Roma were trailing for well over an hour to rock bottom Salernitana, until a quick one-two from Carles Perez and Chris Smalling turned it around.
The Giallorossi needed a boost after their surprise Europa Conference League defeat to Bodo/Glimt on Thursday, as well as keeping pressure on Juventus and Lazio in the fight for fourth. Lorenzo Pellegrini sat out a ban with Nicolò Zaniolo and Jordan Veretout not fully fit, but Leonardo Spinazzola was back on the bench for the first time since his Achilles tendon injury in July 2021. Federico Fazio and Emiliano Bonazzoli were suspended for Salernitana, with Diego Perotti, Mamadou Coulibaly and Lys Mousset injured.
Luigi Sepe palmed a Henrikh Mkhitaryan scorcher over the bar, while Rui Patricio did the same on Ederson at the other end.
Salernitana took the shock lead at the Stadio Olimpico when Franck Ribery touched on a free kick for the absolutely ferocious Ivan Radovanovic strike into the near top corner, as it pierced the defensive wall.
Mkhitaryan had penalty appeals waved away after going down under pressure from a clumsy Joel Obi, but VAR evaluated the footage and decided there was no need for an on-field review.
Roma did receive a penalty soon after, as ex-Giallorossi defender Norbert Gyomber was no match for the pace of Felix Afena-Gyan and tripped him, but a VAR on-field review showed the first contact was outside the box, so it was transformed into a free kick.
Sepe rushed out to smother at the feet of Tammy Abraham and Lassana Coulibaly turned over from a promising position, while Nicolò Zaniolo’s effort was deflected wide.
Felix should’ve done much better on a Rick Karsdorp cross, turning a free header wide from six yards.
Sepe got a fingertip to turn Zaniolo’s angled drive inches wide of the far post, but Salernitana very nearly made it 2-0 on 74 minutes when Grigoris Kastanos was denied one-on-one by a desperate Rui Patricio save.
The equaliser finally arrived from substitute Carles Perez, whose left-foot curler sailed into the top corner from the edge of the box, with Abraham ducking to let it through. This was the Spaniard’s first Serie A goal of the season.
Eldor Shomurodov also blasted over, but Roma turned it around completely moments later. Jordan Veretout floated a free kick to the back post for Chris Smalling’s cushioned finish with the inside of the right boot.
Zaniolo missed a golden opportunity in stoppages by firing over from a Shomurodov through ball.
Roma 2-1 Salernitana
Radovanovic 23 (S), Perez 81 (R), Smalling 85 (R)
Need to wake up for the Norwegians this week.
Serie A doesn’t need another European fiasco.