Dries Merten's double lifts Napoli over Roma 2-1

BY DANIELLA MATAR Associated Press LINKEDIN GOOGLE+ PINTEREST REDDIT PRINT ORDER REPRINT OF THIS STORY MILAN 

Napoli got back on track by beating nearest rival Roma 2-1, leaving Serie A leader Juventus with the biggest smile on Saturday. Napoli remained third but closed the gap to second-placed Roma to two points. Juventus can stretch its advantage to 10 points with a win at struggling Udinese on Sunday. 

"We must be realistic, the title race was very difficult before, now it's almost impossible," Roma coach Luciano Spalletti said. "It will depend what Juventus do, but it's very hard. "When you lose these head-to-head games, your spirit also sinks." 

Napoli was all but out of the Champions League and Italian Cup after 3-1 defeats to Real Madrid and Juventus in the first legs. Alongside a home loss to Atalanta last weekend, Napoli's season threatened to implode. The match with Roma was billed not only as a fight for an automatic Champions League spot, but also a fight between two contenders for league top-scorer: Dries Mertens and Edin Dzeko. 

Mertens came out on top with two goals. He broke the deadlock in the first half, springing the offside trap to run onto a delightful through ball from Marek Hamsik and dink it over Roma goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. Mertens celebrated in unusual fashion, by getting down on all fours, cocking his leg, and pretending to urinate on the corner flag. A second score before halftime was ruled out for his push on Federico Fazio. 

His second came five minutes after the break, when he rushed in at the back post to tap in Lorenzo Inisgne's cross. His 18th league goal moved him within one of Dzeko, Torino's Andrea Belotti, and Juventus forward — and former Napoli star — Gonzalo Higuain. 

It was almost worse for Roma as Daniele de Rossi was lucky not to receive a second yellow card 20 minutes from time when he kicked Pepe Reina in the back of the leg from the ground following a collision with the Napoli goalkeeper. 

It was not spotted by officials but Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri was sent to the stands for dissent. Mohamed Salah hit the left post and Roma finally scored in the 89th as Diego Perotti burst down the left and pulled back for Kevin Strootman to drive into the bottom right corner. 

In five minutes of stoppage time, Roma was denied an equalizer by Reina's incredible save of Perotti's deflected loop, which he somehow finger-tipped onto the crossbar. 

AC MILAN 3, CHIEVO VERONA 1 Carlos Bacca scored two goals and missed a penalty as AC Milan moved back into the European qualifying positions. Milan moved level on points with fifth-placed Lazio, which visits Bologna on Sunday. Inter Milan can go back above its city rival with a win at Cagliari. Chievo started the brighter but Milan took the lead against the run of play when Bacca ran on to Gerard Deulofeu's through ball, cut inside, and his effort was deflected in off Stefano Sorrentino's foot. Chievo leveled four minutes later through a contentious penalty. Mattia De Sciglio was adjudged to have pulled down Serge Gakpe. Milan was awarded a penalty of its own in first-half stoppage time for a Bostjan Cesar handball but Bacca blazed his spot kick over the bar. Bacca doubled his tally in the second half, and Gianluca Lapadula knocked in another penalty eight minutes from time. 

SAMPDORIA 3 PESCARA 1 Zdenek Zeman's 1,000th match as coach was bittersweet as his Pescara team lost. It was honors even at the break after Alberto Cerri cancelled out Bruno Fernandes's opener for Sampdoria. But Fabio Quagliarella restored Samp's lead just before the hour mark and substitute Patrik Schick scored six minutes after being sent in Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/sports/world-soccer/article136437613.html#storylink=cpy

Nainggolan goal wins it for Roma over Genoa

Nainggolan, the hero for Garcia's men 

The Belgium international scored the only goal of the game to help his side to a crucial away victory as they capitalised on Juventus' draw earlier on Sunday

Roma recorded a vital 1-0 win over Genoa in Sunday's Serie A encounter at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

Adem Ljajic missed a spot kick at the half-hour mark, but Radja Nainggolan did open the scoring shortly before the half-time whistle to help Roma to the full three points. 

The visitors survived a late scare as the hosts had an injury-time equaliser ruled out for offside, meaning Rudi Garcia's men took full advantage of Juventus' draw against Sampdoria.

The guests started the match the better side of the two and came close to breaking the deadlock after 17 minutes of play when Gervinho was denied by Mattia Perin, before Miralem Pjanic blasted the rebound into a defender.

