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Roma outcast Pellegrini comes in from cold to win derby with Lazio / Photo: Tiziana FABI - AFP
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Roma outcast Pellegrini comes in from cold to win derby with Lazio
Lorenzo Pellegrini fired Roma to victory in the derby with Lazio on Sunday, the former captain coming in from the cold with the only goal in a 1-0 win at a boisterous Stadio Olimpico.
Roman-born Pellegrini lost the captaincy of his boyhood club and was placed on the transfer list over the summer, but he was decisive against Lazio in his first appearance of the season and put Roma fourth in Serie A on nine points.
Sunday's 38th-minute strike was the Pellegrini's fourth in a Rome derby and repaid the faith shown by new coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who started the 29-year-old in one of Roma's biggest games of the season.
Gasperini seemed to have frozen out Pellegrini who has 36 caps for Italy but on Saturday hinted at a place in the derby, while making it clear the player was on borrowed time unless he "becomes an athlete and starts running".
Lazio are stuck on three points from their first four matches of the season but could have easily come away with a point from a typically tense derby, even after losing Reda Belahyane to a straight red card.
Matteo Guendouzi made matters worse for 13th-placed Lazio when he was sent off for a rant at officials after the final whistle.
The only serious efforts before Pellegrini's winner were from distance by Pedro and Mattia Zaccagni, the latter tipped over by Mile Svilar just before the half hour.
Lazio's Nicolo Rovella burst down the right and sent across a teasing low cross which dribbled in front of the Roma goal but was too far away from his onrushing teammates.
Pellegrini stroked home his first goal since January after Devyne Rensch robbed a dozing Nuno Tavares and Matias Soule perfectly fed the Italy international for a first-time finish.
Roma pressed high in the hope of forcing mistakes from Lazio but it was the nominal away team who left a huge gap through which Boulaye Dia charged in the 54th minute only to blast over when one-on-one with Svilar.
Dia's replacement Valentin Castellanos then whizzed a deflected effort just wide, before Danilo Cataldi came within millimetres of snatching a draw in stoppage time when his curling effort struck the outside of the post.
Roma held out and claimed bragging rights in the Eternal City, as well as moving to within a point of league leaders Juventus.
J.Hall--SMC
