(Reuters) – Ten-man AS Roma’s chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League took a hit as they suffered a 4-3 Serie A defeat in a goalfest at home to Sassuolo on Sunday.
The loss meant Roma missed the chance to jump into third place and instead they are fifth, level on 47 points with fourth-placed AC Milan who host Salernitana on Monday.
Armand Lauriente gave Sassuolo the lead after 13 minutes and scored again five minutes later when Domenico Berardi got to the byline and crossed for his fellow forward to net.
Roma reduced the arrears after 26 minutes when the unmarked Nicola Zalewski sent a volley into the ground that bounced over goalkeeper Andrea Consigli and looped into the goal.
However, the hosts then had Marash Kumbulla sent of for kicking the prone Berardi inside the box. Berardi got up to convert the penalty four minutes into first-half stoppage time.
Roma were without their coach Jose Mourinho in the dugout because the Portuguese is suspended after being sent off in the 2-1 defeat at Cremonese in late February.
Paulo Dybala breathed life into the game when he cut the deficit to 3-2 five minutes into the second half with a shot from the edge of the box into the top corner.
But the points were sealed 15 minutes from time when Andrea Pinamonti was played through inside the box and calmly lobbed the ball into the net.
Gini Wijnaldum got another goal back for Roma four minutes into stoppage time but Sassuolo managed to ride out a last-ditch attempt by the hosts to salvage a point.
The result leaves Sassuolo 13th with 33 points.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Ken Ferris)
