ROME: Juventus blew the Serie A title race wide open with a shock 2-0 victory at leader Inter Milan on Saturday night.
The third-placed team produced a remarkable performance to allow AS Roma, who beat Empoli 2-1 at home earlier in the day, to close to within just four points of the champion.
Argentine-born Italy midfielder Mauro Camoranesi opened the scoring four minutes after the break from a suspiciously offside-looking position.
And just past the hour mark French forward David Trezeguet doubled the visitors' advantage to give Juve a lead it never looked like relinquishing.
Portugal midfielder Maniche gave Inter late hope with a consolation goal seven minutes from time and he also hit the post in the dying moments but it wasn't enough.
Juve captain Alessandro Del Piero claimed there was still work to be done by his team.
"We can't dwell on this, we have to keep giving everything in every match," he said. "We can't dwell on what might have been. The right thing to do is keep giving everything."
Roma overcame the loss of Simone Perrotta to a red card early in the second half to keep its title chase alive. It was locked at 1-1 when Perrotta was dismissed, but a goal from veteran defender Cristian Panucci sealed the three points.
Roma coach Luciano Spalletti praised his side for its resilience when down to 10 men.
"It was a great reaction on a heavy pitch with a numerical disadvantage," he said. "In 300 matches as a coach I've never yet had an easy one. Empoli are a good team with young players."
On-loan Juventus youngster Sebastian Giovinco was a constant thorn in Roma's side. He should have put the visitor ahead on 13 minutes when he burst through into the area but he smashed his shot straight at Brazilian goalkeeper Doni, who deflected the ball over the bar.
On 33 minutes he came even closer to giving plucky Empoli the lead with a long-range strike that had Doni rooted to the spot but which cannoned back off the post and away to safety.
Two minutes later Empoli paid the price for its profligacy as Roma took the lead. Captain and talisman Francesco Totti set Max Tonetto running into the box with a clever back-heel and the left-back kept his cool to finish at the near post.
But five minutes after the break Giovinco finally got the goal his performance deserved as he latched on to a cross from the marauding Ignazio Abate to slot home.
Things got worse for Roma as Perrotta was shown a straight red card for tripping Felice Piccolo.
But on 63 minutes the 10 men took the lead as Panucci headed home a free-kick from the left from Chile international David Pizarro.
AC Milan kept up its chase for fourth place and Champions League football next season as it won 1-0 at Torino with a goal from Brazilian teenager Pato.
The 66th-minute strike owed much to the work of Italy international Alberto Gilardino, who moments earlier had seen a shot from seven yards blocked by Torino goalkeeper Alberto Fontana.
But Gilardino got through again and despite falling over, he was up quickly to turn Fontana and beat him with a trickling cross shot that Pato poked over the line from centimeters out.
Torino had a great chance to equalize in the last quarter of an hour but Milan's Australian goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac made a point-blank save from Roberto Stellone.
"We had to win this match at all costs. We have to look at those ahead of us and Fiorentina won," said Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Milan is still fifth, four points behind fourth-placed Fiorentina, which beat Lazio 1-0 in Florence.
Fiorentina came close to scoring when Giampaolo Pazzini headed a pass from Romania forward Adrian Mutu onto the bar midway through the second half.
But on 77 minutes Pazzini finally broke the deadlock as he turned on to a pass from Fabio Liverani and shot low past veteran goalkeeper Marco Ballotta at the near post.
Source: China Daily/Agencies
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