In-form AS Roma maintained the pressure on Serie A leaders Inter Milan with a confident 2-0 win at Napoli yesterday.

Simone Perrotta's early finish and Francesco Totti's second-half penalty put second-placed Roma six points behind Inter, who beat Reggina 2-0 on Saturday having suffered their first defeat of the league campaign at Napoli last weekend.

Roma, who dumped Real Madrid out of the Champions League in midweek to progress to the quarter-finals, went ahead after just two minutes when Totti took advantage of a defensive mistake to play in Italy midfielder Perrotta.

The captain extended their lead in the imposing San Paolo atmosphere with a spotkick on 49 minutes after Brazilian defender Cicinho had gone down easily in the box.

Mid-table Napoli, who beat Juventus at home as well as Inter, had the ball in the net twice in the second half but Marek Hamsik's strike was disallowed for offside and Maurizio Domizzi was booked for handling the ball.

Juve are seven behind Roma in third after Zdenek Grygera was the unlikely hero in a 2-0 win at Genoa in the late game.

The Czech Republic defender, playing in the unusual role of left back for Juve, smashed in from the edge of the area on 25 minutes and then set up David Trezeguet for the second.

Wonder how

Fifth-placed AC Milan, eliminated from the Champions League by Arsenal on Tuesday, left it late to win 3-1 at struggling Empoli and are now just a point behind Fiorentina in fourth, who lost 1-0 at inconsistent Siena.

Alexandre Pato gave Milan the lead but Empoli, third-from-bottom, equalised through Antonio Busce and looked set to snatch a vital point before Massimo Ambrosini powered in a header four minutes from time and Kaka scored on a breakway.

"100 percent, Ancelotti will stay even if we go in the UEFA Cup," Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani told Sky after a difficult week for coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Fiorentina were missing several forwards through injury or suspension but they will still wonder how they lost at Siena after striker Giampaolo Pazzini missed from five metres out.

Siena striker Massimo Maccarone made him pay when he lashed in a fierce free kick 10 minutes from time only to be sent off for a second booking after his over-exuberant celebrations.

Fiorentina are now four behind Juventus.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily March 10, 2008)