Roma beat Genoa 1-0 to move into Champions League places

Genoa remained seven points above the relegation zone after its second loss in three matches. It had only lost one of the previous 10 since Davide Ballardini replaced Rolando Maran as coach.

Gianluca Mancini’s bullet header helped Roma beat Genoa 1-0 to move back into fourth place in Serie A on Sunday.

Roma's Lorenzo Pellegrini, foreground is challenged by Genoa's Gianluca Scamacca during the Serie A soccer match between Roma and Genoa at the Rome Olympic Stadium Sunday, March 7, 2021. (AP)

Mancini scored the only goal of the match in the 24th minute as Roma moved a point above fifth-place Atalanta, which visits Serie A leader Inter Milan on Monday. The top four from Serie A qualify for next year's Champions League.

Second-place AC Milan was playing at Hellas Verona later.

Genoa remained seven points above the relegation zone after its second loss in three matches. It had only lost one of the previous 10 since Davide Ballardini replaced Rolando Maran as coach.

Roma dominated and broke the deadlock when Mancini rose highest in the middle of the area to head a Lorenzo Pellegrini corner into the top right side of the net.

Roma almost doubled its lead in the 67th but Gonzalo Villar’s effort was deflected onto the right post by Genoa midfielder Ivan Radovanović.

The hosts did have the ball in the back of the net shortly after. Pedro’s backheeled flick came off the left post and Borja Mayoral turned in the rebound but it was ruled out for a narrow offside.

Genoa fought hard for the equalizer until the end but struggled to create opportunities of note.