Gianluca Mancini’s bullet header helped Roma beat Genoa 1-0 to move back into fourth place in Serie A on Sunday.
Mancini scored the only goal of the match in the 24th minute as Roma moved a point above fifth-place Atalanta, which visits Serie A leader Inter Milan on Monday. The top four from Serie A qualify for next year's Champions League.
Second-place AC Milan was playing at Hellas Verona later.
Roma's Gianluca Mancini, top left, scores his side's opening goal during the Serie A soccer match between Roma and Genoa at the Rome Olympic Stadium Sunday, March 7, 2021. (Alfredo FalconeLaPresse via AP)
Genoa remained seven points above the relegation zone after its second loss in three matches. It had only lost one of the previous 10 since Davide Ballardini replaced Rolando Maran as coach.
Roma dominated and broke the deadlock when Mancini rose highest in the middle of the area to head a Lorenzo Pellegrini corner into the top right side of the net.
Roma almost doubled its lead in the 67th but Gonzalo Villar’s effort was deflected onto the right post by Genoa midfielder Ivan Radovanović.
Roma's Gianluca Mancini celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Serie A soccer match between Roma and Genoa at the Rome Olympic Stadium Sunday, March 7, 2021. (Alfredo FalconeLaPresse via AP)
The hosts did have the ball in the back of the net shortly after. Pedro’s backheeled flick came off the left post and Borja Mayoral turned in the rebound but it was ruled out for a narrow offside.
Genoa fought hard for the equalizer until the end but struggled to create opportunities of note.
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Roma's Gianluca Mancini, left, scores his side's first goal during a Serie A soccer match between Roma and Genoa at Rome's Olympic stadium, Sunday, March 7, 2021. (AP PhotoAlessandra Tarantino)
Roma's Chris Smalling, right, reacts after missing a scoring chance during a Serie A soccer match between Roma and Genoa at Rome's Olympic stadium, Sunday, March 7, 2021. (AP PhotoAlessandra Tarantino)
Federico Bernardeschi scored against his former club as Juventus beat Fiorentina 2-0 on Wednesday to set up an Italian Cup final against Inter Milan.
After Fiorentina goalkeeper Bartłomiej Drągowski failed to intercept a cross, Bernardeschi controlled the ball with his chest then volleyed in shortly after the half-hour mark.
Danilo sealed it in stoppage time after being set up by Juan Cuadrado.
Juventus' Matthijs de Ligt, left, and Fiorentina's Nicolas Gonzalez battle for the ball during the Italian Cup semifinal soccer match between Juventus and ACF Fiorentina at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (Marco AlpozziLaPresse via AP)
Aiming to defend its title, Juventus advanced on 3-0 aggregate.
Defending Serie A champion Inter beat city rival AC Milan 3-0 on Tuesday to advance.
Juventus has won the Italian Cup a record 14 times, while Inter has seven trophies in the competition — the last from 2011.
Juventus' Adrien Rabiot, right, and Fiorentina's Jonathan Ikone battle for the ball during the Italian Cup semifinal soccer match between Juventus and ACF Fiorentina at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (Marco AlpozziLaPresse via AP)
The final is scheduled for May 11.
Juventus also had a goal from Adrien Rabiot wiped off for offside following a VAR check.
SALERNITANA SUCCESS
An injury-time winner earned Salernitana a 1-0 win at Udinese in Serie A, keeping the southern club’s hopes of avoiding relegation alive.
Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic, left, and Fiorentina's Alfred Duncan battle for the ball during the Italian Cup semifinal soccer match between Juventus and ACF Fiorentina at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (Marco AlpozziLaPresse via AP)
Having won at Sampdoria on Saturday, it marked the first time this season that Salernitana posted consecutive victories.
Substitute Simone Verdi finished off a counterattack three minutes into stoppage time.
The bottom three clubs — Venezia, Salernitana and Genoa — are now level on points, each six points from safety.
Juventus' Matthijs de Ligt, left, and Fiorentina's Arthur Cabral battle for the ball during the Italian Cup semifinal soccer match between Juventus and ACF Fiorentina at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (Marco AlpozziLaPresse via AP)
The match was postponed four months ago amid a coronavirus outbreak within Salernitana’s squad.
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