Roma down Parma to go top

AS Roma moved a point clear of Inter Milan at the summit of Serie A after goals from Francesco Totti and Rodrigo Taddei earned a nervous 2-1 win at Parma on Saturday.

Ahead of Inter?s away match in Rome against Lazio on Sunday, Totti struck after five minutes and Taddei doubled the lead with a quarter of an hour to go after Parma had bossed the match.

Davide Lanzafame?s 81st-minute strike set up a tense finale but the Giallorossi, seeking their first scudetto since 2001, held on and with two matches to play will now be cheering on their city rivals.

Roma were given an early reminder they would get no easy ride against a mid-table Parma side as Valeri Bojinov fired inches wide with four minutes gone.

Just a minute later though skipper Totti calmed Giallorossi nerves with a superbly taken goal.

Chesting down a fine through ball from fellow Roman Daniele De Rossi, Totti calmly lobbed a stranded Antonio Mirante for the simplest of strikes.

Sampdoria?s smash-and-grab comeback last weekend still seemed to be on Roma?s minds though and Julio Sergio was forced to save from Jonathan Biabiany on 18min after Juan?s horribly sliced clearance.

Francesco Valiani was having plenty of the ball down the left and he brought an even better save out of Julio Sergio on 28 minutes. The Brazilian goalkeeper dived full stretch to fingertip the Italian winger?s left-foot strike around the post.

Dominating possession, Parma continued to create chances.

On 35 minutes, Luca Antonelli nodded Valiani?s centre into the side-netting and, seconds before the break, Biabiany should have done better after climbing highest at a corner but could not keep his header down.

Roma were wobbling and almost paid for their anxiety eight minutes into the second half when Hernan Crespo, on for Bojinov, guided his sliding left-foot effort inches wide of the post.

Save for a couple of wasted free kicks Roma had produced nothing since Totti?s early strike but after picking up a sloppy clearance on 53 minutes, the Roma captain almost doubled the lead, cracking a right-footer from the edge of the area against the upright.

The game was becoming stretched with both sides knowing the next goal could be vital.

On 67 minutes another substitute Lanzafame almost equalised, clipping the crossbar with a left-foot strike from inside the penalty area.

With Luca Toni thrown into attack, Roma were increasingly dangerous and looked to have settled the match on 75 minutes.

Picking up possession on the left, Totti delivered the perfect centre to the back post where Rodrigo Taddei head back across goal and into the corner to double the lead.

But Roma were made to sweat for their three points.

On 81 minutes, Biabiany crossed from the left and Lanzafame, standing at the back post, guided a header into the corner for 2-1.

Roma held on though in a nerve-wracking last 10 minutes in which Parma?s Luis Jimenez was sent off after a second caution to maintain their hopes of a fourth scudetto.