Roma rallies to play party pooper for Juventus

MILAN - Club icon Francesco Totti applauded from the sidelines and then celebrated at the final whistle as Roma kept Juventus waiting for the Serie A title with a defiant 3-1 win at Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.

Treble-chasing Juve traveled to the capital hoping to secure at least a point to mathematically ensure a record sixth straight scudetto with two games to spare.

But despite being tied at halftime after Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi canceled out Mario Lemina's 21st-minute opener, Juve was stunned by second-half goals by Stephan El Shaarawy and Radja Nainggolan.

Roma's 26th win of the campaign moved Luciano Spalletti's side back to second place, four points off the lead and one ahead of Napoli, which earlier saw Jose Callejon hit a brace in a 5-0 rout at Torino.

It kept the capital side in contention for the league's second automatic Champions League spot and ended Juve's hopes of celebrating at the home of its bitter league rival.

"After Napoli's win, the league standings started to worry us a little," said Roma captain De Rossi.

"Juve started well and we went down a goal. All they needed was a draw, but we responded well.

"It was a great game, and a great night."

Juve can wrap up the title with a win at home to relegation-haunted Crotone next week, but its fifth defeat of the campaign ended Massimiliano Allegri's hopes of securing the scudetto before it faces Lazio in the Italian Cup final on Wednesday.

"We did well in the opening half, we kept it tight in defense, but then we thought we had the game wrapped up and took our foot off the pedal," Allegri told Mediaset.

"Hats off to Roma, but this will just make us more determined for next week, and for Wednesday."

Allegri rested several players as the champion, which faces Real Madrid in the June 3 Champions League final, targets an unprecedented treble.

Argentine playmaker Paulo Dybala started on the bench alongside defenders Giorgio Chiellini and Dani Alves, handing a rare start to Gabon international midfielder Mario Lemina.

Ghanaian defender Kwadwo Asamoah was also given a rare start and drew gasps with a ferocious left-footer that smashed off the upright after just seven minutes.

Gonzalo Higuain's drive then curled over, but the visitor broke the deadlock soon after when Lemina side-footed past Wojciech Szczesny.

Edin Dzeko's absence due to a calf strain robbed Roma of the aerial threat usually provided by the Bosnian.

But when Gianluigi Buffon parried a powerful Kostas Manolas header, De Rossi fired home on the rebound.

Roma resumed in determined fashion after the break, and minutes later the Olimpico erupted when El Shaarawy collected a cross from Nainggolan and unleashed a low, right-footed strike that took a slight deflection before squeezing inside the post.

The goal took the wind out of Juve's sails, but not as much as Roma's third.

Mohamed Salah delivered a great cross for Nainggolan before the Belgian drove past Buffon in the 65th minute.

A stunned Allegri introduced Dybala for Stefano Sturaro minutes later, but, as veteran Totti experienced when he replaced Salah for the final two minutes, it was too little, too late.

Agence France-Presse