Roma went into tonight's Serie A clash with Parma knowing that three points were essential to maintain their challenge for European football.
Things got off to a perfect start for Aurelio Andreazzoli's side as Erik Lamela tucked home Daniele De Rossi's drive after just seven minutes.
Both sides had chances to score but Roma wrapped up the win late on when Francesco Totti thundered in his 226th Serie A goal from a free kick.
Here, look back at an important win for an inspired Roma with Sports Mole's minute-by-minute commentary below.
Hello Serie A fans and welcome to the last action of a packed weekend of Italian football as Roma and Parma meet at the Olimpico. Both teams have very different ambitions for the rest of this season but will be equally confident of picking up a positive result tonight.
Roma have not given up hope of qualifying for Europe this season but must win tonight to keep pace with Fiorentina, Lazio and Inter in pursuit of a top-six finish. Aurelio Andreazzoli has enjoyed a successful start to life as head coach, with his side unbeaten in their last four league games.
Parma have come through a patchy run of form to keep themselves away from a relegation dogfight for the time being. If Roberto Donadoni's men can string together back-to-back victories tonight then a top-half finish will look a genuine possibility.
BREAKING TEAM NEWS! The starting lineups have reached us from the Olimpico, with the surprise news that Pablo Daniel Osvaldo has failed to win his place back in attack for Roma. We will bring you both complete starting XI's in a matter of minutes.
ROMA: Stekelenburg, Marquinhos, Burdisso, Castan, Florenzi, De Rossi, Tachtsidis, Marquinho, Lamela, Perrotta, Totti
PARMA: Mirante, Benalouane, Paletta, Lucarelli, Rosi, Parolo, Valdes, Gobbi, Ampuero, Amauri, Sansone
Osvaldo has paid the price for his lean spell in recent weeks and is left out in favour of veteran Simone Perotta. The experienced midfielder will provide support to Francesco Totti and Erik Lamela in an advanced role.
The absence of Vasilis Torosidis through injury is a major blow for the home side tonight. He is replaced in the starting XI by Panagiotis Tachtsidis as Roma go in search of a fourth win in five Serie A matches.
Parma are without a string of players tonight as their injury list piles up. MacDonald Mariga, Fabiano Santacroce, Andrea Coda, Djamel Mesbah and Raffaele Palladino all miss out for the visitors this evening.
Luckily for Parma in-form striker Amauri is fit and leads the line at the Olimpico. The Brazilian forward scored a hat-trick in 14 second-half minutes last weekend and will be for the focal point once more for Donadoni's men tonight.
Amauri is partnered in attack by Nicola Sansone, while ex-Roma midfielder Aleandro Rosi is picked to start against his old club. Young winger Alvaro Ampuero plays on the wing and is surprise choice in Donadoni's starting XI.
Ampuero gets the nod ahead of Jonathan Biabiany, who is normally one of the first names on the team sheet. The Frenchman's pace and power may be sorely missed against Roma's inexperienced backline tonight.
Form and history suggest that Parma will endure a tough evening. The Gialloblu are without a win away to Roma since 1997 and have only managed three draws in 15 visits since that victory. Donadoni's side have also collected just six points from their last eight matches, but will be almost certain of another season in Serie A with one more positive result.
Just a reminder that there is one other match being played in Serie A tonight. With Inter Milan's trip to Sampdoria falling foul of the weather, Lazio against Torino has just survived a pitch inspection to make it two games with European implications in Italy to end this weekend.
PREDICTION! Just before both sides take the field at the Olimpico there's time for me to hazard a guess at the scoreline. Roma know a win tonight is imperative and I think that drive will just about see them over the line. Expect Parma to score but just come up short in a 2-1 defeat, with Lamela finding his touch infront of goal again!
Roma lead out the two sides as the Olimpico. Can Parma spring a surprise and ensure survival for another season? We are moments away from finding out!
Parma get us underway but almost instantly try a long diagonal pass to Amauri which runs straight out of play on the far side. Roma take the chance to gain possession and win an early corner thanks to the persistence of Lamela.
SHOT! A clever short corner is worked to Florenzi, who is unmarked on the edge of the penalty area. He opts for power over placement with his shot and misses the target by some distance. An early warning sign for Parma, who were asleep from the set piece.
Tachtsidis tries a lofted pass to the far post but Parma goalkeeper Mirante is alive to the danger and catches before Lamela can meet the ball.
GOAL! Roma 1-0 Parma (Lamela)
Parma fail to clear their lines from a free kick and pay a heavy price. Marquinhos does brilliantly to recycle possession and cross to the back post. De Rossi advanced to meet the ball and volley towards goal. Florezni and Lamela both followed in unmarked at the far post, with the latter knocking in from close range with the final touch.
