Lazio win Rome derby

Lazio claim derby double and move into third in Italy’s Serie A with controversial win over bitter rivals AS Roma.

Martin Stekelenburg
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Roma were immediately on the back foot after goalie Maarten Stekelenburg was sent off after seven minutes [GETTY]

Lazio beat 10-man Roma 2-1 in a heated Serie A derby match on Sunday to do the double over their rivals for the first time in 15 years and claim advantage in the race for third place.

Lazio took the lead in the seventh minute after Maarten Stekelenburg brought down Miroslav Klose. The Roma goalkeeper was sent off and Hernanes converted the resulting penalty.

Despite the man disadvantage Fabio Borini levelled less than 10 minutes later. However, Stefano Mauri fired in what was to prove the winner on the hour mark.

Lazio defender Lionel Scaloni was sent off five minutes from time for a second yellow card offence.

Lazio are now third, two points above Udinese, who were held to a 0-0 draw against Atalanta and five above Napoli after Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani scored yet again to help their side to a controversial 2-1 victory at Parma.

Early lead

Lazio beat Roma 2-1 in October and were wary of a backlash. However, they got off to a great start when Hernanes put in a through ball for Klose and the German was brought down by Stekelenburg, who was shown a straight red.

Reserve goalkeeper Bogdan Lobont came on for Erik Lamela but he could do nothing to prevent Hernanes’ penalty from going into the bottom left corner.

Roma levelled in the 16th minute. Juan struck the bar from a tight angle but it came out to Borini in a similar position on the other side of goal. Lazio defender Giuseppe Biava headed the ball out but it was already over the line. Borini has scored six of Roma’s past nine goals.

Lazio took the lead when Mauri scored from Cristian Ledesma’s free kick. Roma captain Francesco Totti came close to levelling in the dying stages but his effort went wide.

Udinese slipped to fourth as they struggled to find a way past Atalanta goalkeeper Andrea Consigli.

Antonio Di Natale almost grabbed a winner in stoppage time but Consigli pulled off another stunning save to deny the league’s top goalscorer from point-blank range.

Napoli win

Results

Saturday March 3

Palermo 0-4 AC Milan
Juventus 1-1 Chievo Verona

Sunday March 4

Parma 1-2 Napoli
Fiorentina 2-0 Cesena
Lecce 2-2 Genoa
Roma 1-2 Lazio
Siena 3-0 Cagliari
Udinese 0-0 Atalanta
Bologna v Novara
Inter Milan v Catania

At Parma, Napoli took the lead in the 39th minute when Gianluca Musacci clipped Cavani’s ankles in the area. Cavani took the kick himself, tapping in the rebound after Antonio Mirante’s save.

Parma levelled in the 76th when Morgan De Sanctis managed to save Gabriel Paletta’s strike following a corner but could not hold onto the shot and Cristian Zaccardo tapped it home from practically on the line.

Cavani set up the winner by slotting the ball across to Lavezzi and, with the Parma players clamouring for offside, he drilled it past Mirante and into the bottom left corner.

Lavezzi and Cavani have scored 10 goals between them in the past five matches.

Lecce maintained their impressive recent run as they drew 2-2 against Genoa. Judged by many as relegation certainties a month ago, Lecce have gone five games unbeaten.

Genoa took the lead when Rodrigo Palacio back heeled the ball to Bosko Jankovic, who touched it across for Giuseppe Sculli to sidefoot home from two yards out.

Luis Muriel’s strike and a stunning 25-yard free kick from Davide Brivio saw Lecce go in front before Sculli’s header was deflected in five minutes from time as Genoa snatched a deserved point.

Elsewhere, struggling Siena strolled to a comfortable 3-0 win against Cagliari, thanks to goals from Erjon Bogdani, Emanuele Calaio and Cristiano Del Grosso.

Rock-bottom Cesena look even more in trouble. Defender Vangelis Moras headed into his own net and Matija Nastasic scored his first Serie A goal to hand Fiorentina a 2-0 win.

Source: AP