Catania vs. AS Roma: Final Score 4-1; Excellent performance from Catania gives them all three points

It was a do-or-die game for Catania. It was expected that the elefanti will give everything they got to see off the league's second best team, but no one expected AS Roma to not show up. After conceding only 19 goals throughout the whole Serie A season, Roma allowed four -- the most they'd given up all season -- to a team that scores less than a goal per match.

While Catania remain alive, just three points back of Bologna, who earned a point against Genoa, their win had even bigger implications: defeating Roma meant handing the scudetto to Juventus.

From the start, it was clear Catania were the more dangerous side, hitting Roma with dangerous counter-attacks. Then Mariano Izco recovered the ball deep inside Catania's half, passing it into space for Gonzalo Bergessio, who ran some 20 meters before sending on to Sebastián Leto. His backheel pass found Izco alone at the edge of the box. Izco's powerful shot to the far post left Morgan De Sanctis helpless.

Nine minutes later, in the 35th, Roma lost possession of the ball inside Catania's half. Fabian Rinaudo sent the ball up the left for Lucas Castro to cross for Bergessio. It whizzed over the short Argentine, but Izco was in the right place in the right time. As the Roma defense had left him all alone, it wasn't hard for him to put the ball behind De Sanctis once more.

But two minutes later, Roma pushed their way back into the game. Daniele De Rossi sent a long ball inside the box for Alessandro Florenzi, who headed on to Francesco Totti. The Roma captain had plenty of time to control the ball before driving his shot past Alberto Frison. Replays showed that Florenzi was offside position, but the call stood, putting the score 2-1 at the break.

Just 10 minutes into the second half, Leto fired in a powerful shot, but straight at Roma's keeper. De Sanctis, however, couldn't keep hold of it, and Bergessio was there to tap in. At that point, it was clear Catania were set to take all three points. Sure enough, they even added another 11 minutes from the end. Bergessio's layoff confused the Roma defense and allowed Pablo Barrientos to score the fourth, from distance.