Serie A | Udinese 1-0 Roma: Ekkelenkamp lucky deflection sinks Giallorossi

Roma saw their positive run of Serie A games ended by a surprise 1-0 defeat to Udinese, as Jurgen Ekkelenkamp’s deflected free kick proved decisive.

The Giallorossi played for 75 minutes down to 10 men on Thursday, but still earned a 1-1 draw with Panathinaikos to enter the Europa League last 16. Mario Hermoso returned, but Paulo Dybala, Manu Kone, Evan Ferguson, Artem Dovbyk and Stephan El Shaarawy missed the trip. The Friulani lost Alessandro Zanoli for the rest of the season to a torn ACL, with Adam Buksa, Hassane Kamara and Jakub Piotrowski also injured. Ex-Roma man Nicolò Zaniolo was back on the bench for the first time since knee surgery.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Mile Svilar needed two big saves in the opening minutes, first on Arthur Atta’s long-range strike, then doing the same on Jurgen Ekkelenkamp from even further out, with Oumar Solet unable to keep the rebound down.

Gianluca Mancini sprinted back and at full stretch toe-poked the Keinan Davis roll across away from Ekkelenkamp, who was ready to tap in from six yards.

Donyell Malen had a weak effort saved by Maduka Okoye on the Matias Soulé counter-attack, as Udinese continued to have the better of the game with Liam Miller also blasting just over the bar and Evan Ndicka’s decisive interception to prevent Davis going clear.

Soulé floated a free kick off target and after the restart Wesley’s cross-shot was parried at the near post by Okoye’s legs.

However, it was Udinese who took the lead moments later when Ekkelenkamp’s free kick took a big deflection off Malen in the wall to loop up past a helpless Svilar into the far top corner. Roma were furious, as they felt Mancini had not committed a foul to give away that free kick.

The good luck did not last long, because moments later Davis pulled up clutching his left thigh and had to limp off, visibly distraught at this latest injury setback.

Malen’s free kick was straight into the wall, then his effort was deflected wide by Thomas Kristensen after a poor clearance.

Svilar had to palm a tricky Ekkelenkamp free kick out from under the bar, this time without a deflection, but Roma had the ball in the net at the 90th minute with Bryan Cristante only after Kostas Tsimikas wandered offside for the acrobatic assist.

Roma threatened again at the 97th minute, Okoye at full stretch to fingertip the ball off the line after a Mancini toe-poke from six yards.