Genoa were dealt a huge blow at the half-hour mark, however, when the referee awarded Roma a penalty and sent off Perin after the goalkeeper fouled Nainggolan. Ljajic stepped up to take it, but substitute Eugenio Lamanna saved the Serbian attacker's attempt.

Garcia's men did go 1-0 up in the 40th minute. Maicon sent in a dangerous cross from the right andNainggolan did well to find the net with an acrobatic volley.

Alessandro Matri tested Morgan De Sanctis in the dying seconds of the first half, but he failed to really trouble the Roma goalkeeper. 

Pjanic tried his luck early in the second half, yet the midfielder aimed too high and the chance went begging. Gervinho then nearly doubled Roma's lead in the 72nd minute after being set up by Davide Astori, only to see his shot go just wide.

Genoa threatened shortly after via Diego Perotti after the Argentine picked up a loose ball, but the winger's shot went over the crossbar.

The guests kept on pushing for a second goal and Pjanic came close to making it two in the closing stages of the game. The midfielder received a pass from Jose Holebas before unleashing a powerful effort, but his shot went just wide.

The home side thought to have levelled the scoring well into stoppage time, but Tomas Rincon's goal was disallowed for offside.

Roma remain second in Serie A following this weekend's results, but have closed the gap with leaders Juventus to one point. Genoa, meanwhile, sit fifth in the table.

Manchester City punch a ticket to knockout stages, beats Roma 2-0

Champions League: Manchester City conquer Roma to make last 16

Manchester City progressed to the last 16 of the Champions League after beating Roma 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday night.

Second-half goals from Samir Nasri and Pablo Zabaleta secured a win which, coupled with Bayern Munich’s 3-0 home victory against CSKA Moscow, means that Manuel Pellegrini’s side qualified as runners-up behind the Bavarians in Group E

The visitors made the breakthrough thanks to Nasri’s long-range strike on the hour mark, before a late goal by right-back Zabaleta confirmed the result.

However, the Premier League champions still needed captain Joe Hart to produce a number of word-class saves before their victory was sealed.

The result means City finish Group E on eight points and are in the hat for Monday's draw, where the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid could be lying in wait.

It was the home team who started the brighter of the two sides, and none more so that their pacy forward Gervinho, with the former Arsenal player causing Zabaleta all kinds of problems down the left wing.

After one neat move early on involving both Gervinho and Roma skipper Totti, the ball was fed through for Jose Holebas to have a clear sight of Hart’s goal, only for the England goalkeeper to do well to come quickly off his line and smother the Greek's close-range shot.

City were not without their own moments of promise in the opening period though, with James Milner in particular testing Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis with one effort from the edge of the area.

Meanwhile, the England international was then unlucky not to put the visitors ahead six minutes before the interval, only for the Giallorossi shot stopper to keep his shot out at the near post after good approach play by the lively Jesus Navas.

However, after Milner had been denied by De Sanctis, Gervinho immediately broke broke clear of the City back line, with Hart again needing to produce a brilliant fingertip save to stop his low shot from finding the bottom corner of the net.

The second period mainly belonged to the English side with City’s nerves - already calmed by news of Bayern having taken the lead against the Russian champions at the Allianz Arena - soothed even more by Nasri’s brilliant opener.

Picking up possession of the ball some 20 yards out on the left-hand edge of Roma’s penalty area, the mercurial Frenchman decided to try his luck from distance with few other alternatives to aim for in the box.

And it proved to be the right decision, with the midfielder’s powerful drive leaving De Sanctis with no chance in the Roma goal as the ball flew into the back of the 'keeper’s net off the inside of the post for what was his first goal of the season.

City, though, still needed to rely on both Bayern holding firm in Bavaria and their own goalkeeper to seal their place in the knockout phase of Europe’s premier club competition, with the latter’s contribution absolutely vital to their victory.

The England No 1 firstly turned aside Miralem Pjanic's shot from the edge of the area, then kept out Rajda Nainggolan’s long-range piledriver after 65 minutes, before the City skipper did even better to get his fingertips on to Konstantinos Manolas’s header, with the post also helping keep the effort out.

And from the resulting corner, much-maligned centre-back Martin Demichelis was in the right place at the right time to block substitute Mattia Destro’s close-range effort on the goal line as Roma’s hopes began to fade.

