Lazio pay penalty as Roma claim derby honours

Roma reignited their Serie A title hopes with a pair of penalties to stun leaders Lazio 2-0 in the Rome derby at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.

Marco Borriello and Mirko Vucinic both netted from the spot to give Claudio Ranieri’s men the honours.

Roma are now seven points behind Lazio but perhaps more importantly just four behind champions Inter Milan in third.

AC Milan went second and closed the gap to Lazio at the top to two points as they won 3-2 at rock bottom Bari.

The first half in Rome was a tight affair with few chances although Lazio captain Tommaso Rocchi was just inches away from converting Stefano Mauri’s inviting centre.

Lazio opened up Roma again on 21 minutes but Brazilian playmaker Hernanes leant back as he connected with Stefan Radu’s pull-back and smashed it high over the bar.

Simone Perrotta squeezed a shot inches wide for Roma before the visitors had the ball in the net on 43 minutes.

John Arne Riise released Borriello down the left and he crossed for Leandro Greco to slot home from close range but Borriello was hit with a narrow and debatable offisde decision.

Into first half injury time Borriello used his strength to bring down a ball on his chest but from eight yards couldn’t hook his shot on target.

And yet just after the restart Roma were deservedly in front.

Simplicio’s goal-bound shot hit Stephan Lichsteiner on the arm and although he could do little to get out of the way, the referee had no choice but to award the penalty.

Borriello’s effort was weak but it somehow managed to squeeze under Fernando Muslera’s body and over the line on 52 minutes.

Hernanes should have done better when Christian Brocchi’s ball over the top sent him in one-on-one with Julio Sergio but his shot hit the goalkeeper’s leg.

Simplicio should have added a second 13 minutes from time after Riise’s bursting run down the left but the Brazilian hit the bar from 10 yards out.

Lazio then missed a glorious opportunity as Mauri failed to turn in Christian Ledesma’s free-kick from inside the six-yard box.

Vucinic kept Muslera busy with a vicious daisy-cutter from 20 yards before Pasquale Foggia crashed a back post half-volley against the woodwork from close range.

But three minutes from time Vucinic sent Muslera the wrong way from the spot after Andre Dias was harshly judged to have brought down Julio Baptista despite minimal contact.

Milan were off to a good start in the south as Massimo Ambrosini and Mathieu Flamini put them in charge in the first half.

And Pato’s goal after the break sandwiched by Vitaly Kutuzov and Paulo Barreto efforts proved the winner.

Injury-hit Juventus remain fourth after they came back from a goal down to beat 10-man Cesena 3-1.

On Saturday, champions Inter Milan needed a dubious penalty award to earn a 1-1 draw at home to Brescia.

The visitors had opened the scoring on 14 minutes through Andrea Caracciolo but Samuel Eto’o’s 17th goal in 16 games this season — one more than he managed in the whole of the last campaign — from the spot 17 minutes from time levelled matters.