Paulo Dybala's Penalty Brings AS Roma Against Lazio In Coppa Italia

Striker Paulo Dybala took AS Roma to the Coppa Italia quarter-finals by eliminating Cremonese. (X/@OfficialASRoma)

JAKARTA - AS Roma advanced to the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia after a 2-1 win over Serie B Cremonese team in the round of 16 at the Stadio Olimpico, Thursday, January 4 in the morning WIB. In the quarter-finals, Roma met fellow Lazio capital team.

Roma had to work hard against Cremonese. How not, Cremonese is not an easy opponent for the hosts.

Last season, the two teams met three times. At that time, I Grigiorossi, who was still playing in the Italian Serie A, defeated Roma 2-1.

Likewise in the Coppa Italia, Cremonese humiliated l Giallorossi. They eliminated the capital team with a score of 2-1. Of the three meetings, Roma won 1-0 in the first duel in domestic competition.

When Cremonese descended on Serie B, they met again in the Coppa Italia. This is what doesn't guarantee that Roma will qualify easily.

Moreover, coach Jose Mourinho lost a number of pillar players, including Evan Ndicka who strengthened Ivory Coast, the host at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

The match itself went hard. In just under 20 minutes, referee Luca Pairetto has issued four yellow cards just for Cremonese players.

Even though they had to play a tough game against them, Roma still excelled in possession. The hosts also almost took the lead through two chances from strikers Andrea Belotti and Lorenzo Pellegrini.

However, their efforts still failed. Pellegrini's kick, which welcomed the rebound ball, still bounced slightly.

On the other hand, Cremonese had surprised Roma. When under pressure, the visitors managed to excel through Frank Tsadjout in the 37th minute.

The goal started with Paolo Ghiglione's action to feed Tsadjout. He had tricked Bryan Cristante before unleashing a shot that ripped through Roma's goal. The 1-0 score for Cremonese lasted until the end of the first half.

In the second half, Roma did not relax the pressure. Mourinho included Dybala to replace Belotti. The entry of the Argentine national team striker is expected to increase the team's buzz power.

However, Cremonese's strong defense made it difficult for Romelu Lukaku et al to score goals. Dybala and Lukaku's collaboration had threatened the Cremonese goal. But defender Valentin Antov was able to thwart Lukaku's chances.

Roma's patience finally paid off. Lukaku broke the deadlock through a neat one-two collaboration with Dybala in the 77th minute. The goal restored the Roma players' enthusiasm to win the match.

Roma's wait was not in vain. Dybala's goal to determine I Lupi was generated through a penalty spot in the 85th minute. The penalty was given after Leonardo Sernicola tackled Leonardo Spinazzola.

Despite minimal physical contact, the referee still awarded Roma a penalty. Dybala successfully completed the execution. The score 2-1 for Roma lasted until the end of the match.

Roma qualified for the quarter-finals to face Lazio in Derby d'Motale. Lazio himself advanced to the quarter-finals after eliminating Genoa 1-0.