Roma and Riise in ruins but hope springs eternal

Shakhtar Donetsk's Luiz Adriano (L) shoots and scores past AS Roma's Philippe Mexes during their Champions League soccer match at the Olympic stadium in Rome February 16, 2011

Photo: Reuters

"Crisis" and "nightmare" were phrases bandied about by media on Thursday to describe AS Roma's 3-2 defeat by Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, with John Arne Riise's slip for the third goal seen as symptomatic.

The last-16 first leg loss at home came after three games without a win in Serie A while the likely sale of the indebted club to an American consortium has added to the uncertainty surrounding under-fire coach Claudio Ranieri's future.

Ranieri has vowed not to quit and Riise, whose mistake let in Luiz Adriano for the Ukrainians' third on their knockout stage debut, tried to take the blame as Serie A was left reeling again following AC Milan's loss to Tottenham on Tuesday.

"I feel bad, my error was incredible. The fans are angry with me and I say sorry to everyone, team mates included. I don't think we played badly," Norwegian left back Riise, substituted at the break following the mistake, told Sky.

"I was ready to come back on but Ranieri told me I was coming off, I think for the error. I hope the fans know that I always give everything."

Roma took the lead in the 28th minute through midfielder Simone Perrotta's header but Shakhtar equalized a minute later through Jadson's fortunate deflection before fellow Brazilian Douglas Costa netted on 36 minutes.

Following Riise's aberration, Jeremy Menez picked his spot in the top corner after the break to give Roma some hope for the second leg in Ukraine on March 8.

Ranieri was upbeat about the performance and with a 2-0 win in Donetsk being enough to send the Romans through, the doom-mongers are perhaps a little premature despite Roma's eighth place in the Italian league.

New owners will also add impetus, whatever Ranieri's future, and a club the size of Roma can do little more than aspire to reach the Champions League last eight having surprised every fan in Italy with their stunning revival last season.

Whether Riise will be present in Donetsk remains to be seen.

AS Roma's Francesco Totti (L), Paolo Castellini and Nicolas Burdisso (R) react at the end of their Champions League soccer match against Shakhtar Donetsk at the Olympic stadium in Rome February 16, 2011. Shakhtar Donetsk won 3-2

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Inter, Roma clash to stay in Serie A title hunt

37 minutes ago .
Inter Milan's Wesley Sneijder (top) is tackled by AS Bari Kamil Glik during their Serie A match at San Nicola Stadium in Bari, on February 3

Photo: AFP

ROME – Champions Inter Milan and Roma face a crucial clash at the San Siro this weekend as both sides try to stay in the scudetto hunt.

Inter pipped Roma to the title by two points last year as they finished as the top two for the fourth time in five years -- with Inter winning the championship every time.

But this time around both have been left lagging in leaders AC Milan's wake and defeat in Sunday's game could prove terminal for either side's trophy hopes.

With just 15 games left, this would be a bad time to start losing touch with the teams above but Roma club captain Francesco Totti insists there is still a long way to go.

Asked about his own lack of goals this season -- he has scored just three times in 19 league games -- Totti claimed he would soon click into gear.

"There's still a long way to go in the championship and my goals will come," he said.

"It's a vital match, if we get a result on Sunday we'll be able to remain hot on AC Milan's heels, even though right now we're nine points back with a game in hand."

Milan have stumbled several times since the turn of the year but both Roma and third-placed Inter have failed to take full advantage, themselves slipping up when there was the opporunity to close the gap.

However, things are going a lot better for both of them than for Italy's most successful side, Juventus.

Following the disaster of last season when Juve finished seventh and went through two coaches, they spent big in the summer and hired Luigi Delneri to revive the club's fortunes.

Things started out well enough this season but they have completely lost their way since the turn of the year.

Milan travel to Genoa looking to maintain the five-point lead at the top they extended in midweek despite a 0-0 draw at home to Lazio.

Napoli failed to capitalise as they produced a listless display in losing 2-0 at Chievo.

However, they return home to host struggling Cesena on Sunday while Lazio entertain

Chievo.

Fixtures (1400 GMT unless stated):

Sunday

Bologna v Catania (1130), Brescia v Bari, Genoa v AC Milan, Lazio v Chievo, Lecce v Palermo, Napoli v Cesena, Parma v Fiorentina, Inter Milan v Roma (1945)

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Inter look one dimensional again in defeat by Roma

AS Roma's Juan (R) challenges Inter Milan's Diego Milito during their Italian Serie A soccer match the Olympic stadium in Rome September 25, 2010.

Photo: Reuters

ROME - The debate about whether treble winners Inter Milan should have reinforced their squad in the transfer window resurfaced on Saturday when the Italian and European champions succumbed to a 1-0 league defeat at AS Roma.

Mirko Vucinic's injury-time diving header gave Roma their first win of the league campaign and inflicted inconsistent Inter's first Serie A defeat after five games.

New coach Rafael Benitez inherited practically the same side Jose Mourinho led to success last term but the sale of Mario Balotelli and the recruitment of untried youngsters like Coutinho means strikers Samuel Eto'o, Diego Milito and Goran Pandev all play at the same time with little option for change.

"There's no lack of quality alternatives in attack. Players like Milito, Eto'o, Pandev and Coutinho aren't easy to find," Benitez told Sky television in a bid to defend his unit.

"I think we should have had more intensity at the end of the game, we shouldn't have let them cross. But the problem isn't the goal at the end, it's that we had 15 shots on goal and should have scored before."

Montenegro's Vucinic was overjoyed to end Roma's sticky patch at an excitable Stadio Olimpico and avenge August's Italian Super Cup defeat by Inter, who narrowly beat the capital side to the scudetto yet again last term.

"It's a goal that's worth so much to me and to the team," the substitute said. "The most important element tonight was the fans.

"We have won against a very good side. But we know we are a good team."

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