AS Roma maintained their perfect start to the new Serie A season with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Lecce at Via del Mare, extending their winning league run to seven consecutive matches stretching back to last season.
Donyell Malen continued his sensational scoring form with a first-half brace before Matías Soulé added Roma’s third. New signing Rodrigo Mora completed the rout after the break as Gian Piero Gasperini’s side climbed back to the top of the Serie A table.
For football fans in Tanzania following Italian football and the early title race, Roma are quickly emerging as one of the teams to watch this season.
Malen Strikes Early for Roma
Roma arrived in Lecce full of confidence following their 4-0 demolition of Fiorentina in their Serie A opener, and it took just four minutes for the visitors to make their intentions clear.
A costly error from Kialonda Gaspar presented Malen with an opportunity, and the Dutch forward made no mistake, calmly finding the net to give Roma an early 1-0 advantage.
The goal also delivered an impressive milestone. After scoring a hat-trick against Fiorentina, Malen became the first Roma player since Vincenzo Montella in 2004/05 to score four goals across the club’s opening two league matches of a season.
Roma kept pushing forward, with Soulé forcing Wladimiro Falcone into a save as Lecce struggled to contain the visitors’ movement and intensity.
Malen Brace Puts Lecce Under Pressure
Malen wasn’t finished.
Midway through the opening half, Wesley França picked out the forward at the near post, where Malen squeezed his finish beyond Falcone to make it 2-0.
His remarkable start to the campaign has immediately established him as one of Roma’s biggest attacking threats. His pace, positioning and clinical finishing repeatedly caused problems for the Lecce defense.
Rather than chasing his second consecutive Serie A hat-trick, Malen soon turned provider.
Soulé Makes It 3-0
Just two minutes after Roma’s second goal, Malen found Soulé in a dangerous position.
Falcone saved Soulé’s initial attempt, but the Argentine reacted quickest to the rebound and converted to give Roma a commanding 3-0 lead.
Lecce briefly threatened to respond when Willem Geubbels broke through one-on-one, but Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar produced an important save.
Soulé and Malen subsequently went close to extending the advantage before half-time, leaving Lecce fortunate to enter the interval only three goals behind.
Lecce Misses Their Chance to Respond
With Roma firmly in control, the visitors naturally reduced their attacking intensity after the restart.
That allowed Lecce to find a route back into the contest.
Lassana Coulibaly came agonizingly close when his header from a corner struck the post. Mario Hermoso then reacted quickly to clear the danger off the line.
It proved to be Lecce’s best spell of the match.
Roma remained capable of producing another goal whenever they attacked, with Paulo Dybala curling an effort over the crossbar from a promising position.
Rodrigo Mora Opens His Roma Account
Roma eventually found their fourth.
Center-back Gianluca Mancini surged forward before delivering a pass across goal for new signing Rodrigo Mora, who converted a straightforward tap-in to register his first goal for the Giallorossi.
The strike completed another 4-0 victory, meaning Roma have scored eight goals without conceding across their opening two Serie A fixtures.
It was another statement performance from a side beginning to generate genuine excitement about what could be possible this season.
Roma Send Early Serie A Title Warning
Roma’s latest victory extends their Serie A winning sequence to seven consecutive matches, and they have now also won four successive away league games.
Their dominance over Lecce continues too, with the Giallorossi recording a fifth consecutive head-to-head victory.
More importantly, Roma has started the new campaign with two wins, eight goals scored and none conceded.
Gasperini’s men may still have a long season ahead, but their combination of defensive organization and attacking firepower makes them increasingly difficult to ignore in the Serie A title conversation.
For Lecce, the defeat brings them firmly back down to earth. Their hopes of winning the opening two Serie A matches of a season for the first time have ended, and attention must now turn towards producing a response in their next fixture.
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Final Verdict
Lecce 0-4 Roma was another convincing demonstration of Roma’s early-season strength.
Malen once again stole the spotlight with two goals and an assist, while Soulé and Mora completed a comprehensive victory. With eight goals scored, two clean sheets and maximum points from their opening two matches, Roma have made an imposing start.
The season is still young, but if Gasperini’s side can maintain this combination of ruthless finishing and defensive discipline, the Giallorossi could have a significant role to play in this season’s Serie A title race.
