Advantage Inter after Roma defeat

UC Sampdoria swung the title pendulum back in FC Internazionale Milano's direction by inflicting AS Roma's first Serie A defeat since 28 October with a 2-1 win.

Roma were well placed to respond to Inter's 3-1 defeat of Atalanta BC on Saturday and restore their one-point lead when captain Francesco Totti (14) swept in Mirko Vučinić's pass. They now trail their rivals by two points with three matches remaining, however, after Giampaolo Pazzini manufactured a second-half turnaround which propelled his team into fourth. The striker equalised (52) with a far-post header from a cross by former Giallorossi forward Antonio Cassano before silencing the Stadio Olimpico five minutes from time with his 17th of the campaign.

Elsewhere, Vincenzo Iaquinta's first Serie A goals since September helped Juventus to a 3-0 home victory against AS Bari which lifts the Bianconeri above SSC Napoli and into contention for a place in European competition next season. On as a half-time substitute for Amauri, the Italian international took his tally for the campaign to five with efforts on 53 and 86 minutes.  Alberto Zaccheroni's team rise one place to sixth, into the final UEFA Europa League qualification place, a point ahead of a Napoli team who drew 0-0 with visitors Cagliari Calcio.

S.S. Lazio moved sixed points clear of the relegation zone thanks to a 2-1 win at eighth-placed Genoa CFC, who had Salvatore Bocchetti (69) sent off, while Marco Di Vaio scored twice against his former club as fellow strugglers Bologna FC beat ten-man Parma FC 2-1. That result had dire consequences for AS Livorno Calcio, who slip back into Serie B a year after their promotion despite registering their first victory since 10 January, 3-1 against ten-man Calcio Catania.

Mid-table ACF Fiorentina, meanwhile, lost 2-0 at home to AC Chievo Verona and Simone Pepe scored twice in Udinese Calcio's 4-1 defeat of second-bottom AC Siena.