Roma edge out Cagliari as Napoli also win

MILAN (Reuters) - Second-placed AS Roma ended their run of four successive draws when they ground out a barely-deserved 2-1 win at Gianfranco Zola's Cagliari in Serie A on Sunday and Inter Milan managed only their third league win under Roberto Mancini.

Adem Ljajic and Leandro Paredes scored in each half for Roma, who are still seven points adrift of leaders Juventus after the Turin side beat AC Milan 3-1 on Saturday.

Inter bounced back from three successive defeats in all competitions to beat Palermo 3-0 and are joint ninth alongside neighbours AC Milan, Genoa and Sassuolo.

Third-placed Napoli beat Udinese 3-1 at home with the visitors' striker Cyril Thereau scoring at both ends.

Roma went ahead eight minutes before the break when Daniele Verde chipped the ball over the Cagliari defence into the path of Ljajic, who fired into the roof of the net.

The Sardinians, one point and one place above the relegation zone, dominated the second half and Duje Cop should have levelled but instead skied his effort with only Morgan De Sanctis to beat.

Instead, Paredes wrapped up the points when he met Verde's cross with a volley which went in off the foot of the post, the Argentine midfielder's first goal for the club since his move from Boca Juniors in July.

Paul-Jose M'Poku pulled one back in stoppage time.

Napoli flew into a two-goal lead in 21 minutes through Dries Mertens and Manolo Gabbiadini, but Thereau brought Udinese back into the game before the half hour, only to turn a Mertens ball into his own goal in the second half.

Fredy Guarin headed Inter ahead from a corner in the 16th minute and Mauro Icardi added two more in the last half hour as Inter chalked up only their third win in 11 outings since Mancini returned for a second stint in November.

Manual Pasqual scored a late goal to give Fiorentina a 3-2 win over Atalanta as Mohamed Salah made his debut for the hosts following his move from Chelsea.

Davide Zappacosta put Atlanta ahead but Jose Basanta and Alessandro Diamanti turned the game around for Fiorentina. Richmond Boakye levelled with seven minutes to go before Pasqual scored an 89th-minute winner.

Both goals came in the opening 10 minutes as Sampdoria drew 1-1 at home to Sassuolo, Francesco Acerbi giving the visitors a second-minute lead and Eder levelling seven minutes later while Empoli beat relegation-threatened Cesena 2-0.

Sampdoria and Fiorentina are joint fourth with 35 points. Juventus have 53 with Roma on 46 and Napoli on 42.

(Writing by Brian Homewood in Berne, editing by Mark Meadows and Pritha Sarkar)