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| Roma back on top |
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Roma moved back to the top of Serie A thanks to a win at Parma which puts the ball back in Inter Milan's court in the race for the Scudetto.
Francesco Totti put the Giallorossi ahead in the fifth minute and Rodrigo Taddei doubled their lead 15 minutes from time.
Davide Lanzafame gave the home side hope in the 81st minute, but a late red card for Luis Jimenez dented their hopes of finding an equaliser and Roma held on for a win which takes them one point clear of the Nerazzurri, who face Lazio tomorrow night.
Roma therefore find themselves in the unusual situation of wanting their city rivals to win and do them a favour by taking points of Inter at the Stadio Olimpico.
Roma coach Claudio Ranieri stuck with Totti in attack, leaving Luca Toni on the bench, while Parma welcomed Blerim Dzemaili back into their midfield after a lengthy injury absence.
Their coach Francesco Guidolin also chose a more cautious 4-4-2 formation to the 4-3-3 he has used recently with Hernan Crespo the man sacrificed from the attack with Jonathan Biabiany and Valeri Bojinov starting.
Bojinov had the first chance of the game, shooting just wide of the far post after beating Roma defender Juan to the ball in the fourth minute.
Within 60 seconds, though, Roma were ahead with their first attack of the game, and it was that man Totti who provided the finish.
He controlled a pass from Daniele De Rossi with his chest before lobbing Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante from the edge of the penalty area.
The home side responded well with the lively Biabiany going close to an equaliser in the 18th minute, albeit from an offside position.
Francesco Valiani forced an excellent save out of Julio Sergio on the half-hour mark as Parma came closer and closer to an equaliser.
Valiani sent in a cross for Luca Antonelli to head into the side-netting just before the break, which could not have come any sooner for a besieged Roma.
Ranieri altered things during the break, bringing a third central defender on in Philippe Mexes and sacrificing an attacking midfielder in Jeremy Menez.
Toni also came on for Mirko Vucinic, who had not looked his usual self in the first 45 minutes.
Roma moved to a 5-3-2 formation and Totti came close to adding a second in the 54th minute when he hit the post from the edge of the penalty area.
Guidolin sent Crespo on as a third striker and he had the chance to equalise in the 62nd minute, but he lifted his lob over the crossbar.
The Parma coach then gambled with a fourth striker as Lanzafame came on and, with his first touch, he almost equalised as he struck the top of the crossbar,
Roma doubled their advantage in the 76th minute to ease a bit of pressure thanks to Taddei's header at the far post from Totti's cross.
But they were made to sweat for all three points when Lanzafame brought Parma back in it nine minutes from the end.
He sneaked in between Nicolas Burdisso and Marco Cassetti to head in from 10 yards out and set up a grandstand finish.
Parma pushed forward in search of an equaliser while Roma tried to play down the clock, and this frustrated Jimenez, who picked up his second yellow card for a foul on Totti in the 88th minute.
The last chance of the game fell to Julio Baptista, who was denied by an excellent save from Mirante.
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