Roma edge Empoli after extra-time PK to reach Coppa Italia quarters
ROME --
Roma beat Empoli 2-1 after extra-time to reach the Coppa Italia quarterfinals on Tuesday thanks to a very contentious penalty.
Daniele De Rossi converted the spot kick five minutes from time, sending Empoli goalkeeper Davide Bassi the wrong way, after Piotr Zielinski was harshly adjudged to have brought down Leandro Paredes.
Roma got off to the perfect start as it took the lead with less than five minutes on the clock after Douglas Maicon's cross was flicked on to Juan Manuel Iturbe.
Empoli leveled 10 minutes from the end of normal time when Simone Verdi beat the offside trap to race past Davide Astori and round Roma goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski before firing into the far corner.
The victory ends a two-game winless run for Roma and was their first success at the Stadio Olimpico since the 4-2 defeat of Inter Milan on Nov. 30 last year.
Roma will next face either Fiorentina or Atalanta.
Information from FOXSoccer.com's newswire services contributed this report.
