Roma 1-0 Qarabag: Diego Perotti continues impressive scoring form as Italian side leapfrog Chelsea to finish top of Champions League Group C

Roma qualified from Champions League Group C as table-toppers on Tuesday night after beating Qarabag 1-0

Diego Perotti's scored his fifth goal in eight games in all competitions to earn Roma three crucial points

Roma finished level with Chelsea on 11 points but claimed top spot on account of their head-to-head record

Roma qualified from Group C in first place after Diego Perotti's fifth goal in eight games helped the Serie A side beat minnows Qarabag at the Stadio Olimpico to book their spot in the Champions League last 16.

Eusebio Di Francesco's Roma came into the game needing a win to be guaranteed qualification to the next round — a draw or defeat would have left them at risk of being overtaken by Atletico Madrid, who had to beat Chelsea.

Atletico took the lead at Stamford Bridge to pile on the pressure — before ultimately holding Chelsea to a 1-1 draw — but Roma did not slip up after Perotti headed home on 53 minutes. 

+12

Roma qualified from Champions League Group C as table-toppers on Tuesday after beating Qarabag at the Stadio Olimpico

Diego Perotti's scored his fifth goal in eight games in all competitions to send Roma on their way to a crucial three points

+12

Perotti celebrated his goal with a group of team-mates, including ex-Tottenham defender Federico Fazio, who stroked his face

MATCH FACTS, STATISTICS AND UCL GROUP C TABLE

ROMA (4-3-3): Alisson Becker, Alessandro Florenzi, Konstantinos Manolas, Federico Fazio, Aleksandar Kolarov, Radja Nainggolan, Daniele De Rossi, Kevin Strootman, Stephan El Shaarawy (Gerson 72), Edin Dzeko, Diego Perotti (Lorenzo Pellegrini 81)

SUBS NOT USED: Juan Jesus, Patrik Schick, Hector Moreno, Maxime Gonalons, Lukasz Skorupski

GOAL: Perotti 53

BOOKED: Dzeko

QARABAG (4-1-4-1): Ibrahim Sehic, Maksim Medvedev, Jakub Rzezniczak, Elvin Yunuszade, Wilde-Donald Guerrier, Qara Qarayev, Afran Ismayilov (Dani Quintana 76), Michel, Richard Almeida, Mahir Madatov (Agabala Ramazanov 85), Dino Ndlovu (Ramil Sheydaev 85)

SUBS NOT USED: Anton Kanibolotski, Rahid Amirquliev, Abbas Huseynov, Joshgun Diniyev

BOOKED: Guerrier, Michel, Yunuszade, Rzezniczak

POSSESSION: Atletico 61%, Qarabag 39%

PASSING ACCURACY: Atletico 86%, Qarabag 72%

SHOTS (ON TARGET):  Atletico 19 (8), Qarabag 3 (2)

CORNERS: Atletico 14, Qarabag 0

REF: Tobias Stieler (Germany) 

Perotti was left with a simple finish from close range after Edin Dzeko's effort was saved but not held by Qarabag goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic.

Sehic kept out Dzeko's initial shot with his knee, but the ball looped up to Perotti.

Roma attacked right from the first whistle but found it hard to create decent scoring opportunities.

Their best chances of the first period came in stoppage time when Dzeko fired over before Radja Nainggolan saw his effort well saved by Sehic, who also kept out Aleksandar Kolarov's follow-up.

Sehic impressed between the sticks for Qarabag and pulled off another good save to deny Nainggolan at 1-0, forcing Roma to endure an edgy finale.

And Qarabag almost levelled seven minutes from the end when Wilde-Donald Guerrier crossed for an unmarked Michel but he headed straight at Roma stopper Alisson. 

+12

Twenty-nine-year-old Perotti has scored against Crotone, Chelsea, Fiorentina, Lazio and now Qarabag since October 25