AS Roma survived a dramatic finale to claim a 3-2 victory at Parma, with Donyell Malen's penalty in the 90+11th minute proving decisive after a chaotic ending that saw Parma's Simone Britschgi sent off.
Roma arrived at Stadio Ennio Tardini sitting sixth in Serie A with 64 points from 35 matches. Parma occupied 13th place with just 42 points, having won only 10 games all season. The visitors dominated possession and created more chances, but Parma showed resilience throughout this entertaining encounter.
Malen gave Roma an early advantage in the 22nd minute, firing past Parma's goalkeeper to set the tone for the first half. The Dutch forward looked sharp and dangerous from the opening whistle. Roma controlled the ball with 66% possession and created several opportunities.
Parma leveled through Gabriel Strefezza in the 47th minute, just after the restart. The winger's goal sparked hope for the home side. However, Strefezza received a yellow card just 60 seconds later, limiting his impact for the remainder of the match.
Mandela Keita restored Roma's lead in the 87th minute with a composed finish. The midfielder's goal appeared to have settled the contest with just minutes remaining. Roma's xG of 2.58 reflected their superior attacking threat throughout the match.
Devyne Rensch added Roma's third goal in the 90+4th minute, seemingly wrapping up the three points. The substitute's strike looked to have ended Parma's hopes of a comeback. Roma had taken complete control of the match.
Drama erupted in stoppage time when Malen converted a penalty in the 90+11th minute. The spot-kick came after Britschgi's second yellow card offense, which resulted in his dismissal. Malen's double secured all three points for the visitors.
Roma dominated the statistical battle, recording 15 total shots with seven on target. Parma managed just 11 shots with three finding the target. The visitors completed 568 passes with 88% accuracy compared to Parma's 291 passes at 78% accuracy.
Malen earned a rating of 8.3 for his two-goal performance, while Paulo Dybala impressed with an 8.2 rating and created crucial chances. Keita rated 8.0 despite playing the full 90 minutes for Parma. Strefezza earned 7.9 before his early exit.
This victory moves Roma to 67 points from 36 matches, strengthening their position in the European qualification battle. Parma remains 13th with 42 points and faces a challenging run-in to the season. The result highlighted Roma's quality despite a scare in the closing stages.
