Roma beats Udinese 2-1 in resumption of suspended match to ruin Cannavaro’s Serie A coaching debut

Bryan Cristante scored in stoppage time and Roma made its second trip this month to Udinese worthwhile with a 2-1 win in the resumption of a suspended Serie A match Thursday that entailed playing only the final 18 minutes.

The score was 1-1 on April 14 when Roma defender Evan Ndicka collapsed and the match was suspended. Ndicka was released from the hospital a day later with a collapsed left lung and has since been cleared to return to training.

Roberto Pereyra had scored for Udinese before Romelu Lukaku equalized for the Giallorossi.

During the resumption Thursday, Cristante headed in a corner kick from Paulo Dybala on Roma’s final opportunity.

The resumption marked the Serie A coaching debut of Fabio Cannavaro, after he was hired to replace the fired Gabriele Cioffi at Udinese on Monday. It therefore became a matchup of two members of the Italy team that won the 2006 World Cup, with Daniele De Rossi having been named Roma’s coach in January.

Fifth-place Roma moved within four points of fourth-place Bologna and four points ahead of sixth-place Atalanta, which has a game in hand. Udinese — which has been in the top division uninterrupted since 1995 — remained one spot above the drop zone but level on points with 18th-place Frosinone.

While Cannavaro has coached several clubs in China and the Middle East, his only previous managerial experience in Italy came with Benevento in Serie B for part of last season.