AS Roma continued their outstanding start to the Serie A season with a 4-0 win at US Lecce, making it seven consecutive league victories stretching back to last season and restoring them to the top of the table.
Donyell Malen scored twice and created another goal as Gian Piero Gasperini’s side followed up their 4-0 victory over Fiorentina with another emphatic performance.
The Netherlands international opened the scoring after only four minutes, taking advantage of a mistake by Kialonda Gaspar to finish calmly. Malen had scored a hat-trick in the previous match and his early strike made him the first Roma player to score four goals across the club’s opening two league games of a season since Vincenzo Montella in 2004-05.
Roma continued to dominate and Matias Soule was denied by US Lecce goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone, who parried his effort away. Falcone was beaten again before the half-hour mark, however, when Wesley Franca found Malen at the near post and the forward squeezed his second goal past the goalkeeper.
It was the 10th of Malen’s last 11 club-level goals to arrive within the opening hour, increasing expectation that he would complete a second successive hat-trick.
Instead, he turned provider moments later. Roma effectively settled the contest two minutes after Malen’s second goal when he squared the ball for Soule. Falcone initially saved the Argentine’s effort, but Soule followed up to score from the rebound and make it 3-0.
US Lecce were struggling to cope with Roma’s pace and movement, although Willem Geubbels came close to reducing the deficit on a counter-attack. The forward was sent through one-on-one, but Mile Svilar stood up well to make the save.
Roma remained in control for the rest of the first half, with Soule and Malen both going close again. Their next attempts narrowly missed the target as US Lecce survived until the interval without conceding a fourth.
With the result seemingly secure, Roma eased their pressure after the break. US Lecce should have taken advantage shortly after the hour, when Lassana Coulibaly’s header from a corner struck the post. Mario Hermoso then reacted quickly to clear the loose ball off the line.
Roma still threatened at the other end. Paulo Dybala found space in a promising position but curled his effort over the crossbar when a fourth goal appeared possible.
That fourth goal eventually arrived when centre-back Gianluca Mancini advanced into the attack and cut the ball back for new signing Rodrigo Morato. The defender made no mistake from close range, scoring his first goal for the club with a simple finish.
The victory gave Roma a fourth consecutive away league win and a fifth successive head-to-head victory over US Lecce. Gasperini’s side will now believe they can mount a serious title challenge.
For US Lecce, the wait goes on to win their opening two Serie A matches in the same season for the first time. They will have to try again next year.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Donyell Malen (AS Roma).
Match statistics are available separately.