Two quick-fire goals set AS Roma on its way to a 7-0 home trashing of bottom-placed Empoli in Serie A on Sunday for Jose Mourinho’s side’s first win of the 2023-24 season.
Paulo Dybala gave Roma the lead, converting from the spot in the second minute after a penalty was awarded for a handball, before Renato Sanches doubled the advantage in the eighth, nodding home a cushioned cross by Rasmus Kristensen.
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Empoli’s Alberto Grassi made it 3-0 to Roma with an own goal in the 35th minute, and Dybala scored his second of the night after the break, placing a low finish inside the bottom left corner.
Bryan Cristante, Romelu Lukaku and Gianluca Mancini completed the rout with a goal each in the final 11 minutes.
The victory lifted Roma out of the relegation zone to 12th on four points from four games. Empoli remain bottom of the table with no points or goals.
Bonaventura scores stunner
Giacomo Bonaventura scored a stunning goal against his hometown club to help Fiorentina beat Atalanta 3-2 in Serie A on Sunday.
Fiorentina’s Giacomo Bonaventura, second left, scores the side’s first goal of the match during the Serie A match between Fiorentina and Atalanta at the Artemio Franchi stadium in Florence, Italy. | Photo Credit: Massimo Paolone/ AP
Fiorentina was trailing to Teun Koopmeiners’ strike when Nicolás González nodded down a long ball into the box and Bonaventura controlled it with his boot before turning and volleying into the far side of the net in one marvelous move.
Bonaventura, who progressed through the ranks at Atalanta before leaving in 2014 for AC Milan, celebrated wildly.
And Fiorentina turned the match around completely on the stroke of halftime when Lucas Martínez Quarta headed in Alfred Duncan’s cross.
Ademola Lookman equalized eight minutes after the break with a fine strike but substitute Christian Kouamé scored what was to prove the winner in the 76th following some poor defending by Atalanta.
Best Start for Frosinone
Frosinone fought back from two goals down to beat Sassuolo 4-2 and record its best-ever start to a Serie A season.
Former Frosinone forward Andrea Pinamonti’s brace had put the visitors 2-0 up in the 24th minute but Walid Cheddira won and converted a penalty in first-half stoppages to get his side back into the match.
Luca Mazzitelli netted twice in six minutes in the second half and Pol Lirola sealed the match against his old club.
Frosinone, which also hit the woodwork twice, has seven points from its opening four matches.
Frosinone’s Luca’s Mazzitelli celebrates scoring his side’s equalizing goal during a Serie A match between Frosinone and Sassuolo, in Frosinone’s Benito Stirpe Stadium, Italy. | Photo Credit: Fabrizio Corradetti/ AP
Lecce has a point more after matching its best start to a season with a 1-1 draw at Monza, despite playing most of the second half with 10 men.
Lecce took the lead in the third minute through Nikola Krstović’s penalty but Andrea Colpani leveled 20 minutes later and the visitors’ chances of maintaining their unbeaten start to the season appeared to diminish when defender Federico Baschirotto was shown a straight red card for a foul on Monza midfielder Leonardo Colombo just 10 minutes after the break.
Monza had a goal disallowed before it was also reduced to 10 men, with five minutes remaining, after Luca Caldirola received a second yellow card.
Claudio Ranieri’s Cagliari and Udinese are still searching for their first wins after they played out a 0-0 draw.
- With inputs from AP
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