Italian Football News

Roma beat Genoa, just

AS Roma won an important victory last night, as they beat Genoa 3-2, an uplifiting way to end the week after their serious defeat against Manchester United on Tuesday night. The victory was hard-won, though, which will no doubt please oth Sir Alex Ferguson and Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini.

Roma started well - a welcome change from some of their recent outings (against Empoli and Cagliari for example). No doubt stoked up by Tuesday night's result, the team took to Rome's Olympic Stadium once more without captain Francesco Totti (who will, it seems, also miss next week's return leg with Man Utd.), with a team largely unchanged - though Aquilani and Mancini were strategically out of the team, to rest them for the Champions League game. Almost from the off the giallorossi had a number of chances, which Mirko Vucinic and De Rossi missed.

A quarter of an hour in, and Brazilian midfielder Rodrigo Taddei scored his fifth goal of a lacklustre season, knocking in a ball on the rebound from a cross by Tonetto. Shortly afterwards, Vucinic did what he failed to do on Tuesday night - despite some serious effort - and scored a fine goal smashing the ball home from outside the Genoa area. A fine response to their poor form of recent matches - or so it seemed, going into half time with a more than respectable 2-0.

Complacency, though, has cost this Roma squad repeatedly throughout the season, and despite some tight defending on their part, just thirteen minutes into the second half Genoa midfielder Marco Rossi was gifted the ball in front of an empty goal, as Doni struggled against a shot by Marco Borrielo. Then, the unthinkable happened, as just seconds after Roma put the ball back into play, Genoa's Honduran forward Julio Cesar (Rambo) Leon sent home an equaliser.

Roma, understandably in shock, managed to regroup and bring the game forward to Genoa - who closed down play wherever possible, content to hold on for a famous draw. It's to Roma's credit that some spirit shone through, as they created several chances. In the end, though, it was Genoa's leading goalscorer Marco Borriello who gave the game away, committing a stupid foul on Taddei in the box. Daniele De Rossi took the penalty, while his captain Francesco Totti hid behind his hands in the stands - fearful of the outcome. De Rossi made no mistake though, and

with just ten minutes to go scored the winning goal. Roma temporarily close the gap with Inter Milan to 1 point, awaiting the outcome of today's game between Inter and Atalanta.