22.09.2013 17:37 h

Football: Giallorossi win Rome derby to go top

Miroslav Klose (l.) muss sein Comeback erneut verschieben
Miroslav Klose (l.) muss sein Comeback erneut verschieben

Second-half goals from Federico Balzaretti and Adem Ljajic handed AS Roma a precious 2-0 derby win over Lazio to send the Giallorossi top of Italy's Serie A on Sunday.

Napoli, who were leaders ahead of Roma but with the same goals difference prior to this weekend, are away to a depleted AC Milan side in Sunday's late game.

Ahead of the San Siro fixture, Roma take the lead with a two-point cushion on Inter, who had gone top provisionally earlier Sunday following a 7-0 rout away to Sassuolo.

Fiorentina, in third, and fourth-placed Juventus are also just two points shy of Rudi Garcia's league leaders, with Napoli one point adrift in fifth.

Goals from Fernandez Mati and Giuseppe Rossi secured Fiorentina's 2-0 away win at Atalanta while Juventus saw Carlos Tevez level Fabrizio Cacciatore's opener for Verona and Spain international Fernando Llorente score his maiden goal on his debut to secure a nervy 2-1 home win for the champions.

Roma, who finished seventh last season, have enjoyed a positive start to the campaign under French coach Garcia and their run continued with a dominant but at times frustrating performance at the Olympic Stadium.

Garcia's men dominated a busy first half and after Miroslav Klose spurned a chance just after the restart for Lazio, Roma took the lead just after the hour.

Francesco Totti delivered for Balzaretti from deep on the right and the defender sent a superb first-time strike past beaten Lazio goalkeeper Federico Marchetti.

Lazio suffered a blow when second-half substitute Andre Dias saw red for a blatant foul on Totti on 81 minutes.

Roma secured the points on the stroke of full-time Ljajic converted from the spot after he had been fouled by Cristian Ledesma.

Llorente, meanwhile, was the hero for Juventus after snatching the winner for the champions who despite dominating Verona throughout struggled to find the net.

Juventus were made to lament their misses when unmarked defender Cacciatore latched on to Vangelis Moras's header from a corner at the back post to beat number two 'keeper Marco Storari, replacing the rested Gianluigi Buffon, on 36 minutes.

Juve, however, continued to dominate and were soon back on level terms.

Paul Pogba first saw an effort from a corner saved off the line and spirits were raised on 40 minutes when Tevez ran on to Leonardo Bonucci's smart through ball to beat Rafael with a superb angled drive.

Juventus were unlucky when Tevez's long-range strike came off Rafael's left-hand post, rolled across the goalline and then bounced off the opposite upright.

However salvation came thanks to Llorente, who on the stroke of half-time muscled past his marker at the back post to head Vidal's right-wing cross past the keeper.

Earlier, Diego Milito scored twice on his long-awaited return from injury as Inter Milan thumped promoted Serie A strugglers Sassuolo 7-0.

Argentinian striker Milito had been sidelined for the past seven months after suffering a horrific knee injury at the start of the year.

But a week after also making Mazzarri's squad for a 1-1 draw at home to Juventus, he made his first appearance since damaging his anterior cruciate ligament on February 14 when he replaced Rodrigo Palacio nine minutes into the second half.

He scored barely 10 minutes after coming on and added a second seven minutes from the final whistle.

"On a scale of one to 10, today is worth more than 10," said Milito.

"We put in a great performance. It's an extraordinary squad and I want to say thank you to everyone who supported me in this difficult time, from my friends and family to the physios at the club."