Brighi hits a brace to send irrepressible Roma second

Unstoppable Roma roared back up to second in Serie A after a 3-1 home success against Palermo extended their unbeaten run to 20 games yesterday.

Claudio Ranieri's team have now won 17 and drawn three of their last 20 matches in all competitions and show no signs of letting up.

Brighi scored a brace while Brazilian substitute Julio Baptista and Norway left-back John Arne Riise added the others with Fabrizio Miccoli scoring a late consolation for the Sicilians from the spot.

But this victory, much like Roma's 1-0 win away to Fiorentina last week, owed as much to early resilience as later brilliance.

In Florence, Roma had been outplayed for almost the entire game before picking their hosts' pockets with a late winner.

And yesterday they were second best throughout the first half but still turned around with a 1-0 lead at the interval.

Palermo had much to play for knowing they could move into the Champions League places with a win but they could not match Roma's clinical finishing.

There was a touch of fortune about their opener on 33 minutes as Francesco Totti's corner found Brighi just inside the area and his volley looked like it might drift wide but Cesare Bovo got his head on it and diverted the ball past his goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu.

Palermo hit back and Fabio Liverani's cross to the back post found Edison Cavani whose volley from a tight angle was kicked away by Julio Sergio.

Moments later the Brazilian stopper tipped another shot from the Uruguayan forward away at full stretch. Miccoli then curled a free-kick just past the near post with the unsighted Sergio a static spectator.

Palermo came out for the second period fired up but soon fell further behind when Brighi teed up Baptista, who had replaced Totti at the break. And just after the hour mark Brighi surprised Sirigu from distance to make it 3-0.

Ten minutes from time Palermo got on the scoresheet from a controversial penalty as Rodrigo Taddei was penalised for a foul on Javier Pastore that appeared suspiciously outside the box.

But then, just three minutes later, Riise settled any doubts as he met David Pizarro's cross at the far post and thrashed a shot into the roof of the net.

Samp fourth

Sampdoria moved above Napoli and Palermo into fourth spot after Franco Semioli and Giampaolo Pazzini headed in against their former side to secure a 2-0 home win over Fiorentina, last night.

It was Sampdoria's fourth straight victory without the injured Antonio Cassano, who almost joined the Florence club last month.

Fiorentina, who have sunk to 11th after a poor run, lost Alessandro Gamberini and Mario Santana to injury in the first half and must pick themselves up for Wednesday's Champions League last 16 first-leg at Bayern Munich.