In fact, the hosts' hopes were extinguished with just four minutes to go when Nasri played in the marauding Zabaleta on the right-hand channel of the area before the Argentinian kept his cool to fire City into the knockout phase.

Jamie Carragher's verdict

"It was a proper European performance that we’ve been looking for from City not just this year, but in years gone by. It doesn’t mean they played free-flowing football or they were fantastic on the eye – they weren’t.

"After the first 15 minutes they came through the scares and grew into the game. At times it wasn’t pretty to watch and it wasn’t great football. But they made it difficult for Roma and grew into the game. It comes off the back of a lot of big players missing, like Kompany and Aguero."

Roma beat Chievo 3-0

Roma cruised to a 3-0 victory over Chievo Verona in Serie A on Saturday to ensure it goes into its Champions League clash against Bayern Munich full of confidence.

Goals from Mattia Destro, Adem Ljajic and a Francesco Totti penalty saw Roma bounce straight back from their controversial 3-2 defeat to Juventusa fortnight ago to keep up the pressure on the Bianconeri at the top of the table.\

Perhaps equally important was the confidence boost victory gave Rudi Garcia's men ahead of their tough encounter with Bundesliga leaders Bayern on Tuesday night.

The Germans hammered Werder Bremen 6-0 in the Bundesliga earlier on Saturday.

Garcia resisted the temptation to rotate his side and fielded 38-year-old forward Totti from the start, opting not to rest the Italian ahead of Tuesday's clash at the Stadio Olimpico.

Totti was involved a lot in the early action as Roma wasted no time attacking the visitors' defence, taking the lead within five minutes when Destro headed in from a corner.

Totti and Ljajic were combining well and it was the Roma captain who set up the latter to double the hosts' lead in the 25th minute.

It was then the turn of Totti, who became the Champions League's oldest goalscorer when he netted against Manchester City, to find the net yet again from the penalty spot.

Dario Dainelli was accused of fouling Daniele De Rossi inside the area and Totti stepped up to beat Francesco Bardi from the spot. Totti went close to making it four early in the second half, with Bardi making a good block at his near post, before Garcia decided the time was right to start resting players.

Totti was first to leave the field, with Miralem Pjanic taken off soon after, but the substitutions did not affect Roma, who continued to look the more dangerous side.

Destro nearly beat Bardi before Ashley Cole was beaten to the rebound, depriving him of a good chance to score for the Giallorossi.

Late Bonucci goal gives Juventus a massive win over Roma in a highly explosive game 3-2

Bonucci saves Juve in bad-tempered win over Roma

Turin (Italy) (AFP) - Leonardo Bonucci struck at the death as Juventus claimed the bragging rights from a bad-tempered 3-2 win over Roma that saw three expulsions and at least one dubious penalty in Turin on Sunday.

Garcia said midweek the top-of-the-table clash would be a "great advert" for Italian football.Roma coach Rudi Garcia was sent off in the first half, while Juve striker Alvaro Morata and Roma defender Konstantinos Manolas saw red in the closing minutes after the match's final, angry exchange.

And there was no lack of drama at a packed-out Juventus stadium as Roma, despite their first defeat of the season, further underlined their status as the biggest challengers to Juve's three-year grip on the Italian championship.

"It was a crazy match," admitted Juve 'keeper Gianluigi Buffon, who refused to be drawn on the controversy surrounding three penalty awards which shone the spotlight on match referee Gianluca Rocchi and left Roma icon Francesco Totti claiming Juve already had the title sewn up.

"Credit to Roma, they showed they are a very strong side. But the result doesn't reveal anything as regards the league title. It's far too early yet."

Juve midfield great Andrea Pirlo returned for his first match of the season following his recovery from injury, with Garcia preferring Greek defender Jose Holebas to Ashley Cole at left back.

The match turned in the 26th minute when Juve were awarded a freekick following Totti's foul on Pirlo, whose subsequent freekick hit the arm of Maicon in the defensive wall.After seeing an early chance expertly blocked by Seydou Keita, Carlos Tevez scored the first of a brace of penalties just before the half hour.

Players from both sides immediately surrounded referee Rocchi, who wavered before giving in to Juve's demands for a penalty.

Moments later, Tevez stepped up to beat Lukasz Skorupski to give the champions a 27th-minute lead.

To rub salt into Roma wounds, Garcia was sent off for dissent after playing an imaginary violin.

The Frenchman later said the match was a good example of why football should adopt video replays, but he admitted Roma were to blame for their first defeat of the campaign.

