After a convincing 4-0 win over Fiorentina in the season opener last week, Roma was heavily favored in today’s fixture against Lecce. Eusebio Di Francesco’s Giallorossi barely avoided relegation last season, finishing in 17th place, only four points above the drop. Still, as long-time supporters are well aware, the Lecces of the world have spoiled the party for Roma more times than we care to remember.
With transfer winds swirling around key members of the squad, new additions arriving over the weekend,
and a pair of first-team players heading out the door, Roma was ripe for distraction. An early-season upset wouldn’t have been the worst trouble to ever befall our Giallorossi, but it would have killed the vibes of last Monday’s rollicking win over the Viola.
Considering all that, what Roma needed was another dominant performance, one that left no doubt as to which side had legitimate top-of-the-table ambitions this season. For the second Monday in a row, that’s exactly what Gian Piero Gasperini’s group accomplished, sweeping Lecce aside in another 4-0 rout.
Roma’s onslaught started in only the 4th minute. After a poor Lecce clearance deep in their own end, Roma pounced first, recovering the ball near the midfield line and immediately tilting the pitch back toward the Lecce goal. After another lucky deflection, Malen found the ball near the right edge of the box before nonchalantly beating Wladimiro Falcone at the near post—his fourth goal in the season’s first two matches, matching Vincenzo Montella’s club record.
But Mr. Malen wasn’t done yet…
Approximately 15 minutes later, Malen finished off a tidy three-touch move, redirecting a square ball from Wesley inside the six-yard box. That makes five goals in two matches for Malen, who now has to be considered among the best strikers in Italy, if not Europe itself.
But Roma wasn’t done inflicting misery on their hosts. A mere two minutes later, Matías Soulé, who has been the subject of transfer rumors all summer, notched his first goal of the season. With Malen carrying the ball through the left channel, Soulé trailed his run to the right, one-timing a pass from the prolific Dutchman. Falcone made the initial save but couldn’t control the rebound, which fell right in Soulé’s lap for the gimme goal.
Up 3-0 with 65 minutes to play, Roma’s final tally was anyone’s guess. Malen had two cracks at completing his hat trick, denied once by Falcone’s kick save and pushing another effort wide of the post, but Rodrigo Mora’s debut goal would give Roma consecutive 4-0 wins to start the new season.
Final Thoughts
I feel safe assuming this is what we all envisioned when Roma signed Gasperini last season: a high-flying, mix-and-match attack capable of burying opponents, supported by a well-organized, efficient defense. The fixture list will get trickier in the coming weeks and months, but for now, Roma must be considered a viable threat to Inter Milan at the top of the table.
Up Next
A quick turnaround as Roma hosts Atalanta on Saturday, September 5th.
