Chievo 0-2 Roma: Giallorossi forced to settle for second in Serie A
Claudio Ranieri comes second yet again….
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Roma defeated Chievo 2-0 at the Stadio Marc Antonio Bentegodi in Verona in Serie A on Sunday afternoon but still finished second in the table, two points behind Inter. First half goals from Mirko Vucinic and Daniele De Rossi had surged hopes of a Scudetto triumph but a second half strike from Diego Milito for Inter against Siena extinguished the Lupi’s dreams of a title conquest.
Chievo started in a 4-3-1-2 formation with Sergio Pellissier and Pablo Granoche as the front two supported by Simone Bentivoglio just behind them. Roma lined up in a 4-2-3-1 system with Francesco Totti as the lone striker up front playing in front of Rodrigo Taddei, Simone Perrotta and Mirko Vucinic.
The Flying Donkeys almost got off to a flying start when they created the game’s first chance as early as the third minute. Bentivoglio found himself with the ball inside the Roma penalty area and took a shot at the Giallorossi goal, but it fell straight to goalkeeper Julio Sergio.
Claudio Ranieri’s side crafted their first meaningful chance in the 10th minute when Vucinic scooped a cross over the Chievo defence but it was too far for Taddei to reach.
Three minutes later Marco Cassetti tried his luck from the edge of the Chievo goal, but he failed to hit the target. Seconds later Taddei whipped in a cross for the far post for Totti, but Gennaro Sardo intervened.
Roma almost broke the deadlock on 22 minutes when Totti hit the frame of the Chievo goal. Perrotta knocked the ball down for the Giallorossi captain, who struck on target from inside the penalty box only to see his shot ricochet off the post.
A couple of minutes later Totti cut back inside from out wide and took a shot from an acute angle at the Chievo goal, forcing Lorenzo Squizzi to make a good save.
Roma were on top of Siena by this time and in the 26th minute created another chance when Totti tried to poke the ball past Squizzi from 12 yards out after collecting a pass from Vucinic. It was saved and from the rebound Totti tried to chip the ball but it was off target.
Sixty seconds later Vucinic put in a brilliant ball into the Verona-based side’s penalty area for the unmarked Perrotta, but the Italian wasted the ball. Vucinic was again in the thick of action in the 33rd minute when he took a shot at the opposition’s goal, but he couldn’t get it past Squizzi.
Totti then put the ball inside the Chievo net on 36 minutes when he tucked the ball under Squizzi, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
However, the visitors did eventually break the deadlock, and the opening goal of the afternoon came in the 40th minute when Vucinic struck. The Montenegrin international hitman connected with a long ball over the Chievo defence and, after shrugging off his marker, unleashed a ferocious strike that seared into the Chievo net.
Daniele De Rossi made it 2-0 to the Giallorossi in injury time of the first half. Pizarro laid the ball down for the Italian international midfielder at around 30 yards from the Chievo goal and the 26-year-old blasted the ball from there straight into the net.
The second half started at a slow tempo with Roma having done enough to bag maximum points. Moreover, Inter were drawing 0-0 with Siena in Tuscany, implying that at the moment Ranieri’s side were winning the Scudetto.
However, this led to Chievo taking the initiative in the opening minutes of the second session with Luca Ariatti trying his luck from 25 yards but his shot was deflected for a corner.
Three minutes later Roma goalkeeper Julio Sergio made a good save when he punched the ball away from under his own crossbar.
News of Inter’s goal had arrived and this appeared to take the spring out of the Roma players; Chievo continued to peck at them.
On the hour mark Siqueira Luciano went on a mazy run through half of the Roma side and attempted to send Pellissier through, but Julio Sergio intervened.
However, four minutes later in the 64th minute the visiting side burst into action when Vucinic subtly tried to slide the ball through to Totti but Francesco Scardina intercepted.
In the 66th minute the Giallorossi created another chance to score their third goal of the match when Totti played Vucinic through on goal. Squizzi blocked the initial shot and Totti couldn’t get a proper control of the ball when the rebound fell for him.
Chances came few and far between from then on. Erjon Bogdani tried to test Julio Sergio with a header in the 74th minute as he rose above Juan, but he couldn’t keep his header on target.
In the 79th minute Vucinic tried to clip the ball into the Chievo box but it was headed clear.
The final minutes wore down without any meaningful action taking place and it finished 2-0 to Roma. But Inter’s 1-0 win in Siena means that the Giallorossi have to remain satisfied with second place.
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