"We've dropped our first points of the season, so now we have to pick ourselves for our next game.""The first people to blame are ourselves, we had chances we didn't put away," said Garcia.

Five minutes after Juve had taken the lead, Rocchi awarded Roma a spot-kick after Totti was brought down in the box by Stephan Lichsteiner, despite being nowhere near the ball.

Totti stepped up to send Buffon the wrong way to level on 32 minutes.

The goals set in motion a series of dubious challenges, but Juventus Stadium was stunned into silence when Gervinho ran into the area and laied off a sublime angled pass for Juan Iturbe to run in and slide the ball past Buffon.

Roma's joy was short-lived, however. When Paul Pogba tried to gallop into the Roma area on the stroke of half-time, he fell under a soft challenge from Bosnian midfielder Miralem Pjanic.

Despite television pictures showing the challenge to be just outside the area, Rocchi pointed to the penalty spot and Tevez stepped up to beat Skorupski for the second time.

For Totti, the decision raised an age-old belief that Juventus routinely benefit from favourable refereeing decisions.

"Juventus should have a championship of their own because they always manage to win," Totti told Sky television.

He pressed home the point when it was stressed Roma would be Juve's biggest challengers this season.

"Yes, but it doesn't matter because we'll still finish second. All three of Juve's goals were invalid."

Pirlo made way for Arturo Vidal with 11 minutes remaining, but as the hosts pressed Juve's salvation came when Roma's defence failed to deal with a corner which fell to Bonucci on the edge of the area.

The Italy defender smacked a volley through a crowded defence and past the outstretched Skorupski to give Juve an 86th-minute lead, although at least two Juventus players looked offside.

The match ended on an ugly note when Manolas was victim of a tough sliding tackle by Morata, prompting the intervention of Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri, practically both sets of players and forcing the expulsion of the players involved.

Pjanic late free kick lifts Roma over Parma 2-1

Parma 1-2 Roma: Pjanic Late Show Wins It For Giallorossi

Roma beat Parma 2-1 on Wedenesday evening at the Stadio Ennio Tardini in Serie A.

Adem Ljajic’s first half strike for the Lupi was cancelled out by Paolo De Ceglie’s header before Miralem Pjanicscored a late free-kick to seal three points for Rudi Garcia’s men.

The Giallorossi started the more positive and Antonio Mirante in the Parma goal had to be alert to field a couple of early deliveries from Greek left-back Jose Holebas.

Garcia’s side controlled the majority of possession in the opening twenty minutes but the Crociati made life difficult for their opponents by getting numbers behind the ball and as a result neither goalkeeper was tested during this period.

After threatening on a couple of occasions with swift counter attacks, Roma eventually opened the scoring on 27 minutes when Felipe and Cristiano Lucarelli switched off defensively allowing Ljajic enough space to latch onto a Francesco Totti through ball and finish past Mirante.

The first half continued in the same vein with Roberto Donadoni’s men camped in their own half and Roma attempting to pick their way through the numbers to force a second goal.

As it turned out, they were unable to do so and with Parma offering little attacking threat the scoreline remained 1-0 until half time.

Donadoni’s half time instructions appeared to be to press Roma further up the pitch and this allowed his side to be more ambitious going forward in the early stages of the second half.

Ten minutes into the half a long range effort from Antonio Cassano was pushed wide by Morgan De Sanctis and from the resulting corner De Ceglie capitalised on some slack marking to head home an equaliser.

The Ducali persisted with a slightly more open style of play and were almost caught out on 63 minutes when Gervinho broke forward at pace and played a square ball to an on-rushing Totti who fired a left-footed shot narrowly over the bar.

Parma reverted to a more cautious approach as the half wore on and the visitors were finding it difficult against their defensive organisation.

Alessandro Florenzi was introduced as a substitute and almost broke through on goal in the 80th minute but for an excellent last-ditch tackle by Felipe.

A short time later Felipe gave away a free-kick just outside his own penalty area for a foul on substitute Destro and with 88 minutes gone Pjanic stepped up to curl the ball beautifully into the top corner of Mirante’s goal and give his side the lead.

The final minutes of the game were played out and Roma held on for a 2-1 victory which, on the balance of play, was just about deserved.

Florenzi late goal put Roma past Torino 2-1

Bleacher Report

(Reuters) - A stoppage-time goal from substitute Alessandro Florenzi gave AS Roma a 2-1 win over Torino in Serie A on Tuesday after Ciro Immobile had scored with a stunning effort for the visitors.

