Roma fight back to move joint-top

Posted Tuesday, September 17, 2013 by Foxsports.com

Roma came from behind to move joint-top of Serie A with a 3-1 win at Parma on Monday night.

Jonathan Biabiany put the hosts in front after 39 minutes, but Alessandro Florenzi drew Roma level shortly after the restart.

Roma captain Francesco Totti put his team ahead by scoring his first goal of the season in the 70th minute, then Kevin Strootman put the game beyond Parma's reach from the penalty spot with five minutes remaining.

The result sees Roma remain perfect in Serie A this season and go level on nine points with Napoli, who won 2-0 over Atalanta on Saturday. Parma, meanwhile, are still winless after three rounds.

Roma started strongly and threatened in the 20th minute.

Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante was forced into a full-length stretch to save Totti's powerful strike from just outside the area.

Roma should have broken the deadlock one minute later when Miralem Pjanic found Maicon in the box but the Brazilian defender fired inches wide of the far post.

On the half-hour mark, Totti's bullet strike was kept out by Mirante, before Biabiany came closest when his close-range effort went over the bar at the other end.

Parma continued to press forward and were rewarded before the break. Biabiany got behind Mattia Cassani's cross and his powerful header beat Roma goalkeeper Morgan de Sanctis.

Roma increased the tempo after the restart and drew level two minutes into the second half when Pjanic set up Florenzi in the box and his right-footed strike beat Mirante.

On the hour mark, Roma defender Mehdi Benatia did well to clear Marco Marchionni's cross towards the near post with Carvalho Amauri threatening at the far post.

Just when Parma looked more dangerous, Roma took the lead.

Strootman served Totti in the area and he beat the offside trap before firing towards the near post where Mirante could not reach.

Parma's hopes of an equaliser were dented when the referee pointed to the spot after Cassani brought down substitute Gervinho in the area.

Strootman made no mistake and struck a left-footed shot towards the centre of goal to beat Mirante and fire Roma to their third consecutive league win.