Roma moved into control of their Champions League chase as Gianluca Mancini scored both goals in a 2-0 Derby della Capitale victory over Lazio, a result that lifted Roma into fourth place and left a win against Hellas Verona next weekend as the final step to secure qualification.

The match ended with high tension at Stadio Olimpico, as both Roma and Lazio finished with 10 players after a second-half confrontation, underlining the heated nature of the derby on an evening where Roma celebrated a fourth consecutive league win and kept their local rivals at distance.

Roma’s league position shifted significantly with this result, as the team moved two points clear of Como and Juventus in the Serie A standings, meaning victory over Hellas Verona on the final day will guarantee a Champions League place regardless of other outcomes, adding further weight to Mancini’s contribution in this derby.

Mancini delivered a historic performance for a defender in this rivalry, becoming the first defender ever to score more than once in a single Derby della Capitale, and now has three goals in total against Lazio, with only Inter having conceded more goals to Mancini, with four.

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Since entering Serie A in the 2017-18 season, Mancini has scored 22 league goals, with 16 of those coming from headers, a total that places Mancini level with Bremer for the most headed goals by a defender in the competition during that span and highlights Roma’s set-piece strength in this campaign.

This Derby della Capitale also added another statistical marker, as the dismissals for Nicolo Rovella and Wesley pushed this fixture’s total to 43 red cards in the Serie A three-points-per-win era, more than any other league meeting since the format change in 1994-95.

Roma vs Lazio derby: how the Champions League push unfolded

Roma started on the front foot, with Wesley seeing a low attempt diverted into Alessio Furlanetto’s grasp before Lazio responded when Matteo Cancellieri cut inside and sent a curling shot straight at Mile Svilar, signalling Lazio’s early threat before Roma gained control late in the first half.

The breakthrough arrived five minutes before the interval, when Niccolo Pisilli delivered a corner and Mancini attacked the cross with a powerful header that flew beyond Furlanetto, giving Roma a 1-0 lead at a crucial moment just as Lazio seemed to be settling into the contest.

After the restart, both teams approached the second half carefully, but Roma created the first clear opening when Donyell Malen met a cross with a volley that Furlanetto blocked, and the Lazio goalkeeper then reacted again to push a Paulo Dybala free-kick over the crossbar.

The second goal followed soon after, again from a corner, as Dybala sent the ball into the area and Mancini rose above the Lazio defence to steer another firm header past Furlanetto, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance and effectively sealing the match for Roma.

Celebrations quickly turned into confrontation when players clashed near the penalty area following Mancini’s second goal, with pushing and shoving escalating until the referee showed straight red cards to Nicolo Rovella and Wesley, reducing both Roma and Lazio to 10 players for the remainder of the derby.

Substitute Artem Dovbyk almost gave Lazio a lifeline shortly after coming on, collecting the ball in space before driving a low shot past Svilar, but the attempt struck the base of the post and bounced away, keeping Roma’s clean sheet intact and preserving a comfortable two-goal margin.

Roma leave this Derby della Capitale with a clear route towards the Champions League, a four-match winning run, a new defensive scoring record for Mancini, and a derby that again produced red cards and high drama while setting up a decisive final-day meeting with Hellas Verona.