Serie A finale gets extended for all-or-nothing survival showdown

T he Serie A season was over until it wasn’t, a goal in the 91st minute at the Stadio Olimpico ensuring that we get one more game yet. Paulo Dybala’s penalty, scored just before 11pm local time, secured Europa League football for Roma but condemned opponents Spezia to a relegation playoff. They must defend their top-flight status against Verona next weekend after finishing level in 18th place.

Not since 2005 has a season ended this way. Serie A had done away with playoffs and playouts, using head-to-head records as a tie-breaker instead. Their reintroduction was announced last summer, to be used only for deciding title winners or relegation spots. Where teams contesting those most essential targets ended on equal points, final standings would be established with a one-off match at a neutral ground.

Spezia and Verona knew the possibility when they kicked off on Sunday, starting the day level and facing daunting away trips to Roma and Milan. Yet each had moments of hope on a night of seesawing emotion. It was Spezia who struck first at the Olimpico, the centre-back Dimitrios Nikolaou heading home at close range on the second ball in from a free-kick.

Roma equalised before half-time, Nicola Zalewski’s in-swinging cross from the left eluding everyone to sneak in at the back post. Yet Spezia were on track for survival again moments later as news came through that Olivier Giroud had put Milan 1-0 up against Verona.

Marco Zaffaroni’s team carried the weight of mistakes made the previous weekend, when a 95th-minute own-goal cost them victory at home to Empoli. Now they had no choice but to throw everything at Milan. In the 72nd minute, Darko Lazovic spun away from his marker at a throw-in and flicking the ball over the keeper