevent a threatening cross from reaching Mattia Destro, while Ivan Piris' cutback from the byline following Francesco Totti's smart through ball set up Pablo Osvaldo, only for Puggioni to get low to smother the striker's snapshot.

In the dying seconds of the first half, Totti sent a free kick through a hole in the defensive wall to force Puggioni to block.

Thereau came close for the visitors' moments after the restart, but it was Roma who were most frustrated after missing a hatful of chances.

Destro showed great control on the edge of the area by avoiding two tackles, but Puggioni did well to collect the striker's shot.

Totti then unleashed a drive from 20 meters which took a deflection before hitting the crossbar, and Puggioni thwarted Destro from close range after a corner by Miralem Pjanic.

Roma looked to be edging closer to the opener when Dodo combined well with Destro on the left but a superb sliding tackle by defender Marco Andreolli came to Chievo's rescue.

Roma players appeared fatigued when Chievo began to counterattack and were given a first warning when Chilean midfielder Felipe Seymour stung Roma goalkeeper Bogdan Lobont's palms with a drive in the dying minutes.

As the match wound down to a close, Roma crucially failed to pick up Senegalese defender Boukary Drame as he charged down the left, and when he whipped in a cross from the left, it beat the Roma defense and allowed Thereau to poke home.

AFP - Global Times



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