Fiorentina dominated this match and laid siege to the Roma box, but a late Mirko Vucinic strike gave the visitors victory.

These two sides are both targeting a Champions League place this season, but they were in very different periods of form. The Giallorossi were unbeaten in 18 official outings and a win would put them alone in second place, while the Viola had one point from the last three Serie A rounds.

Adrian Mutu was out after failing a drugs test, joining the suspended Felipe and injured Cristiano Zanetti. Roma had ex-Fiorentina hero Luca Toni on the treatment table and Nicolas Burdisso on a ban.

Francesco Totti and David Pizarro exchanged passes and the Chilean flashed a ball across the face of goal, where Mirko Vucinic was just a little too late to make contact.

Smart defending stopped Alberto Gilardino and then Stevan Jovetic from pulling the trigger.

Fiorentina did hit the back of the net when a shot was deflected off a Roma player to reach Juan Manuel Vargas at the back post for an angled drive. Replays suggest it took another deflection off teammate Bolatti and at this point he may well have been inches offside.

Moments later Vargas aimed a cross-shot from distance that Julio Sergio had to palm out from under the crossbar. Vargas was determined to get that goal and a daisy-cutter was palmed away by Julio Sergio for his defender to clean up before Gilardino could pounce.

Juan cleared De Silvestri's cross from Gilardino and Riccardo Montolivo fired the follow-up just wide.

Julio Sergio was under siege, as he had his palms scorched by a Vargas rocket of a volley and the move continued to beat away the long-range strike from Manuel Pasqual.

Gila knocked it down for Jovetic, who hit a half-volley on the bounce that stung Julio Sergio's gloves at the near post.

Fiorentina incredibly failed to score on 41 minutes. It was a counter-attack with four Viola players, Montolivo spread the ball to the unmarked De Silvestri down the right, but the ex-Lazio full-back horribly scuffed well wide!

Roma also had a dangerous counter, but the Rodrigo Taddei cross for Juan was just too long.

At half-time, Claudio Ranieri replaced the tired Totti, who is still recovering from a knee injury, with Julio Baptista. Within 60 seconds the Brazilian had shaken off two tackles to blast over.

Roma looked a different team and wasted a golden opportunity. Baptista released John Arne Riise down the left channel and he pulled it back from the byline for Vucinic, who scuffed the shot from eight yards!

At the other end, Gilardino sprung the offside trap from a Jovetic assist and Julio Sergio stood his ground to parry with his legs from point-blank range.

A cross was whipped in from the left and struck Alessandro Gamberini on the face without him knowing much about it, although the move had been stopped for Gilardino's push on Philippe Mexes.

Julio Sergio beat away a Jovetic angled drive, while at the end of a long team move Gilardino's looping header was plucked out from under the bar.

Roma also threatened, as Sebastien Frey intercepted the ball before Simone Perrotta could pounce from seven yards. A Vucinic angled drive whistled wide from Baptista's through ball.

Gilardino's powerful header was a little too central and Julio Sergio got behind it. Jovetic rode a Juan tackle at the byline to cross for Gilardino, but the Italian flicked it wide off the outside of his boot.

After all the wasted opportunities by Fiorentina, it was Roma who took their chance to break the deadlock. A corner kick was knocked down for Vucinic to chest and half-volley off the underside of the bar from six yards. It was his first goal since November.

The Viola gave Keirrison his debut along with Mario Alberto Santana in an all-attack formation for the final minutes, but Roma again survived the siege.