AS Roma kept up the pressure on Serie A leaders Juventus with a comfortable 3-1 win against Atalanta BC on Saturday which saw the capital side equal the club record number of victories in a season.
Rodrigo Taddei, Adem Ljajic and Gervinho scored to help Roma to their 24th league win of the season, matching the record by Luciano Spalletti’s side in 2007-2008 and achieved again under Claudio Ranieri two years later.
Giulio Migliaccio headed in a consolation for Atalanta.
Photo: AFP
Roma moved provisionally five points behind Juventus, who are due to visit Udinese today.
Ljajic had played just 25 minutes in the past six matches, but the Serbia striker started, with Mattia Destro, Alessandro Florenzi and Miralem Pjanic all suspended. He hit the post as well as scoring and providing an assist.
“I haven’t played a lot recently, but that’s football,” Ljajic said. “The coach decides. I’m always ready and once again I gave my utmost to help my teammates.”
Atalanta remained in eighth place following a second successive defeat as they lost ground in the race for a Europa League place.
Earlier on Saturday, US Sassuolo picked up a vital point in their fight against relegation as they drew 1-1 at home to fellow strugglers Cagliari.
Taddei gave Roma the lead in the 13th minute when Dodo hooked the ball back off the byline for Francesco Totti, but it fell for the Brazilian, who fired in powerfully from the edge of the penalty area.
Totti was looking dangerous and went close several times to scoring the goal which would have seen him draw level with former Juventus star Alessandro del Piero’s 289 goals.
The Italian World Cup winner provided Ljajic with Roma’s second goal with a delightful chip over the defense to Daniele de Rossi, who controlled the ball before cutting back for the Serbian.
Atalanta almost got back into the game early in the second half, but De Rossi blocked German Denis’ shot with goalkeeper Morgan de Sanctis grounded.
Gervinho sealed the result shortly after the hour mark after being put through by Ljajic following a back-heel by Totti.
Atalanta pulled one back 12 minutes from time when Migliaccio powerfully headed Yohan Benalouane’s cross into the bottom-left corner.
Cagliari had a new coach after Ivo Pulga replaced the sacked Diego Lopez, but Sassuolo were full of confidence after last week’s surprise win at in-form Atalanta and they took the lead nine minutes from halftime.
Simone Zaza escaped Cagliari defender Davide Astori to run onto Nicola Sansone’s through-ball and fire in under the crossbar.
Cagliari leveled when Luca Antei tripped Victor Ibarbo in the opening minute of the second half and Agim Ibraimi converted the penalty.
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
More than 180 years of horse racing came to an end in Singapore on Saturday, as the Singapore Turf Club hosted its final race day before its track is handed back to the Singaporean government to provide land for new homes. Under an overcast sky, the air-conditioned VIP boxes were full of enthusiasts, socialites and expats, while the grounds and betting halls below hosted mostly older-generation punters. The sun broke through for the last race, the last-ever Grand Singapore Gold Cup. The winner, South African jockey Muzi Yeni, echoed a feeling of loss shared by many on the day. “I’d
PREDICTION: Last week, when Yu’s father made a wrong turn to the former champions’ parking lot, he said that his son could park there after this year With back-to-back birdies on the 18th hole, Kevin Yu fulfilled his driving range-owning dad’s prediction that he would win the Sanderson Farms Championship and become Taiwan’s third golfer to claim a US PGA Tour title. The Taoyuan-born 26-year-old, who represented Taiwan in the Olympic golf at Paris, saw off Californian Beau Hossler in a playoff at the Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday. Having drained a 15-foot putt to claw his way into the playoff, Yu rolled in from five feet on the first extra hole, ensuring he joined Chen Tze-chung (LA Open in 1987) and Pan Cheng-tsung (RBC
Francesco Bagnaia yesterday profited from a mistake by rookie Pedro Acosta to win the Japan MotoGP sprint and close the gap on overall championship leader, Jorge Martin. Spaniard Acosta crashed with four laps to go while leading the field at Motegi, allowing defending world champion Bagnaia to take first ahead of Enea Bastianini and Marc Marquez. Spain’s Martin finished fourth and saw his overall lead over Italian Bagnaia in the championship standings cut to 15 points. “I am very happy because with these conditions, it’s not very easy to win and gain points,” Bagnaia said after a sprint race that took place under
RSS