Roma's hopes of qualifying for the Europa League were revived when they defeated 10-man SC Braga 3-0 thanks to goals from Lorenzo Pellegrini, Saud Abdulhamid, and Mario Hermoso. The Giallorossi defeated Lecce 4-1 over the weekend, their first victory under Claudio Ranieri. However, Bryan Cristante was hurt, while Artem Dovbyk and Leandro Paredes were battling flu-like symptoms. The main story was that Lorenzo Pellegrini made his first appearance since November 24, when Claudio Ranieri made his debut against Napoli. 

Nicola Zalewski ran down the left, cut back to commit two defenders, and rolled across for the captain to sweep home low from the outside of the box, giving Pellegrini the lead. It turned out to be a wise decision. Pellegrini rushed to the touchline to give Ranieri a heartfelt embrace. A few minutes later, Pellegrini came close to giving Roma a second goal when his header struck the top of the crossbar.