A truly awful start from the visitors has left them with a mountain to climb at the Olimpico. Parma are yet to gain a foothold in the match and are bypassing a packed midfield in search of hopeful long passes over the top. Amauri may be in for long night chasing in attack.
SAVE! A shocking backpass from Valdes gifts Totti a free run at goal from deep. The veteran looks up and sends a powerful strike towards the top corner but Mirante is at full stretch to tip round the post.
MISS! Roma have just spurned a wonderful opportunity to go 2-0 ahead. A clever backheel from Totti found Marquinho in acres of space on the left-hand side. His cross found Perotta, who regained his balance before smashing off the crossbar from six yards. With the freedom of Parma's penalty area he simply had to score from close range.
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SERIE A UPDATE! A quick piece of important news from tonight's other match between Torino and Lazio. Roma's bitter rivals are down to 10 men early on after Ciani picked up two yellow cards in the space of a minute.
Parma finally manage to keep the ball for a few minutes and ease the pressure on their overworked defence. Valdes and Burdisso eventually work the ball into the penalty area after a neat exchange, but a deep cross to the far post is too strong for Parolo's late run.
The home side have dropped the pace a touch after a frenetic start but still look the more assured side in possession. Marquinhos and Lamela in particular are causing Parma consistent problems with their pace and skill.
PENALTY APPEAL! Lucarelli and Valdes clear successive corners as Roma threaten from set pieces. Roma quickly attack again and have a penalty appeal turned down when Simone Perotta falls to the floor after cutting inside and shaping to shoot. The referee did not entertain the award of a spot kick for a second and tells Perotta to get up quickly.
Parolo attacks down the right for Parma and beats Castan with a slice of luck, but is penalised before he can pick out a pass for bundling over Burdisso. That was a rare venture for the visitors who have looked more solid in the last five minutes.
SAVE! Stekelenburg is forced into action for the first time tonight as he easily gathers Sansone's header, which took a kind defelction of Marquinho into his path.
CHANCE! Roma break to devastating effect and should once again have extender their advantage. Florenzi puts Lamela through on goal with an incisive pass, but the Argentine's first touch is a tad heavy and gives Mirante a chance to take the ball away from goal. Perotta was chasing in on the follow up but has his shot blocked clear by Paletta.
MISS! This game has really opened up in the last five minutes as Parma go close for the first time tonight. A quick short corner from Valdes is worked to the far post, but with Stekelenburg out of position Benalouane can only head over under pressure from Burdisso. This game has definitely got more than one goal in it as we approach the interval!
Valdes slaloms his way through central midfield but hopes of a Parma attack are stopped in their tracks as Ampuero brings down Perotta on the halfway line.
Totti tries a clever backheel to Marquinho on the left wing, but this time the pass is not read by his teammate and gifts Parma the chance to counter. Gobbi and Rosi lead the charge and flash a driven ball across goal, but Amauri has no chance of meeting a powerful cross which flies out for a throw-in on the far side.
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SHOT! Parolo attempts a drive from range, which fails to test Stekelenburg and whistles past the far post.
Lamela is nearly played through by Totti but after a brief period of indecision is eventually flagged for offside in first-half stoppage time.
FULL-TIME Roma 1-0 Parma
Referee Carmine Russo signals an end to the first half as Roma take a narrow lead into the break. In truth the home side should have added to Erik Lamela's opener after seven minutes and have at times looked superb on the counter.
Francsco Totti has dropped deep to feed Lamela in a slight change of formation which has worked wonders in the first 45 minutes. The veteran forward is finding space in between the lines and Parma look unsure how to stop his supply line to Lamela.
A trademark Totti backheel helped create the first goal, with Marquinhos and De Rossi combining to find Lamela at the far post. There was a slight suspicion of offside as the Argentine winger followed in with Florenzi, but the goal stood and Roma have a lead they fully deserve.
Parma have offered very little for Amauri to work with in attack. After scoring a hat-trick last weekend the Brazilian striker has been a peripheral figure this evening after being starved of service. Nicola Sansone has tried to work the channels but Donadoni's side need a change in attitude after the interval.
One outlet that Parma could use to change this match is sat on the substitutes bench. French winger Jonathan Biabiany offers a direct option with pace and trickery, two thinks the visitors were severely lacking in the first half. Belfodi is another player who could offer variety in attack if introduced from the bench.
One thing you must credit Roma for despite their inconsistent campaign is their willingness to attack and keep possession high up the pitch. Even with first-choice striker Osvaldo dropped tonight Andreazzoli's side have offered intent and purpose in wide areas, cancelling out any negatives from his omission.
YELLOW CARD! Roma get us back underway and quickly settle into a rhythm of possession, before Rosi brings down Marquinhos to earn the game's first caution. More importantly for the home side they have a free kick just outside the penalty area.
