Roma go clear at the top

Francesco Totti scored twice as Roma powered five points clear at the top of the standings with a 3-0 win over Inter Milan.

Roma further enhanced their status as serious Serie A title contenders as a blistering first-half display swept aside Inter Milan 3-0 at the San Siro and extended their perfect start to the season. Francesco Totti, still going strong at 37, scored twice to put the visitors in control, the second a penalty, and Alessandro Florenzi added a third before the break. Andrea Ranocchia had a goal ruled out for Inter midway through the second half and Roma played the last 11 minutes with 10 men following a red card for Federico Balzaretti. But this was a huge statement of intent from Roma as they made it seven wins from seven to move five points clear at the top of the table. Napoli and Juventus will both aim to reduce that gap when they play on Sunday, but this season is the capital club's best chance to win the Scudetto for the first time in 12 years. Fourth-placed Inter are now seven points off the pace. Roma started well and might have gone ahead after seven minutes when Gervinho burst past Juan into the area only to shoot wide. At the other end Morgan De Sanctis kept out Saphir Sliti Taider's shot at the near post. The visitors went in front in the 18th minute as Gervinho picked out Totti on the edge of the area and the Roma captain picked out the bottom left corner with a pin-point shot. Inter looked to respond and Fredy Guarin fired against a post before De Sanctis had to be alert to keep out a Ricky Alvarez header. Taider then fired narrowly over before Roma ended the half with a flourish. First in the 39th minute, Alvaro Pereira brought down the influential Gervinho in the area and Totti drilled home the resulting penalty. Totti was involved again five minutes later, feeding Kevin Strootman, who crossed for Florenzi to fired into the top corner. At 3-0 down Inter looked dead and buried, but they tried to rally after the break. Alvarez shot wide two minutes after the restart before Florenzi brought a smart save out of Samir Handanovic after linking up again with Strootman. Taider shot wide before Andrea Ranocchia netted only to see with effort ruled out for a foul on the goalkeeper. Handanovic denied Gervinho as the Ivorian looked to put Roma further clear, while his opposite number De Sanctis denied Mauro Icardi after the Inter man latched on to Balzaretti's back header. Balzaretti's evening ended early when he received a second yellow card for a foul on Alvarez, but Inter's hopes had already been extinguished.