Roma stumble to end Champions League hopes

Roma all but crashed out of contention for a place in Europe next season with a limp performance in a 2-2 draw at home to Catania on Saturday.

With rumours abounding that Spanish coach Luis Enrique will be replaced by former Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas at the end of the season, this was hardly the way Roma would have wanted to end their home campaign.

Goals from Francesco Lodi, from the spot, and Giovanni Marchese were sandwiched between a Francesco Totti brace for the hosts.

It was the emblematic club captain's 500th Serie A appearance for the giallorossi but he also missed an early penalty.

And the 35-year-old took the blame for the dropped points while giving his backing to Enrique.

"It's a useless point, we didn't win and it's all my fault because I missed the penalty," he said.

"I'm taking the responsibility of the captain because that's the way it should be.

"I hope he (Enrique) stays because I think he's a great coach and we need to give him time.

"Nearly everyone has messed up in their first year at Roma."

Roma are now mathematically out of Champions League contention and are two points behind the final Europa League place, but they have just one match left while the teams above them will all play twice.

Roma were awarded a controversial penalty early on when Catania goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo was adjudged to have fouled Fabio Borini in the box.

Carrizo had spilled Pablo Osvaldo's cross but then punched the loose ball clear as Borini charged in.

The pair collided and the referee pointed to the spot.

Justice was done in the eyes of the visitors, though, as Carrizo saved Totti's poor spot-kick before the veteran forward embarrassingly blazed the rebound over the bar.

However, he was not to be denied a goal on his 500th league appearance as he bent a left-foot shot from 20 yards into the bottom corner on 52 minutes with Carrizo seemingly unsighted.

Just five minutes later Gabriel Heinze brought down Pablo Barrientos in the Roma area and the Sicilians were awarded a penalty.

Lodi made no mistake and 10 minutes later, from another set-piece, he provided the cross for Marchese to fire home.

It was Totti's day, though, and he grabbed his second 13 minutes from time as he arrived 15 yards out to slot home Miralem Pjanic's low cross.