Totti’s 250th Serie A goal fails to save Roma
MILAN: Roma forward Francesco Totti, who will turn 40 next week, reached another career landmark against England ‘keeper Joe Hart on Sunday when he hit his 250th career goal in Serie A.
Totti, who will celebrate his birthday on Tuesday, came off the bench to help reduce arrears for the visitors when he beat Torino ‘keeper Hart from the spot with a 55th minute penalty.
Two years ago Totti, three days after his 38th birthday, became the oldest player to score in the Champions League when he beat Hart to score a 23rd minute leveller in a 1-1 draw at Manchester City.
It was the Roma icon’s 300th career goal and his first on English soil.
Totti, who has played his entire career at Roma, is in his 25th and likely final season at the Serie A club.
Totti’s goal, however, was not enough to claim a share of the points on this occasion.
Hart, who was forced out at City by new manager Pep Guardiola, was in superb form as the hosts romped to a 3-1 win at the Stadio Olimpico thanks to Andrea Belotti’s early opener and a brace, including one from the spot, from Iago Falque.
GOLDANIGA OWN GOAL HANDS JUVE 1-0 WIN
ROME: An own goal by Palermo’s Edoardo Goldaniga was enough to give Serie A leaders Juventus a 1-0 victory in Sicily on Saturday and remain one point clear of rivals Napoli, 2-0 winners over Chievo Verona.
Brazilian defender Dani Alves, who joined from Barcelona in the close season, fired in from 25 metres with the ball taking a wicked deflection off Goldaniga’s leg to hand champions Juve their fifth win in six league matches in a scrappy encounter.
Juventus, who had crushed Cagliari 4-0 in midweek with Alves on target, struggled with a tight Palermo defence in the first half, with both Gonzalo Higuain and Mario Mandzukic failing to put them ahead with several good scoring chances.
INTER COACH DE BOER BLASTS KONDOGBIA MILAN: Inter Milan’s Geoffrey Kondogbia paid the price for blanking coach Frank De Boer’s instructions with an early exit as Bologna held the misfiring Nerazzurri to a 1-1 draw Sunday.
Kondogbia lost possession in midfield to spark the counter-attack that led to Mattia Destro’s 14th minute opener.
Kondogbia was hauled off and replaced by Assane Gnoukouri on 28 minutes.
Less than 10 minutes later, Ivan Perisic equalised with a superb volley but Inter dropped two precious points to sit four behind leaders
Juventus. Lazio 2 Sassuolo 1
On Saturday Napoli 2 Napoli Inter Roma Lazio 6 6 6 3 3 3 Roma 1 Pescara 1 Bologna 1 Empoli 0 Udinese 0
Chievo 0 2 1 2 1 2 6 1 2 3 11 10 10