Serie A: Roma split points at Chievo; Parma resume play with draw
MILAN -- Roma was held 0-0 Sunday at Chievo Verona as the capital side's title hopes took another blow in a Serie A match which was marred by a gruesome injury to youngster Federico Mattiello.
The 19-year-old Mattiello, who is on loan at Chievo from Juventus, was stretchered off in tears after breaking his leg in a clash with Radja Nainggolan.
It was Roma's eighth draw in nine league matches and left it eight points behind Juventus, which hosts Sassuolo on Monday.
Third-place Napoli has the chance to close the gap on Roma to two points when it hosts Inter Milan later.
Elsewhere, crisis-hit Parma played again after postponing two matches. The financially-stricken club drew 0-0 at home to Atalanta, in Edy Reja's first match in charge of the visitors.
Also, Empoli drew 1-1 with Genoa, Udinese beat Torino 3-2 and Cesena drew 0-0 with Palermo.
Mattiello was injured in the 16th minute at Verona. Video images from the game showed the bottom half of the midfielder's right leg bending and initial reports said he has broken both his tibia and fibula.
Mattiello was carried off to a standing ovation from the fans and the benches off both teams. It was only his third appearance for Chievo after joining from Juventus in January, but he has impressed and was regarded as one of Italy's promising talents.
Players from both teams were visibly shaken by the injury and the match took a while to get going again after the restart.
Roma should have taken the lead at the end of the first half following a great counterattack from Juan Iturbe, who found Gervinho. The Ivory Coast midfielder raced down the right but his effort scraped the outside of the far post.
Chievo also had chances with Valter Birsa firing wide from a good position and Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis twice denying Riccardo Meggiorini.
It was a valuable point for Chievo, which moved six points away from the relegation zone.
Atalanta was four points off the bottom three after drawing at Parma.
Parma has been sold twice this season and wages have gone unpaid for months. Its previous two matches - at home with Udinese and at Genoa - were postponed indefinitely because the club couldn't pay for basic services such as security and electricity.
However, the league voted to give Parma a 5-million euro ($5.5 million) emergency fund Friday to help the club finish the season.
There were banners displayed at the stadium against current owner Giampietro Manenti as well as the Italian football federation and the league.
It was a new start for Atalanta too after it sacked Stefano Colantuono on Wednesday, replacing him with Reja. The former Lazio and Napoli coach was sent to the stands in the 63rd minute for dissent.
Parma winger Cristian Rodriguez was also sent off, three minutes from time, following a second booking.
Empoli continued its push for survival as it extended its unbeaten run to six, denting Genoa's hopes of qualifying for Europe.
Genoa took the lead in the 27th when M'Baye Niang muscled his way into the left side of the penalty area and fired into the far bottom corner for his third goal in as many matches.
Empoli leveled with a somewhat bizarre equalizer as it was not entirely clear whether Mirko Valdifiori's corner had already gone over the line before Federico Barba ensured it went in.
Torino's 12-game unbeaten streak ended despite taking the lead when former Udinese striker Fabio Quagliarella headed in Alexander Farnerud's cross.
Antonio Di Natale leveled moments later and Udinese took the lead in the 27th when Panagiotis Kone's header from a corner went in off the arm of Torino's Cristian Molinaro.
Quagliarella hit the post shortly before halftime and Molla Wague headed home his first league goal to extend Udinese's lead after the break.
Torino got back into the match in the 69th. A cross was headed out but only as far as Marco Benassi, whose volley was deflected into the net by Ivan Piris. The referee initially appeared to disallow the goal for offside, but changed his mind after consulting with his assistants.
