Milan - A late own goal from Cicinho late Saturday followed an earlier effort from Roma captain Francesco Totti, allowing Bologna to clinch a 1-1 draw before their home crowd. Totti celebrated his 400th Serie A game with a goal that put his side ahead, but was not enough to clinch three points.
Roma closed a run of four straight defeats and remain rather far from the top with eight points notched from 11 games, a position they can improve through a game in hand against Sampdoria.
Own goal aside, their game improved decidedly as did their morale after beating Chelsea 3-1 in a mid-week Champions League tie.
Bologna lie third-last on seven points, but displayed an unusual grit under new Serbian coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, a former star defender with Lazio and Inter Milan who this week began his coaching career taking over from Daniele Arrigoni.
Mihajlovic cheered on his men took as they took off at a good speed, but failed to seriously threaten the Rome guests and seemed to have tired out when they tried to level Totti's 68th-minute goal.
On eight minutes, the hosts' striker Marco Di Vaio fumbled an inviting ball after Roma's Brazilian goalkeeper Alexander Doni managed to parry a fast drive from Davide Marchini.
Roma's first actions took shape around the half hour with Montenegro's Mirko Vucinic missing two chances and Matteo Brighi seeing his shot saved by a Francesco Antonioli.
On 40 minutes Di Vaio saw his swerving drive fly high as Bologna closed a first half that saw them hold the upper hand.
The game's pace slowed down after the break and on 62 minutes the in-form Di Vaio pounced on a cross, but was anticipated by Doni.
The Brazilian goalkeeper hurt his head in the clash and left the pitch for his compatriot Artur, who debuted in the Italian Serie A.
A few minutes later, Totti controlled a cross from Max Tonetto on the right flank, had the best of three defender and slammed a smashing shot that Antonioli had no chance to deflect.
Roma seemed able to control the hosts' equalizing efforts, but squandered two points when Cicinho dove to clear a cross and stunned his goalkeeper with one minute left.
Earlier Saturday, Torino edged visiting Palermo 1-0 Saturday in a pulsating game at Turin's Stadio Olimpico through a late goal from second-half Austrian substitute Juergen Saumel.
Torino had notched three points from their last six games and moved clear of the lower reaches on 11 points, while Palermo remain safe on 16.
The weekend's top-billing game Sunday afternoon pits Inter Milan against visiting Udinese, both on 21 points and hoping for a slip-up from 22-point leaders AC Milan, who late Sunday visit promoted Lecce.
