Bryan Cristante has scored in stoppage time as Roma made their second trip this month to Udinese worthwhile with a 2-1 win in the resumption of a suspended Serie A match that entailed playing only the final 18 minutes.
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The score was 1-1 on April 14 when Roma defender Evan Ndicka collapsed and the match was suspended. The player was released from the hospital a day later with a collapsed left lung and has since been cleared to return to training.
Roberto Pereyra had scored for Udinese before Romelu Lukaku equalised for the Giallorossi 11 days earlier, so it felt somewhat of a strange Serie A managerial debut for Udinese's Fabio Cannavaro, Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning captain.
And it was to prove a big disappointment for the former defender, when Cristante headed in a corner kick from Paulo Dybala with Roma's final opportunity.
Cannavaro was only hired to replace the fired Gabriele Cioffi at Udinese on Monday. It therefore became a match-up of two members of the victorious 2006 Italy team, with Daniele De Rossi having been named Roma's coach in January.
Fifth-place Roma moved within four points of fourth-place Bologna and four points ahead of sixth-place Atalanta, who have a game in hand.
Udinese, who've been in the top division uninterrupted since 1995, remained one spot above the drop zone but level on points with 18th-place Frosinone.
Australian Associated Press
