El Shaarawy: We blacked out and it cost us

Leading 3-1 thanks to the forward's brace with just 10 minutes remaining, the Giallorossi contrived to concede two goals in as many minutes - as they were forced to settle for a draw at the Stadio Olimpico.

The result leaves Roma top of Group E on goal difference at the halfway stage.

El Shaarawy was pleased with his personal contribution but admitted a victory would have been far more enjoyable.

“Personally I’m happy, but in a game like this you need to get the result," El Shaarawy said. "It’s always nice for a striker to score twice, but the team then needs to win."

On the late collapse, he added: "It’s inexplicable. We blacked out for two minutes and conceded two goals. I really can’t explain it. Even on the bench, we couldn’t understand how that could happen.

"The game was done; we just had to keep control and we were doing that well. Then we just switched off twice. We had come from behind to lead by two goals. It’s absurd. It’s a shame but we’ll take this point and move on.”

After successive wins over Inter Milan and Napoli, the draw was an unwelcome reminder of the sort of inconsistency that plagued the club's first part of the campaign.

“It’s true, we shouldn’t be going backwards," El Shaarawy said. "These two goals need to make us think. We blacked out for two minutes.

"We need to make a clean start and think about the game on Sunday. But we have to find some kind of continuity in order to move forwards."