AS Roma continued their winning streak by seeing off Hellas Verona 2-0 at the Olimpico on Saturday. Second half goals from Alessandro Florenzi and Mattia Destro were enough for the giallorossi to see off their stubborn Venetian opponents and move provisionally three points clear at the top of the table.
AS Roma vs. Hellas Verona: Final score 2-0, Roma stay perfect with convincing win
Roma recorded a comfortable victory over Hellas Verona on Saturday, ensuring their perfect start to the season remained intact.
Roma totally dominated the game's opening half-hour, with Hellas Verona looking to just sit back and soak up the giallorossi pressure. That didn't stop them conceding a clear-cut chance to Mattia Destro after 15 minutes, though the striker headed Maicon's cross wide of the target. The hosts went even closer just past the half hour, though Verona scrambled the ball off the line after Francesco Totti's low cross rebounded off defender Vangelis Moras.
Inside the final 10 minutes of the half, Hellas finally began to offer something of their own going forward. They first gave Roma a scare when Nenê latched onto the end of Davide Brivio's cross in the 34th minute, though his header cleared the crossbar. Four minutes later Juanito Gómez slipped in behind Ashley Cole, only to be denied by a superb low stop from Morgan De Sanctis.
With the coming of the second half returned the Roma dominance, and it took just minutes for the giallorossi to start putting Hellas back under pressure. Francesco Totti forced a good save from young goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini, shortly before Adem Ljajić had a penalty shout turned down when he was felled in the area by substitute Gustavo Campanharo. The hosts went close again through summer signing Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, though the centre-back nodded Miralem Pjanić‘s corner just past Gollini’s near post.
The clock ticked on and still Verona continued to frustrate the hosts, until, with just over 15 minutes remaining, substitute Alessandro Florenzi found the back of the net. The young Italian let fly with a drilled effort from the edge of the penalty area, which proved unstoppable for Gollini.
Roma should have killed the game a few minutes later after Gervinho teed up Destro in the penalty area, though the striker mishit his effort over the crossbar. A similar chance fell to Florenzi inside the final 10 minutes, though Gollini was on hand to tip the ball against the crossbar.
Eventually the hosts did kill the game off, and in memorable fashion, too. With less than five minutes remaining Destro lashed the ball on the half-volley from 40 yards, completely catching Gollini off-guard. The goal capped a deserved victory for Roma, with the giallorossi having been in control from start to finish.
AS Roma: De Sanctis; Cole, Yanga-Mbiwa, Manolas, Maicon; Nainggolan (Paredes 83’), Keita, Pjanić; Ljajić (Gervinho 58’), Totti (Florenzi 67’), Destro.
Goals: Florenzi (75’), Destro (86’).
Hellas Verona: Gollini; Brivio, Márquez, Moras, Sørensen; Tachtsidis, Obbadi (Campanharo 43’), Ionita; Janković (Valoti 83’), Nenê (Toni 71’), Gómez.
Goals: None.
See More:
