Roma eased to a 3-1 win over Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico, leaving Daniele De Rossi facing a difficult return. Three first-half goals from Matias Soule, Manu Kone and Evan Ferguson set up the victory, before Jeff Ekhator’s late reply. The result lifted Roma back into fourth place in Serie A.
The contest was effectively settled before half-time, with Roma punishing several defensive errors. Genoa struggled to cope with Roma’s movement in attack and allowed repeated space between the lines. Although Genoa improved later, the early damage shaped the match and left De Rossi’s side chasing a lost cause for most of the evening.
Roma needed only 14 minutes to break through, after a mistimed defensive header exposed Genoa’s back line. Soule ran clear
and curled a precise shot beyond Daniele Sommariva. Five minutes later, Roma struck again. Kone surged from midfield and finished with a composed side-footed effort, following clever link play from Ferguson outside the area.
The pressure did not ease there for Genoa. On 31 minutes, Sommariva reacted well to block Soule’s effort, which would have been the winger’s second goal. However, Ferguson reacted fastest to the rebound and forced the ball in from close range. That scruffy strike made it 3-0 and effectively ended the contest before the interval.
De Rossi’s first match as an opposing coach against Roma brought little joy. The Genoa head coach saw the team fall to a third consecutive defeat in Serie A, underlining a difficult run of form. This latest loss also continued Genoa’s poor recent record against Roma, with just one win from their last 21 league meetings.
Genoa showed more organisation in the second half and limited Roma’s chances, while trying to reduce the margin. Their effort finally brought reward on 87 minutes, when Ekhator’s volley took a deflection and wrong-footed the goalkeeper. Yet Genoa ended with only two shots on target and a total of 0.93 expected goals, highlighting their limited attacking threat.
Roma’s early flurry also exposed an ongoing issue for Genoa, who have now let in 13 first-half league goals this season. Only Torino, with 16, have conceded more before the break in Serie A. The weak starts are hurting Genoa’s campaign and again left De Rossi needing a response that could not arrive in time.
Kone delivered one of the most complete displays on the pitch for Roma. The midfielder registered a first Serie A goal since December 7, 2024, and controlled possession with impressive composure. Kone completed 91.9% of passes, the highest accuracy of any player involved. Roma’s win moved the team three points behind leaders Inter, keeping the title race tight.
| Match | Competition | Score | Key Roma Scorers | Genoa Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roma vs Genoa | Serie A | 3-1 | Soule, Kone, Ferguson | Ekhator |
| 3 POINTS! What a game from the boys!#ASRoma #RomaGenoa pic.twitter.com/PmsekCR700AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) December 29, 2025
