Claudio Ranieri’s greatest victory since taking over his childhood club for the third time came Sunday when Roma defeated local rivals Lazio 2-0. In a tense match at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Alexis Saelemaekers scored goals in eight minutes of the first half to give Roma the victory. With 23 points, Ranieri’s squad is up to 10th place, 12 points behind Lazio, who are in last place in the Champions League, but they have some breathing room now that they are out of the relegation zone.

Lecce, who are just within the bottom three and drew 0-0 with Genoa earlier on Sunday, is six points behind Roma as Ranieri gradually turns the capital club around.
When the 73-year-old took over as Roma’s third coach of the season in November, the team was in such turmoil that relegation was a serious possibility.
However, Sunday’s performance was another indication that a gifted team is beginning to show its individuality following an encouraging draw against AC Milan.
However, Lazio valiantly fought to come back into the game after the interval, while Roma found themselves stranded in their own half.
Just before the hour, Loum Tchaouna’s scuffed finish bounced against the crossbar, and both Valentin Castellanos and the incredible Nuno Tavares came close to regaining the lead.
Following a pitchside altercation that led to a heartbreaking loss for Lazio, the referee sent Castellanos off deep in stoppage time.
Nine minutes into his unexpected start in Roma’s attack with Paulo Dybala and Artem Dovbyk, Pellegrini scored his first goal. Despite being a local lad and the club captain, the 28-year-old had been unpopular and frequently jeered by supporters.
Enraged supporters had accused Pellegrini, a Boyhood Roma fan, of being one of a group of players that lobbied for Daniele De Rossi’s dismissal in September.
However, after a quick breakaway, he superbly scored his first league goal of the season and kissed the emblem of his beloved club.
After Paulo Dybala put Saelemaekers through, he forced a superb save from Ivan Provedel and then tapped home the rebound to give Roma an unexpected early two-goal lead eight minutes later.
When Stephan El Shaarawy replaced Pellegrini halfway through the second half, he received a standing ovation, indicating that he had won back supporters and that things are starting to return to normal after the season’s dreadfully poor first half.
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