Coppa Italia | Roma 2-3 Torino: Arena heartbreak, Toro set up Inter quarter-final

Roma are out of the Coppa Italia at the round of 16 after falling to a 3-2 defeat against Torino in a crazy, end-to-end affair, which brought goals from Che Adams (x2), Mario Hermoso 30 seconds after coming on, 16-year-old Antonio Arena with his first touch in senior football and a last-gasp winner from Emirhan Ilkhan.

Gian Piero Gasperini named a heavily-rotated side for this midweek cup clash, introducing Zeki Celik and Jan Ziolkowski to the back line. Bryan Cristante replaced Manu Kone in midfield, and there was an unusual front three of Matias Soule, Stephan El Shaarawy and Leon Bailey, the latter starting for Roma for just the second time. 

Torino made three alterations following their 2-0 defeat by Atalanta in Serie A over the weekend, including two alterations up front as Adams and Giovanni Simeone returned to the starting XI. 

You can see how the action unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Niccolo Pisilli got the action underway with the first shot on target after just three minutes, forcing an excellent save out of Alberto Paleari. 

Both sides had their fair share of opportunities in what was an open and often an end-to-end first-half. Adams should have done better when one-on-one with Mile Svilar 12 minutes in, but found the goalkeeper’s body instead of the bottom corner. 

Stephan El Shaarawy also found himself through on goal after an excellent first-time cross in from the right flank from Devyne Rensch half an hour in. Il Faraone attempted to dink Paleari, but got too much on it and it ended up going over the crossbar. 

Adams made the breakthrough five minutes later, lining up a shot from the right of the area, 25 yards out. His effort took a slight nick off Jan Ziolkowski, which was enough to send it into the bottom corner and beyond the outstretched Svilar for 1-0. 

Gasperini opted to change things around at the interval, bringing on Evan Ndicka after his return from the Africa Cup of Nations, and Mario Hermoso in place of Jan Ziolkowski and the cautioned Rensch. 

That call paid off immediately, as Hermoso overlapped Bailey within 30 seconds of the second half, found himself in the area and dispatched into the bottom corner of the net with the quality of a top-level centre-forward. 

The Giallorossi lead did not last for long, as Adams claimed his brace just six minutes after Hermoso’s equaliser.

Adrien Tameze’s cross in from the right took a deflection and fell to the feet of Vlasic, who tapped it to the Scotland international to finish routinely past Svilar from the middle of the area. 

Gasperini called for his big guns after falling behind, introducing Paulo Dybala and Manu Kone. There would later be an opportunity for 16-year-old Antonio Arena off the bench as well, his first appearance in senior football.

In incredible scenes, the teenager found the equaliser for Roma with his first touch of the game – and his first touch in professional football – with a brilliantly placed header. 

That goal would have sent Roma to a penalty shootout had it not been for a late slip-up at the back. Torino had a corner in the 90th minute, which Svilar spilled, allowing Ilkhan to poke home from point blank range. 

Roma are now out of the Coppa Italia having fallen at the first hurdle, and Torino will go on to meet Inter in the cup quarter-final at the beginning of February.

Roma 2-3 Torino 

Adams (T) 35’, 52’, Hermoso (R) 46’, Arena (R) 81’, Ilkhan (T) 90’.