AS Roma cruised past Genoa 3-1 at the Stadio Olimpico and climbed into the top half of Serie A courtesy of a sixth successive home win.
The Giallorossi were accustomed to flying starts at the Stadio Olimpico - netting an opener inside 13 minutes in their last three here - and Paulo Dybala almost continued that run with a ferocious free-kick that thumped the crossbar after nine minutes.
However, the Giallorossi didn’t have to wait too much longer for their opener, which came mid-way through the first half as Lorenzo Pellegrini’s volley was saved by Nicola Leali but Artem Dovbyk was lurking inside the six-yard area to easily finish his fifth goal in six games.
Just as the hosts started to push for a second, they were pegged back after a well-worked Genoa corner saw Fabio Miretti pick out Patrizio Masini inside the area and the midfielder unleashed a first-time volley low into the net past a helpless Mile Svilar.
Suddenly, Roma was in danger of going into halftime behind in Serie A for the first time since November when Alessandro Zanoli raced behind the Giallorossi’s defence but the midfielder failed to capitalize and his indecisive cross was cleared.
Roma again bossed affairs following the resumption as their search for restoring that lead, thus securing a sixth consecutive home triumph was desperate and the Giallorossi were convinced that they should have been awarded a spot-kick after the ball had struck the hand of Stefano Sabelli inside the box but these appeals were waved away by the referee Luca Zufferli.
The hosts' frustrations were short-lived though as substitute Stephan El Shaarawy fired Roma back in front with a pinpoint curling effort from 20 yards that nestled into the bottom corner.
Claudio Ranieri’s outfit then wrapped up the points with a late third after Genoa failed to clear Manu Koné’s cross and Paulo Dybala pounced to lift the ball over Leali and into the net.
The Ranieri effect continues at Roma as the Giallorossi are now just five points off the Serie A's European qualification positions after a five-match unbeaten run.
Patrick Vieira's side showed glimpses of an upset at the Stadio Olimpico but were eventually outplayed and the Frenchman suffered just his second defeat in nine games in charge of the Rossoblu"