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OFF THE BAR Totti comes within inches of scoring a wonderful goal direct from the free kick. His curling effort has Mirante beaten all ends up but comes crashing back off the crossbar and bounces out towards the corner flag. That was agonisingly close to a vintage Totti masterclass.
CHANCE! Out of nothing Parma are presented with a glorious chance to equalise. Stekelenburg is late off his line to claim a wayward cross and drops the ball straight to Amauri, but the striker fails to chip home from a tight angle. That was easily the visitor's best chance of the match so far.
Burdisso is forced to head out for a corner as Parma threaten down the left through Sansone. From the following corner Stekelenburg comes out confidently to punch clear, in direct contrast to his effort just a minute ago.
YELLOW CARD! Benalouane is lucky to escape with a caution after cynically bringing down Perotta in the final third. Roma still look a genuine threat on the counter but are not having things all their own way in the second half!
Lamela drives down the wing and wins a corner for Roma. Totti elects to take and picks out Florenzi unmarked at the far post, but the winger can only flash a powerful volley high over the crossbar.
OFF THE BAR! Peletta sends a thunderous header back off the crossbar from a curling corner as Parma go close to finding an equaliser. Roma's efforts at zonal marking from that corner were non-existent and nearly cost them their narrow lead.
BLOCK! A last-ditch challenge from Burdisso just about keeps Parma at bay as the visitors go close to a goal twice in as many minutes. Parolo looked ready to tap in from six yards but the Roma defender was at full stretch to block his shot over the bar by a matter of inches. After dominating for long spells the home side are now lucky to still be ahead.
SUBSTITUTION: Donadoni decides it is time to bring on Jonathan Biabiany, who replaces young winger Ampuero. Look for the pacy playmaker to drive at a tiring Roma defence in the closing stages.
SUBSTITUTION: Roma almost instantly counteract that change with a swap of their own in central midfield. Michael Bradley is introduced for Tachtsidis, who has ran himself into the ground for the home side this evening in a spirited display.
Both sides attack with menace in the space of a minute. Biabiany wastes no time in beating two players to play in Sansone, who is tackled brilliantly by Burdisso at the last moment. At the other end Totti wins a free kick from 20 yards after being bundled over by Valdes, who is booked for a cynical challenge.
GOAL! Roma 2-0 Parma (Totti)
After coming close earlier in the second half Totti makes a free kick count to put Roma out of sight with 15 minutes left. The veteran thundered a strike straight through the Parma wall, leaving Mirante with no chance as the ball sailed past the keeper's flailing arms. That is Serie A goal number 226 for Totti, which takes him second in the all-time list.
SUBSTITUTION: Parma thrown on Belfodil for Sansone in search of a goal to make the closing stages interesting. That second goal has hit the visitors hard as they were enjoying their best spell of the match just before Totti's moment of magic!
Totti tries another audacious effort from a tight angle, but in truth Marquinho should have been played in at the far post. Roma have just over 10 minutes to close out an important victory.
SAVE Totti is denied his second by an instinctive save from Mirante. Marquinhos led a quick counter and played the veteran through in at least five yards of space. Despite drilling towards the far post Totti is denied as Mirante turns the ball into the side netting with his feet. The 36-year-old could have had a hat trick tonight very easily.
SUBSTITUTION: Marquinhos is rested for the final few minutes after an inspired performance, Parma simply could not live with his pace. The Brazilian is replaced by Balzaretti, who will provide a more steely protection for the back four late on.
Balzaretti's first involvement is an unfortunate one. The wing-back slides in to clear and thunders the ball off Florezni's chest. The young midfielder is down in a heap and will need a few minutes to recover from that one.
SUBSTITUTION: Both sides make changes, with Roma swapping Perotta for Taddei. Like for like in terms of experience as the home see out the final few minutes.
SCORE UPDATE! News is in of a late goal in tonight's other game which will add to the celebrations at the Olimpcio. Torino have taken the lead against 10-man Lazio through Jonathas with three minutes left to play.
Lamela is played through on the counter by Taddei, but he does have enough left in the tank to take advantage. With a whole half of space to attack the forward slows to a crawl and is eventually caught by two Parma defenders.
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The heavens have opened at the Olimpico as Roma close out a win which will be their fourth from their last five matches. If results stay this way Andreazzoli's side will climb to sixth this evening.
Well that was an accomplished display from Roma which fully justified three points. With Fiorentina winning earlier today a win was imperative for the home side and they duly delivered.
Francesco Totti rolled back the years tonight with a performance full of guile, quality and class. His goal wrapped up the points 15 minutes from time and ensured Roma stay in with a genuine chance of qualifying for Europe this season.
That just about brings to an end our Serie A coverage for this evening. Thanks for joining Sports Mole and be sure to check back in for comprehensive coverage of football across the continent. Goodnight!
Written by
Liam Power
Liam Power
