Serie A: Roma Secure First Win Under Ranieri

Roma dominates Lecce, with Manu Kone and Nicolò Pisilli scoring crucial goals. Get the latest Serie A news and analysis.

Roma's Paulo Dybala came agonizingly close to scoring in the fifth minute, as his looping header caught Wladimiro Falcone off guard. The Lecce goalkeeper was forced to frantically flap the ball off the line, and it rebounded onto the upright, narrowly avoiding a goal.

Alexis Saelemaekers made a triumphant return to the starting lineup, his first since fracturing a bone in September. He broke the deadlock with a clever finish, latching onto a disguised slide-rule pass from Stephan El Shaarawy. Saelemaekers skillfully steered the ball around Gaby Jean and slotted it into an empty net from a difficult angle.

Roma's momentum was temporarily halted when Zeki Celik limped off the field with an injury after just 24 minutes. However, the Giallorossi continued to press, with Saelemaekers seeing his follow-up effort deflected wide. The resulting corner kick led to another scoring opportunity, as Evan N'Dicka's header was redirected by Dybala, forcing Nikola Krstovic to make a desperate goal-line clearance.

Moments later, Lecce was awarded a penalty kick when substitute Saud Abdulhamid carelessly collided with Lassana Coulibaly, who had received a pass from Ante Rebic. Nikola Krstovic stepped up to take the penalty and expertly converted it, firing the ball into the top corner to level the score. Notably, this was the first penalty kick awarded to Lecce this season.

Roma sought to regain their lead, but Alexis Saelemaekers hesitated on a pass from Paulo Dybala, allowing Gaby Jean to charge down his scuffed finish. After the restart, Saelemaekers had another opportunity, this time finding himself one-on-one with Wladimiro Falcone. However, Falcone made a crucial save, denying Saelemaekers the chance to score. Dybala also came close, unleashing an angled drive that flashed wide of the post. Later, Nicolò Pisilli, who had come off the bench, saw his effort parried by Falcone's legs.

Roma eventually restored their advantage when Gianluca Mancini scored with a diving header. Mancini managed to reach Stephan El Shaarawy's cross before Federico Baschirotto, meeting the ball from 10 yards out and directing it into the net.

Mats Hummels showcased his defensive prowess with two exceptional sliding tackles, first on Mohamed Kaba and then on Nikola Krstovic. Meanwhile, Stephan El Shaarawy came close to scoring after a corner kick, but his powerful blast sailed just over the crossbar.

Roma sealed their 4-1 victory late in the game, courtesy of a well-crafted goal. Mohamed Kaba, unfortunately, suffered a severe injury, appearing to badly sprain his right knee as he slipped. Nicolò Pisilli capitalized on the situation, laying the ball off for Manu Kone. Kone then cut inside and drilled a precise shot home from within the area. Kaba's injury was severe enough to require him to be stretchered off the field, potentially ending his season.

Roma extended their lead to 3-1 when Patrick Dorgu's mistake sparked a counter-attack. Saud Abdulhamid, making amends for his earlier penalty concession, provided a pinpoint pull-back pass to Nicolò Pisilli. Pisilli then expertly swept the ball into the bottom corner with his right foot from 12 yards out, sealing the third goal for the Giallorossi.