The Turin outfit has been hindered by injuries and also failed to find any consistency this season.

But Del Neri believes the win over his former club can be a turning point.

"We handed an important and crucial performance here in Rome," Del Neri said. "I'm not just happy for the result but how the team played.

"With today's result the team can fight for the European qualifying spots, even though it will be very difficult to recover some many points to play in next season's Champions League."

Juve closed the gap on sixth-placed Roma to two points while they are eight points behind Udinese, who hold the last Champions League qualifying spot with seven games remaining.

"We have made mistakes against the smaller teams," Del Neri said. "But we have a team that needs to gain experience and we have a bright future ahead."

Del Neri was excited for goalkeeper Marco Storari, who came in as a late replacement for Gianluigi Buffon.

The Italy captain was ruled out because of a fever and his understudy made a host of saves to frustrate Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.

"I had no doubt that Storari was going to have a great performance," Del Neri said. "He is a great goalkeeper.

"I am sorry whenever I have to keep Storari out of the team but unfortunately a coach has to make choices."

Roma missed the chance to close in on both Udinese and Lazio, with both teams having lost today.

The defeat to Juve was Vincenzo Montella's first league loss as Roma coach.

"I thought we did very well in the first half," Montella said. "But football is made of episodes.

"After (Milos) Krasic had given Juve the lead, we struck the crossbar with Jeremy Menez only for Juve to score again through Alessandro Matri.

"We need to analyse what went wrong.

"Now the game at Udinese will be even more crucial."