AS Roma produced the most ruthless first half in Serie A this season on Saturday, scoring four times before the break to beat Udinese 5-2 in Udine and extend their unbeaten start to ten matches — with five different players on the scoresheet.
Gian Piero Gasperini's side arrived at the Bluenergy Stadium without Paulo Dybala, Mile Svilar, Manu Kone and Lorenzo Pellegrini, and with a Champions League trip to Manchester United on Tuesday already on their minds. None of it showed. Roma were ahead inside ten minutes, out of sight by half-time, and only a second-half dip stopped this becoming an even heavier beating for Kosta Runjaic, whose position at Udinese now hangs by a thread, as Football Italia reported.
Four goals in 37 minutes
Bryan Cristante opened the scoring on 10 minutes, surprising Matteo Palma with a header from Wesley's cross that found the near bottom corner. Udinese briefly steadied, but Roma kept coming: Matias Soule thumped the upright, then Donyell Malen hit the crossbar after forcing a save from Maduka Okoye.
Then came the collapse. In six devastating minutes, Cristante turned provider to roll the ball across for Rodrigo Mora to tap in at the back post on 31 minutes, Soule set up Malen to cut inside and score his eighth league goal of the season on 33, and Evan Ndicka rose to head home a Soule corner on 37. Four-nil at half-time, and the game was done.
Udinese fight back, Ghilardi has the last word
To their credit, the hosts refused to fold completely. Nicolo Zaniolo pulled one back five minutes after the restart, finishing after Pierluigi Gollini spilled Lennon Miller's deflected shot, and when Matteo Palma volleyed in Hassane Kamara's ball over the top on 78 minutes, the deficit was down to two and Roma were briefly uncomfortable.
Unai Gomez skimmed the upright with a chance to make it 4-3 — and instead Roma went down the other end and finished the job, Daniele Ghilardi chested down Santiago Castro's dinked pass and smashed a half-volley into the roof of the net in stoppage time for 5-2.
Gasperini, speaking to DAZN afterwards, was delighted with the spread of scorers. "The numbers count and they're definitely telling us something. We score a lot of goals and with a lot of different players. Now we believe we can be decisive in terms of creativity and finishing," he said — while admitting he had asked his team not to concede after going 4-0 up, before adding: "We have to play in Manchester in three days' time."
So What Does It Mean?
Roma have now scored 16 goals in their last four matches, and five different scorers in one game is the clearest sign yet that Gasperini's attack no longer depends on any single man. With Inter in derby action against AC Milan — where Christian Pulisic, fresh from signing a new deal until 2031, struck early for the Rossoneri — Roma's win kept the pressure firmly on at the top of Serie A.
For Udinese, the numbers point the other way. A side that capitulates in six minutes at home, and whose coach is now openly described as hanging by a thread, is in a relegation fight whether it admits it or not.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This is what a title challenge looks like when it stops relying on stars. Roma were missing Dybala and half their midfield, faced a supposed trap game three days before a Champions League night at Old Trafford — and won it with their captain, a young prospect, a centre-back and a late finisher all scoring. Gasperini has built a team, not a supporting cast, and Serie A should be worried. Can Roma carry this firepower to Manchester on Tuesday and win there too?
