Roma thumps Fiorentina and Cremonese misses chance to boost survival chances
ROME (AP) — Roma scored three times in a commanding first half on its way to a 4-0 win over Fiorentina that boosted its hopes of a top four finish and a Champions League place in Serie A on Monday.
The capital club moved into fifth place, just one point behind Juventus.
Gianluca Mancini headed home the opener from a corner kick after 13 minutes and Wesley added a second five minutes later to put Gian Piero Gasperini’s side in the driving seat.
Mario Hermoso added the third after great set up work by Manu Kone, and Niccolò Pisilli completed the scoring early in the second half.
It was the first league defeat for Fiorentina in eight games. La Viola still need a point to guarantee their Serie A survival and remain in 16th, nine points clear of the relegation zone.
Cremonese relinquished a first-half lead in losing at home to Lazio 2-1, missing a chance to grab crucial points in its fight to avoid relegation.
Cremonese has won only one of its last 21 league matches. It remained third from bottom, four points adrift of safe and 17th-placed Lecce with three games to play.
The home side took the lead in the first half when Federico Bonazzoli’s left-foot shot squirmed under the body of Lazio goalkeeper Edoardo Motta.
Gustav Isaksen brought Lazio level in the second half, and Tijjani Noslin curled in the winner two minutes into stoppage time.
Jamies Vardy made a substitute appearance for Cremonese after missing four games with a muscle strain but he made no difference.
Lazio moved into eighth, two points above Bologna and Sassuolo.
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