AS Roma swept Sassuolo aside 3-0 at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday night, Mario Hermoso opening the scoring before an own goal and Rodrigo Mora completed a win that lifted Gian Piero Gasperini's unbeaten side to second in Serie A.
Hermoso breaks the deadlock
Sassuolo, set up in a five-man defence by Alberto Aquilani, held out until the 27th minute. Then Roma defender Mario Hermoso drove forward towards the area and rifled the ball past Arijanet Muric from 15 yards for his eighth Roma goal, all of which have come at the Olimpico.
Three minutes later the lead was doubled. Donyell Malen's shot took a touch off a Sassuolo defender before Sebastian Walukiewicz turned the ball into his own net, and Roma went into the break 2-0 ahead.
The Giallorossi were utterly dominant. They racked up 28 shots against a side that has now lost five matches on the bounce, and the 3-0 scoreline arguably flattered the visitors.
Mora seals it after the break
Malen almost made amends for his earlier miss ten minutes into the second half, only to be denied by an excellent stop from Muric. But Roma were unperturbed, and the third goal arrived in the 58th minute when Rodrigo Mora, teed up by Malen, drove a neat angled finish through the legs of Duje Caleta-Car and in off the far post.
It was Mora's third goal in a row, and another reminder of why Gasperini keeps trusting the young forward in the biggest moments. Malen, meanwhile, may not have added to his own tally, but his assist took him to eight league goals this season, with four more in the Champions League. The Dutch striker joined Roma on loan from Aston Villa in January and, after 14 goals in 18 league games, made his move permanent in May.
Roma did all of this without Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Gianluca Mancini and goalkeeper Mile Svilar, who is out with a foot injury until after the November international break. Manu Kone and Bryan Cristante kept the midfield ticking, and the back three never looked in danger.
The numbers behind Roma's surge
This was not just a routine home win. After 11 league games, Roma have scored 31 goals, making them the highest-scoring side in Serie A. It is a record for Gasperini, and for the club. The last Serie A team to score at least 30 times at this point in a season was Atalanta, coached by Gasperini, in 2019-20.
Roma have now gone unbeaten through the opening 11 games of a Serie A campaign for only the third time in their history. At the other end of the table, Sassuolo have conceded 29 goals, the worst defensive record in the league, and their wait for a first win since September goes on.
So what: the Scudetto race is suddenly real
The win takes Roma to 27 points, one behind leaders Lazio and two ahead of third-placed Inter Milan. Lazio face a difficult trip to Napoli on Sunday, while Inter host Como that evening, so Gasperini's side could yet end the weekend in an even stronger position.
The response matters as much as the result. Roma arrived at the Olimpico smarting from a bruising midweek defeat in the Champions League, where they fumbled a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 at Manchester United. It was the second time this season they have thrown away a big lead in Europe, after the defeat at Real Madrid when leading 3-1, and both times the answer has been an immediate Serie A victory.
Gasperini, who has always denied his side are even in the Scudetto conversation, allowed himself a small smile afterwards. "A great goal from Hermoso broke the deadlock, and it wasn't easy because they closed down a lot, but we played with quality," he told Sky Sport Italia. Asked if he would sign for second place right now, he replied: "I don't know, it's fun to play this season. We must not delude ourselves or disappoint ourselves, so there's no harm in dreaming. Inter are the best placed to win. For the rest, all of us are in the mix, including us, and can have our chances." Football Italia carried his full post-match comments.
The international break now gives Roma a fortnight to rest and reset before they travel to Parma on Saturday 21 November. The question is no longer whether this team can score goals. It is whether anyone in Italy can stop them scoring. Reuters called Roma the league's highest-scoring side after the win.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Roma are no longer a feel-good story. They are the most entertaining team in Italy, they are unbeaten, they are second, and their manager is finally admitting they are in the mix. The Scudetto race has a new name in it, and the rest of Serie A should be worried.
Can Roma really stay in the Scudetto race until Christmas? Let us know in the comments.
