Tammy Abraham breaks Roma record as Nicolo Zaniolo scores hat-trick on return to starting line up

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By Martin Graham | 16th Apr 2022

Tammy Abraham turned up in style for AS Roma during their UEFA European Conference League victory over Norwegian club FK Bodø/Glimt to break a decades old record at the club.

The former Chelsea striker has now scored 24 goals in all competitions for Roma in his first season at the club, a record which had not been matched since the 1929/30 Serie A season by Rodolfo Volk.

Abraham’s fifth minute goal set the tone for a 4-0 rout of the Norwegian club, who had tormented Roma in the competition prior to that evening.

Nicolo Zaniolo, on his return to the Giallorossi starting line-up, scored one of the best hat-tricks of the current season to help Roma progress to the Conference League semi-finals on a 5-2 aggregate victory from the Stadio Olimpico.

Roma struggles against Bodø/Glimt put to bed with emphatic win

Bodø/Glimt were feeling confident after their victories against Roma in the competition, with the last one being in the first leg of their quarter final tie. Both clubs were drawn in the same group earlier in the competition, and in both legs of their group stage clash, Roma lost by an aggregate score of 8-3.

It looked to be more of the same after Bodø/Glimt beat the Giallorossi 2-1 in Norway in the first leg, but a spirited performance in the second leg of their quarter final tie led by Abraham,.who had a point to prove, settled things between both sides.

Bodø/Glimt will take their head to head lead against Roma home – two wins and a draw from four games against the Giallorossi – but Roma and manager Jose Mourinho have regained their dignity while also grabbing a ticket to the next round of the maiden Conference League tournament.

The Italian club will have Abraham to thank for the spark, who has slotted in seamlessly into the side following the departure of long-time striker Edin Dzeko to Inter Milan.

Tammy Abraham mocks Bodø/Glimt on Instagram

An elated Abraham took to Instagram to send a message to the Bodø/Glimt fans who threw a snowball at him in Norway after their first leg 2-1 win.

Abraham promised revenge at the Stadio Olimpico, which he carried out, and took to his Instagram to float about. The striker posted a picture of himself celebrating after his early goal, captioning it: “No snowballs in Rome. Semi-finals here we come!!”

The 24-year-old is the third player in this century for Roma to score 24 goals or more in a season since Edin Dzeko and Roma legend Francesco Totti both did it twice at different times.

Roma will meet Leicester City, who secured a famous 2-1 aggregate win over PSV Eindhoven in their own fixture, with both goals coming in the second leg at the Philips Stadion.