Kovacevic Keeps Juve Ahead of Lazio
ROME, April 9 (Reuters)(DS) - Yugoslav Darko Kovacevic's late strike and a last minute own goal from Massimo Paganin gave Serie A leaders Juventus a dramatic 2-0 win at 10-man Bologna on Sunday.
Until second-half substitute Kovacevic struck in the 88th minute, Juventus looked destined for a goalless draw -- a result that would have left Lazio, 1-0 winners at home to Perugia, just one point behind the Turin side. Instead, Juve bounced back from two successive defeats with a victory that kept them three points clear of Lazio with five matches to play.
AS Roma's hopes of a berth in next season Champions League suffered a severe blow with a 0-0 draw at nine-man Lecce. Roma, without a win in their last five matches, remain
sixth, two points behind AC Milan, in action later at home to Fiorentina, and Inter Milan, beaten 3-0 at Udinese on Saturday. Parma, who drew 2-2 at Torino in another Saturday match, are third, 12 points adrift of the top.
Elsewhere, Verona's first victory at Cagliari in 24 years left the Sardinian side bottom of the table and staring relegation in the face. Bari slipped periously close to the relegation zone thanks to a 2-1 defeat at second-from-bottom Piacenza.
In their previous two matches, Juventus had seen a nine-point lead shrink to three because of a failure to convert possession into goals.
MIDFIELD DOMINATION
For most of the match at Bologna, the same failing looked like continuing to haunt Carlo Ancelotti's side. In the first half, Edgar Davids and Zinedine Zidane dominated midfield, but strikers Filippo Inzaghi and Alessandro Del Piero both spurned chances to put the visitors in front. Del Piero has now not scored in open play since 1998.
Even after Bologna defender Giulio Falcone was sent off in the 70th minute for a second bookable offence, Juve's front line, reinforced by substitutes Kovacevic and Argentine Juan Esnaider, rarely looked capable of taking advantage.
But with two minutes remaining, Kovacevic, rarely fielded in Serie A despite a prolific record in Europe, finally found the net. Two minutes later, Paganin deflected a Zidane shot past Pagliuca and Juve's title challenge was back on course.
Like Juventus, Lazio looked set for a frustrating afternoon when they reached halftime without a goal. Pavel Nedved and Fabrizio Ravanelli both came close before Marcelo Salas hit the post when scoring looked easier in the 30th minute.
When captain Alessandro Nesta -- just back from injury -- limped off just before halftime with a pulled muscle, it looked like being a frustrating afternoon for Lazio. But straight after the break, Andrea Mazzantini failed to hold Ravanelli's close-range header and Attilio Lombardo turned in the loose ball for the winner.
