Bologna 0 : 2 AS Roma - Taddei and Osvaldo boost Roma

Roma ended the year with an impressive 2-0 win at Bologna.

Rodrigo Taddei put the visitors ahead in the 17th minute before Daniel Osvaldo doubled the lead before half-time.

Bologna suffered a further setback when Daniele Portanova was shown a red card for dissent with 13 minutes remaining.

The result has left Roma, who struggled at the start of the campaign, seventh in the standings heading into the Christmas break.

Bologna are 17th and just three points clear of the drop zone.

Roma went into the game on the back of last weekend's 3-1 victory at Napoli, their best performance of the season.

Luis Enrique's could have gone ahead in the fifth minute.

Fabio Simplicio fed Francesco Totti inside the area but his right-footed strike was kept out by Bologna goalkeeper Jean Francois Gillet.

At the other end, Alessandro Diamanti tried his luck from long range but his effort went just wide of the far post.

Roma went in front when Bologna failed to Clear Totti's free-kick inside the area. The ball fell to Taddei and he struck the ball past Gillet.

Roma almost made it 2-0 on the half-hour mark but Gillet saved Simplicio's goal-bound effort.

The visitors continued to press forward and were rewarded in the 40th minute.

Erik Lamela got behind his marker and served Osvaldo in the area. The Italy international smashed the ball into the top corner of goal.

Lamela could have added his name to the scoresheet on the hour mark but his 10-yard strike was kept out by Gillet.

In the 67th minute, Roma goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg had to make his first save to deny Panagiotis Kone's drive from outside the area.

With 18 minutes remaining, Stekelenburg did well to parry away Diamanti's left-footed attempt from 12 yards.

But Bologna's hopes of a comeback were handed a blow after Portanova was given his marching orders and Roma went on to win comfortably.