Ivory Coast winger Gervinho set up both goals for second-placed Roma as they took another step towards making sure of direct qualification for next year's Champions League.

Roma, who have 67 points, moved nine clear of third-placed Napoli who visit Catania on Wednesday. Runaway leaders Juventus (78 points) host Parma, also on Wednesday.

Roma went ahead four minutes before halftime when Gervinho slipped the ball through the Torino backline and Mattia Destro stretched to prod home his ninth goal of the season.

Immobile, emerging as a late candidate for a place in Italy's World Cup squad, replied with a superb effort in the 52nd minute, meeting a long ball forward with a first-time volley into the far corner.

Immobile took his tally for the season to 17, making him the league's top scorer.

Torino looked set to take a point until they lost possession in midfield, Gervinho threaded another ball through the defence and Florenzi, who had only been on the field for eight minutes, placed his shot wide of Daniele Padelli.

(Reporting by Brian Homewood; Editing by Ken Ferris)

Juventus dominates as Roma suffered 2 red cards 3-0

The much anticipated encounter between league leaders Juventus and Roma was a big disappointment as the Capital team suffered double red cards at the close of their game. 

Juventus scored 17th minute as Carlos Teves saw an Arturo Vidal overlap to his right which he capitalized and the latter delivered after latching into that quick pass.   Then in the 49th minute, an unmarked Leonardo Bonucci poked the ball into the net after a smooth Andrea Pirlo free kick. 

Things went worse for Roma in the closing minutes of the game as two successive red cards were given. First against Danielle De Rossi for the high challenge on Leonardo Bonucci.  It was followed by Leandro Castans handball on former Roma and now Juventus striker Mirko Vucinic.  

Reduced to 9 men, there was nothing Roma could do and Juventus never pushed for more goals as if to emphatize with the plight of its worthy rival. 

Miralem Pjanic lifts Roma over Napoli 2-0

Paolo Cannavaro (blue shirt)  pleading his case off a foul 
on Marco Borrielo (maroon) in the Roma-Napoli encounter

Miralem Pjanic become the hero as Roma came out victorious in the Round 8 of the Serie A. 

Pjanic's goal came in the 45th minute after being awarded a free kick by a Paolo Cannavaro foul on Gervinho. Pjanic scoop a looping shot that not even Pepe Reina's top hand diving save could prevented it. 

Miralem Pjanic

Before that, Napoli was poised to take the lead particularly in the 34th minute when Goran Pandev's shot bounced off from Morgan de Sanctis arm in a diving save and the ball slowly headed to the net.  But the timely clearance of Daniele de Rossi turned Napoli's gold into stone.  In the 45th minute mark also, Lorenzo Insigne's shot missed few inches from the net. 

In the second half, Napoli became the aggressive team.  It made several goal potential attempts.  In the 49th minute, Gokhan Inler shot grazed the net while in the 61st minute, Marek Hamsik's shot hit the near post in the left side.  

Napoli's chase for a win became more difficult when in the 79th minute Paolo Cannavaro was given his second yellow and automatic red off a foul on Marco Borrielo in Roma's penalty box.  Cannavaro was sent off and Roma is given a penalty shot which was converted again by Miralem Pjanic. Napoli tried to come back but to no avail even if Goran Pandev was already subbed by former Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain.  AS Roma secured the 2-0 lead and went on to win the game.  

Serie A: Totti leads Roma over Inter 3-0

Francisco Totti

An inspired Roma side came out victorious against a lackluster Inter side in the latest round of Serie A. Roma captain  Francisco Totti provided the spark as he lead his team with two goals. 

In the 17th minite, Daniele de Rossi's attempted through ball was blocked by Inter's Andrea Rannochia. The rebound however fell to Federico Balzaretti. Balzaretti then set up a series of passes; to Florenzi and then to Gervinho. Gervinho finally found Totti at the center who finding enough space, launched a powerful strike that thundered through the net.   

Totti added another goal through a penalty in the 39th minute after an Alvaro Perreira foul on Gervinho.  Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic went to the correct side but the shot was too fast to stop. 

Roma further buried Inter in the 44th minute when Alessandro Florenzi added another goal from a well orchestrated attack that began with a flick from Daniele de Rossi to Kevin Strootman before the latter squared to Florenzi to complete the play.