Roma near Champions League return with derby triumph
Roma took a huge step towards returning to the Champions League by beating local rivals Lazio 2-0 on Sunday in a feisty derby which finished with both teams down to 10 men, while Napoli won 3-0 at Pisa to secure a top-four spot.
Gianluca Mancini smashed home two headers from corners, one in each half, at the Stadio Olimpico to move Roma up to fourth thanks also to Juventus' shock 2-0 home defeat to Fiorentina.
Roma haven't played in the Champions League since being knocked out in the last 16 by Porto in 2019, an absence which has left the capital club lagging behind their rivals.
But a win next weekend at relegated Verona will guarantee Roma a spot in Europe's elite club competition thanks to a two-point gap separating them from both fifth-placed Como, 1-0 winners against Parma, and Juve who are now sixth.
"We should be happy because now it depends on us, we no longer have to rely on other teams' results," Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini told reporters.
"Today can be happy for winning the derby and then we'll get to preparing for the next match, which is huge."
The derby and all four other fixtures were pushed forward by half an hour to avoid a clash with the men's final at the Italian Open tennis tournament, which will take place a stone's throw from the Olimpico later this afternoon.
A massive security presence was on show all around the stadium but the atmosphere in the ground was one-sided with the Lazio fans continuing their months-long boycott of matches in protest against owner Claudio Lotito.
Roma's loud home support belted out song after song after a potentially massive win which on Sunday meant much more than just local pride.
The volatile nature of the derby was highlighted by Nicolo Rovella and Wesley both being sent off in a scrap shortly after Mancini bulleted home the decisive second goal from Paulo Dybala's corner in the 66th minute.
- Milan hold on, Napoli in -
AC Milan are third, level on 70 points with Roma after a hard-fought 2-1 win at Genoa which came thanks to a Christopher Nkunku penalty five minutes after half-time and Zachary Athekame's drilled strike eight minutes from the end.
The seven-time European champions' form has fallen off a cliff in recent weeks but a win at home over Cagliari next weekend will guarantee Massimiliano Allegri's team a spot in the top four.
Napoli were always favourites to win at relegated Pisa and made no mistake to make sure of their spot in next season's Champions League.
Scott McTominay got the ball rolling in the 21st minute with his 14th goal of the season in all competitions, and the deal was as good as done five minutes later when Amir Rrahmani forced Eljif Elmas' corner.
Rasmus Hojlund rounded off a straight-forward win in stoppage time as Napoli pulled five points ahead of Como and Juventus with one game remaining.
Denmark striker Hojlund has been on loan from Manchester United who will now receive a reported 44 million euros as Champions League qualification has triggered the obligation to buy in the deal agreed with the Prmeier League giants.
Juventus, who looked like the one team who would easily stay in the top four, now need a helping hand after a dismal performance against Fiorentina team which had nothing to play for other than to give a bloody nose to their fierce rivals.
Luciano Spalletti's team, who face local rivals Torino next weekend. are not out of the pitcure yet as they have a better head-to-head record than Roma and a significantly better goal difference than Milan, so dropped points from both those teams or Como would leave an opening.
"I can't judge my players just on the basis of today... but the fact that we haven't reacted, not played at our best is down to me," said Spalletti.
Later, Inter Milan will celebrate their 21st league title at the San Siro after their fixture with Verona, with the trophy presentation on the pitch before a day-long parade around Milan.
R.Schmidt--MP
