Juventus is creeping back into the Serie A title discussion after deservedly beating Roma 2-1 on Saturday and moving four points behind league leaders Inter Milan.
Francisco Conceicao and Lois Openda scored the goals which decided an engaging encounter in Turin as Juve claimed a second big win in as many matches after beating Bologna last weekend.
Juve stay fifth on 29 points but are only one point behind fourth-paced Roma who sit in the last Champions League spot and suffered a sixth league defeat of the season.
“I think we deserved to win, we knew that today’s match was important and we did what we set out to do — we won,” said Conceicao. “We’re up there after winning these two important matches but we need to get our heads straight onto the next one.”
Luciano Spalletti’s Juve have played a game more than Inter, champions Napoli and AC Milan who occupy the top three places and will play their matches from this round of fixtures next month, due to the Italian Super Cup which is being held in Saudi Arabia.
Roma created very little at the Allianz Stadium beyond Tommaso Baldanzi’s tap-in 15 minutes from the end, and the capital city outfit have now lost three of their last four matches in Italy’s top flight.
“We were lacking in accuracy when it came to the final pass but I’d like to focus on some of the performances today,” said Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini who remained upbeat. “It’s not easy to play here but this is a good team with a strong base, I’m convinced that we can do good things.
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