PESCARA: AS Roma’s Mohamed Salah scored a slick second-half brace in a 4-1 win at Pescara on Monday which kept alive their faint hopes of catching Serie A leaders Juventus and condemned their opponents to relegation.

Second-placed Roma are eight points behind Juve with five matches to play including a meeting between the pair at the Stadio Olimpico, although the Turin giants remain firmly on course for a record sixth consecutive scudetto.

Bottom side Pescara are down after one season in the top flight as the defeat left them 15 points adrift of 17th-placed Empoli, the team immediately above the drop zone, but with a worse head-to-head record which is the deciding factor if two teams finish level on points.

Roma moved four points clear of third-placed Napoli in the race for Italy’s second automatic slot in nesxt season’s Champions League group stage.

“This was a crucial win for us,” Roma coach Luciano Spalletti told Mediaset Premium. “The lads deserve to finish in second place and with five games remaining Napoli remain a threat.”

The only sour note for Roma was that Edin Dzeko, Serie A’s joint leading scorer with 25 goals, reacted angrily to being substituted in the second half and refused to shake coach Spalletti’s hand.

Reports claimed Dzeko told Spalletti: “You’re trying to be clever again, eh?”

But Spalletti was quick to calm suggestions sparks flew in the dressing room, adding: “We went back to the dressing room, we saw each other and we made up.

“If he knew why I did it, then he’d understand. We have three key games coming up and we can’t do without him. He’s the only centre-forward I have.”

Roma took control in the 43rd minute, with Kevin Strootman breaking the deadlock after Stephan El Shaarawy unselfishly rolled the ball across the area.

Radja Nainggolan, who earlier hit the bar, doubled Roma’s lead two minutes later.

Three minutes into the second half, Salah curled home a delightful effort from the edge of the area and the Egyptian struck again on the hour, finishing off a counter-attack.

Ahmed Benali pulled one back for the Dolphins, who will play in Serie B next season, with seven minutes left.

His goal took the weekend’s tally to a remarkable 48 goals in 10 matches, the highest for a single round in Serie A since October 1992.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2017