Roma turn up heat in title race

AS Roma hauled themselves to within five points of the Serie A summit with a 1-0 win over Calcio Catania, on a day when Juventus returned to the fourth UEFA Champions League qualifying spot by triumphing 2-1 at Bologna FC.

Thursday's 3-2 loss at UEFA Europa League rivals Panathinaikos FC ended Roma's 20-match unbeaten run, but they rallied at the Stadio Olimpico and recorded a seventh consecutive top-flight victory thanks to Mirko Vučinić's 18th-minute winner. The Montenegro forward turned the ball in from close range following a corner, ensuring the capital outfit took maximum advantage of FC Internazionale Milano's goalless draw with UC Sampdoria on Saturday and breathed new life into the title race.

Seven points off the pace, third-placed AC Milan won 2-0 at AS Bari in the late fixture, while below them Juventus leapfrogged Sampdoria and SSC Napoli to put themselves back on course for a berth in Europe's elite club competition next term. While Napoli could only draw 0-0 at AC Siena, Juve recorded their third straight success in all competitions under new coach Alberto Zaccheroni, Diego firing the visitors into a fourth-minute lead and substitute Antonio Candreva finishing impressively midway through the second half after Antonio Buscè's 50th-minute leveller for Bologna.

S.S. Lazio's new trainer Edoardo Reja suffered a far less enjoyable afternoon, in contrast, as his side went down 3-1 at US Città di Palermo, for whom Abel Hernández registered in the opening minute. That result lifted the victors up to sixth, two places ahead of Cagliari Calcio, who defeated Parma FC 2-0. In the lower reaches, meanwhile, second-bottom Atalanta BC succumbed 1-0 at home to AC Chievo Verona, who lost Luca Rigoni to a 77th-minute red card. One spot higher, AS Livorno Calcio were beaten 2-1 at Tuscan rivals ACF Fiorentina, where Nelson Rivas scored the opener and was later sent off for the visitors.