Sun Oct 7 22:30:24 2007

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Roma gets back on track behind Totti

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Parma, Italy (Sports Network) - Francesco Totti scored twice to help Roma to a 3-0 win over a 10-man Parma side on Sunday at Stadio Ennio Tardini.

The win gets Roma's title chase back on track after the team had gone winless in its last three league contests. Roma is now just three points behind league-leaders Inter Milan and is level on points with Juventus in second place.

Totti was in top form on Sunday, scoring the opener after only two minutes and helping to set up the team's second goal in the 21st, which was scored by Alessandro Mancini. Parma was reduced to 10 men in the 26th minute when Bernardo Corradi picked up his second yellow card, and Totti capped the dominating win with his second tally in the 82nd.

After a 1-0 loss to Manchester United in the Champions League on Tuesday, Roma started fast and was ahead after just two minutes. Mirko Vucinic lobbed a cross to the middle of the box for Totti, who was unmarked and slammed the ball past the keeper to put the visitors on top.

The Roma captain then led a counter attack 20 minutes later that enabled the club to take a two-goal lead. Totti knocked a great ball ahead to Mancini, and he finished well into the far corner past keeper Luca Bucci.

Things got even worse for Parma five minutes later, with Corradi being shown a red card after he was whistled for a handball.

A near miss by Totti before halftime was followed by another close call from Christian Panucci that struck the crossbar and stayed out.

Parma failed to create much in attack, and they went down three goals with eight minutes to play when Daniele De Rossi's cross found Totti near the goal, and the striker put away the chance for his sixth goal of the campaign.

In other action in Italy on Sunday, Fiorentina earned a late draw with Juventus when Adrian Mutu scored from the penalty spot in the 88th minute to give his side a 1-1 draw, Catania Calcio got past Livorno 1-0 on a goal from Gennaro Sardo and Genoa downed Cagliari 2-0. Palermo and Reggina shared the points in 1-1 fashion as they traded goals in the 90th minute, while Siena put away a big win over Empoli 3-0. Torino slipped by Sampdoria 1-0 with Eugenio Corini's 88th minute strike, and AC Milan dominated Lazio 5-1.