Sassuolo 2-2 Roma: Jose Mourinho's stuttering side let slip an early lead and suffer more VAR misery before Bryan Cristante nets last-gasp equaliser against 10-man hosts to grab a point
- Abraham put Roma ahead from the spot after VAR had earlier ruled out his tap-in
- Sassuolo equalised when a cross deflected by Smalling went under the keeper
- Traore put the hosts ahead but captain Ferrari was sent off after a second yellow
- Roma snatched a point when Veretout's corner was headed in by Cristante
Bryan Cristante scored a 94th-minute equaliser to rescue a 2-2 Serie A draw for AS Roma at Sassuolo on Sunday, as Jose Mourinho's side lost more ground in the race for European qualification.
The Giallorossi were looking for a response after a 0-0 league draw with relegation battlers Genoa and 2-0 Coppa Italia defeat by Inter Milan in the last week.
However, another league stalemate leaves them seventh with 40 points, two behind Lazio and five behind Juventus in fourth, who are playing later.
![Tammy Abraham celebrates after scoring Roma's first goal against Sassuolo](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/02/13/18/54142809-0-image-a-25_1644777467510.jpg)
Tammy Abraham celebrates after scoring Roma's first goal against Sassuolo
![Abraham sent the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot for his 18th goal of the season](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/02/13/18/54142811-0-image-a-26_1644777471351.jpg)
Abraham sent the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot for his 18th goal of the season
'If you had asked me at the start, I would not have wanted a draw, but in the 90th minute, definitely,' Mourinho told DAZN.
'I can compare this match to defeats we had earlier in the season against Verona, Venezia and Bologna. We had chances to draw those games, and could have had three points more with three draws.
'It isn't the result we wanted, but if nothing else we haven't lost in the last four in Serie A, we have got eight points.'
![Traore’s cross took a deflection off Chris Smalling and squirmed under keeper Rui Patricio](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/02/13/19/54144207-10508645-image-a-35_1644781000863.jpg)
Traore’s cross took a deflection off Chris Smalling and squirmed under keeper Rui Patricio
![Sassuolo then went down to 10 men when Gian Marco Ferrari received a second booking](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/02/13/19/54144533-10508645-image-m-38_1644781798108.jpg)
Sassuolo then went down to 10 men when Gian Marco Ferrari received a second booking
A Tammy Abraham penalty gave the capital club the lead at the end of the first half, but a mistake from goalkeeper Rui Patricio led to a Chris Smalling own goal for the equaliser, before Hamed Traore completed the turnaround with a well-taken strike.
However, Sassuolo defender Gian Marco Ferrari picked up a second yellow card with 12 minutes remaining and Roma capitalised deep in stoppage time through a Cristante header.
Elsewhere, bottom two Genoa and Salernitana played out a 1-1 draw that did little to help either sides hopes of survival, leaving them six and nine points adrift of the safety zone respectively.
Cagliari earned a 1-1 draw at Empoli that took the 18th-placed Sardinians level with Venezia above them on 21 points, while midtable Hellas Verona hammered Udinese 4-0.
![Roma snatched a point when Jordan Veretout's corner was headed in by Bryan Cristante.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/02/13/19/54144211-10508645-image-a-36_1644781004238.jpg)
Roma snatched a point when Jordan Veretout's corner was headed in by Bryan Cristante.
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