Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Parma’s rise up the Serie A table and away from the relegation zone continues to gather pace, and once again Alessandro Circati has played a major role in their latest win.
The 22-year-old Socceroos defender got another full game under his belt in the 2-1 triumph against last-placed Hellas Verona on Sunday (Monday AEDT).
It was Circati’s 20th appearance from 24 league games this campaign, having overcome serious knee and ankle injuries since late 2024, and leaves him a certainty to be selected by Australia boss Tony Popovic for the World Cup.
Verona played with 10 men from the 11th minute after Gift Orban was shown a straight red card.
Spanish midfielder Adrian Bernabe had put the home side ahead on four minutes, but Circati gave the visitors a lifeline when he gave away a penalty which was converted in the 43rd minute.
Argentine striker Mateo Pellegrino scored Parma’s winner three minutes into second-half added time, lifting them to consecutive victories and 12th on 29 points – eight clear of the drop zone.
“We kept attacking right up until the end … we knew we had to be patient,” Parma coach Carlos Cuesta said.
“It wasn’t easy, but in the end the boys’ persistence and maturity in breaking down such a well-organised block paid off.”
In Naples, Donyell Malen scored his second brace in a row for Roma, but the hosts twice came from behind to salvage a 2-2 draw.
The result kept Napoli (49) in third place, three points ahead of Roma.
Malen, the Dutch forward who signed on loan from Aston Villa in the winter transfer window, opened the scoring in the seventh minute, then converted a 71st-minute penalty in Roma’s only two attempts on target.
Leonardo Spinazzola scored for Napoli in the 40th and substitute Alisson Santos levelled in the 82nd with a right-footed shot from distance.
Elsewhere, eighth-placed Bologna ended a four-game losing streak in the league with a 2-1 victory over 14th-placed Torino.
Mid-table Sassuolo, for whom Australian Cristian Volpato came on as a late substitute, picked up their third win in four matches by beating Udinese 2-1, while Cremonese and Genoa drew 0-0.
Leaders Inter Milan beat fifth-placed Juventus 3-2 on Saturday, increasing the gap on second-placed rivals AC Milan to eight points.
