Mkhitaryan Goal Helps Roma Beat SPAL 3-1

ROME   – AS Roma launched a second-half comeback to beat Serie A’s bottom side SPAL 3-1 at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday and move into the top four.

Andrea Petagna’s penalty gave the visitors a shock lead late in the first half but goals from Lorenzo Pellegrini, Diego Perotti and Henrikh Mkhitaryan turned the game on its head after the break.

After dominating the first half, Roma were punished on the stroke of halftime when Aleksandar Kolarov tripped Thiago Cionek inside the box to gift the visitors a penalty, which Petagna dispatched calmly.

Roma continued to press after the break and found a fortuitous breakthrough when SPAL defender Nenad Tomovic diverted a Pellegrini cross into his own net after 53 minutes.

Perotti completed the turnaround from the penalty spot on 66 minutes after Edin Dzeko was bundled over in the box by Francesco Vicari, before substitute Mkhitaryan tapped in a third seven minutes from time.

Paulo Fonseca, the Portuguese manager of Roma, has highlighted the game of the Armenia midfielder in the team. “Players like Mkhitaryan are important,” Fonseca said at the post-match press conference.