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GIANLUCA Mancini’s thunderous strike moved Roma up to fourth place in Serie A with a 1-0 victory over Juventus at Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.
The centre-back’s rasping second-half drive sealed three precious points, boosting Roma’s hopes of qualifying for the 2023/2024 UEFA Champions League.
After a week dominated by off-field headlines for head coach Jose Mourinho and former Juve playmaker Pablo Dybala, the Giallorossi claimed what could prove to be a huge victory.
Defeat will be a bitter pill to swallow for Massimiliano Allegri’s Juve side after a performance in which they will feel they did enough to earn a point.
Moise Kean was sent off in the closing stages, less than a minute after coming on, for kicking out at Mancini.
Knowing victory would edge them above AC Milan and into the top four on goal difference, Roma sought to impose themselves upon their visitors early on.
Yet Juventus were stubbornly defiant in front of a partisan crowd, and did their best to take the initiative themselves.
It was the Bianconeri who came closest to a breakthrough in the first half, when Adrien Rabiot saw his header saved by Wojciech Szczesny near the left post in the 43rd minute.
Emboldened by their support from the stands, the hosts broke the deadlock eight minutes after the interval.
That was when Mancini let fly from long range with his right foot and gave Szczesny no chance.
Juan Cuadrado almost levelled matters on the cusp of the hour with a superb free-kick that struck the post.
Juventus were unable to salvage a point and Kean was shown a straight red card for lashing out at Mancini soon after coming on, adding insult to injury.(dpa/NAN)
Tags: Jose Mourinho Pablo Dybala
