ROME – AS Roma earned a hard-fought 2-0 victory in the Derby della Capitale on Sunday against bitter rivals Lazio. The match was played out in front of thousands of empty seats, as fans of both teams staged a protest against increased security measures at the Stadio Olimpico.

  In front of an unusually empty Curva Nord, the former Manchester City striker, Eden Dzeko, earned and converted a penalty to give Roma the lead on the 10-minute mark. However, the decision to award the spot kick was tinged with controversy, as replays showed the initial contact may well have taken place outside the box.

  Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the magnitude of this rivalry, the concession of an early goal seemed to galvanise Lazio, with Felipe Anderson thundering a shot against the crossbar midway through the opening period, but it proved to be Roma who struck the decisive blow after 63 minutes. Gervinho was the quickest to react to a long through ball, and squeezed in a shot at goalkeeper Federico Marchetti’s near post, to seal a memorable victory for the Giallorossi. 

  “We won this game for all the fans, including those who stayed away, who decided not to come, who saw us from home and those who supported us at the hotel,” said Roma star Alessandro Florenzi after the game. “Roma and Lazio have great supporters and it’s a great shame to see the stadium like this. I hope the authorities can sort this out as soon as possible.”

  The victory saw Roma maintain the pressure on leaders Inter Milan who secured a 1-0 victory away at Torino this weekend, and Fiorentina who won 2-0 away at Sampdoria on Sunday. The two sides currently top the table on 27 points, but Roma are snapping at their heels on 26.

  Elsewhere, three victories in their last four matches have seen Juventus go some way to repairing the damage from disastrous early season form. Last year’s Champions League finalists ran out 3-1 winners away at Empoli.