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Roma record a 3-1 against Hellas Verona to move to within six points of leaders Juventus
AC Milan record back-to-back wins for the first time this season with a 2-1 win against Cagliari
City rivals Inter, who play Juventus next weekend, played out a goalless draw at Catania
Roma romped to a third successive league win on Sunday to close the gap with league leaders Juventus to six points.
Cote d’Ivoire striker Gervinho provided the attacking flair with a goal and an assist as Serie A’s second placed side won 3-1 on the road at Hellas Verona.
Reigning champions Juve could only draw 1-1 with Lazio in the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday and Rudi Garcia’s side made the most of the slip.
Adam Ljajic opened the scoring on the stroke of halftime tapping in Gervinho’s cutback, but it wasn’t long before Verona were back on level terms as Emil Hallfredsson slotted home four minutes after the break.
Former Arsenal striker Gervinho put Roma back in front on the hour mark drilling a low shot through a crowd of players before Francesco Totti guaranteed all three points – the veteran midfielder putting away a 83rd minute penalty following a foul on Greek international Vasileios Torosidis.
Roma, whose only league defeat this season came against Juventus at the beginning of the month, now have 50 points while Antonio Conte’s side have 56.
The Turin-based team also have a potentially tricky league match next weekend against Inter who played out a goalless draw against bottom-of-the-table Catania at the San Siro on Sunday.
Walter Mazzarri’s side will be desperate to reinvigorate a season which has been stuttering along since the end of November – their last nine league games yielding just eight points.
In Sunday’s other games, city rivals AC Milan recorded back-to-back league wins for the first time this season with a 2-1 at Cagliari. The result nudges them up the table to ninth with 28 points, four behind Torino who beat Atalanta 1-0.
Elsewhere, Sampdoria and Bologna drew 1-1, but there were more positive results for struggling Livorno and Parma.
Second-from bottom Livorno’s 3-1 against Sassuolo was their first since the beginning of November while Parma’s 1-0 win moves them up to seventh with 32 points.
Meanwhile in the two Bundesliga fixtures played Sunday, mid-table Werder Bremen drew 0-0 with bottom side Braunschweig while Schalke are up to fifth on 31 points after beating 16th place Hamburg 3-0.