Playing against his former club, the striker took full advantage of an error from Cristian Chivu early on to slot the ball home at the Stadio Olimpico and earn his team three points that sends them three points clear of the drop zone.

Gianni De Biasi's side headed into the game knowing they could have fallen into the bottom three if they failed to win, but gave 100% as they managed to claim an all-important victory.

The Turin club had taken a meagre two points out of a possible 18 before last weekend's 1-0 triumph over already-relegated Ascoli, but their luck looked to have turned since that win and they were handed an early gift by Romanian Chivu.

The defender looked to have taken too much time on the ball and was robbed by Muzzi in the 14th minute before the Italian drove forward and slotted the ball beyond goalkeeper Gianluca Curci from close range.

Rodrigo Taddei then responded for the hosts with his shot from inside the penalty area, which was inches wide, before Max Tonetto's 18-yard volley flew into the crowd as Roma sought an equaliser.

In the 33rd minute, they almost found one, the same pair combining as Tonetto crossed from the left for Taddei in the centre of the penalty area and his arrowing header bounced back of the cross-bar.

Ricardo Faty then hit a wayward effort before a neat one-two between Tonetto and captain Francesco Totti ended with a fine block from Toro defender Gianluca Comotto.

On the stroke of half time, Mirko Vucinic outsprinted three opposing players before his cross was miscontrolled by Serie A leading scorer Totti as the home team looked short of ideas.

A trip to the dressing room failed to inspire Luciano Spalletti's team and they again lacked sharpness in the second 45 minutes.

Immediately after the break. Simone Perrotta tried his luck with a right-footed effort from outside the penalty area, which was straight at Christian Abbiati.

Totti then spun away from two defenders, but failed to keep his shot down before substitutes Alessandro Mancini and Aleandro Rosi combined with the latter firing in another wayward strike.

Roma are forced to play the last seven minutes with 10 men as Marco Cassetti had to leave the field through injury with the coach already having used his three changes.

However, they almost earned a point in injury time, Cristian Panucci playing in Vucinic, whose eight-yard shot caught the wrong side of the left upright as the ball went wide.