Two late goals from Francesco Totti gave AS Roma a nervy 2-1 victory at home to Cagliari on Sunday and ensured the Serie A title will be decided on the final day of the season.
Inter maintained their two-point lead at the top with a 4-3 success over Chievo at the San Siro that proved less comfortable than it should have been.
Inter travel to Siena, while Roma will be entertained by Chievo next weekend.
PHOTO: EPA
The nerazzurri can sew up a fifth title in a row with victory, while Roma can only secure their first scudetto since 2001 if they win and Inter fail to do so.
At one stage in the afternoon’s proceedings, Inter were cruising at 4-1 while an Andrea Lazzari goal direct from a free-kick gave Cagliari a shock 1-0 lead in Rome with just 17 minutes remaining, meaning Inter were virtual champions.
“It was the usual game of suffering for us. After hitting the woodwork three times we were close to losing,” Roma midfielder David Pizarro said. “Thankfully we managed to get the result we were hoping for and in the end, that’s good.”
Inter fans were celebrating in the stands, but two goals just four minutes apart from Roma captain and talisman Totti silenced them.
Even so, Inter goalscorer Esteban Cambiasso said the players were not expecting to wrap up the title.
“We have enough experience in football to know perfectly well that the game can change at any time right to the end,” he said. “Therefore when the fans in the San Siro exploded with joy after the Cagliari goal we tried to stay calm because we knew the scudetto wasn’t finished. Now we will go to Siena with the determination and desire to win the game and hence the title.”
Totti’s goals were the perfect response after the 33-year-old forward was roundly criticized in midweek following his sending off in Roma’s 1-0 Coppa Italia final defeat to Inter for a wild kick at Mario Balotelli.
“Now we’re going right to the wire and we’re going to continue to believe,” Totti said.
His first goal was a close-range shot across the goalkeeper with 11 minutes left and his second, from the spot with seven minutes remaining, came after Davide Biondini was harshly penalized when a John Arne Riise cross hit his upper arm in the box.
Roma had dominated the first period, with Totti and Marco Motta hitting the woodwork, but they were lackluster at the beginning of the second and failed to heed the warnings when both Jeda and Alessandro Matri wasted glorious opportunities to give Cagliari the lead.
After Lazzari’s strike, however, Roma’s dramatic late comeback ensured they are still alive and kicking.
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