Roma returns to the top of Serie A after win

AS returned to he summit of the Serie A table after a 1-0 victory at Sassuolo on Sunday afternoon.

The Gialorossi secured maximum points courtesy of Paulo Dybala’s first Serie A goal of the season.

The single goal proved enough to beat Sassuolo, sending Roma to the top of the table alongside Napoli.

The Giallorossi had the opportunity to go joint top of the table, and they grabbed it. They went into the game on the back of three defeats in their last four games, including Thursday’s 2-1 to Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League. 

Gian Piero Gasperini rested  Matias Soulé and played Dybala as a False 9 while Leon Bailey got his first start. 

The Neroverdi went into the clash following the accumulation of seven points from three rounds. The bag with  Alieu Fadera spearheading a trident attack, with ex-Roma man Nemanja Matic in midfield. 

The hosts made an aggressive start.  After a strong Aliou Fadera run from midfield, Kristian Thorstvedt got the header all wrong from seven yards. Mile Svilar was called to action with a save from a deflected Fadera strike.

However,  it was Roma who broke the deadlock through the Argentine star. The former Juventus attacker laid off a pass for Bryan Cristante, who surged, and his effort was parried by Arijanet Muric into the path of La Joya to finish it off on the rebound. 

The hosts continue to threaten with their search for an equalizer as Manu Koné charged down a powerful Sebastian Walukiewicz strike.  Thorstvedt nodded wide from the resulting corner when he should’ve left it for Filippo Romagna behind him.

Muric made an easy save from Neil El Aynaoui’s shot, which went straight to him. The goalie later rushed off his line to smother at Cristante’s feet after an inspired Dybala pass.

Bailey’s bot got torn apart by a Josh Doig foul just outside the area, causing him to finish the half with it wrapped in duct tape, while Dybala’s free kick hit the side-netting.

Sassuolo suffered another injury blow as Romagna had to be removed from the tie, while Mario Hermoso replaced the disappointing Kostas Tsimikas, and he got into the referee’s book within 60 seconds for a raised elbow on Doig inches outside the area.

Dybala laid off another pass for Zeki Celik, who stung the goalkeeper’s gloves at the near post.

The hosts suffered an additional injury blow when lay-off Domenico Berardi was forced off after a bizarre head injury when he crossed paths with Cristante and fell very awkwardly.

Substitute Lorenzo Pellegrini, within 120 seconds of coming on, almost doubled Roma’s lead, as his delicate dink beat the goalkeeper only to bounce off the upright on Artem Dovbyk’s assist.

Wesley played the selfish card for a ball he could have rolled across for Dovbyk, but instead tested Muric himself at the near post while he stood up a cross for Zeki Celik’s header over the bar.

It was a strong ending to the game at the Mapei Stadium for Wesley, who also flashed a great right-foot finish across the face of the goal to skim the back post.

Gianluca Mancini threw his body into the way of a Walid Cheddira angled drive at the near post in stoppages, and Pellegrini threatened again with a right-foot curler from outside the box that Muric pushed round the far post.