Email
Print
Digg This
ROME, March 15 (Reuters) - AS Roma produced a stunning comeback to beat AC Milan 2-1 and move within three points of Serie A leaders Inter on Saturday.
Second-half substitutes Ludovic Giuly and Mirko Vucinic scored three minutes apart after Milan had taken a deserved lead through Kaka.
Milan, who missed the chance to go above Fiorentina into the fourth Champions League spot, had several chances to wrap up the game before the fightback.
Inter host Palermo on Sunday on the back of a difficult week where they were eliminated from the Champions League by Liverpool.
Coach Roberto Mancini also announced he would be leaving at the end of the season but now looks set to stay after talks with club owner Massimo Moratti.
Roma made sure they could capitalise on any Inter slip up among the uncertainity, but they took their time at the Stadio Olimpico.
Milan had much the better of the first half with Kaka heading wide twice. Francesco Totti, again looking rusty, had one good chance for Roma but screwed wide.
The visitors continued to press early in the second half and were rewarded when Kaka struck Massimo Oddo's pullback into the roof of the net.
The game looked over but Roma boss Luciano Spalletti, who masterminded the defeat of Real Madrid in the Champions League first knockout round, made two inspired substitutions.
Frenchman Giuly introduced himself by pulling the home side level on 78 minutes before Vucinic, who grabbed the winner when Roma won 1-0 at Milan in October, slotted in from Daniele De Rossi's ball.
Roma were infuriated at the end of the first half when a quickly-taken corner was disallowed.
David Pizarro touched the ball at the corner spot before wandering away and leaving Rodrigo Taddei to suddenly appear and run with the ball towards goal. The officials ruled Pizarro's touch had not been adequate.
Earlier sixth-placed Udinese salvaged a 2-2 draw at home to Lazio thanks to Antonio Di Natale's late goal.
Lazio, who have risen to 11th after looking in relegation trouble at the turn of the year, went ahead twice through Tommaso Rocchi and Cristian Ledesma only for Damiano Ferronetti and Italy forward Di Natale to equalise.
