AS Roma produced a dominant attacking display to defeat Udinese 5-2 in their Serie A encounter on Saturday, scoring four goals in the opening 37 minutes to secure a comfortable victory.
Roma took the lead in the 10th minute when Bryan Cristante headed home Wesley’s cross from close range, putting the visitors ahead after an impressive start.
Matias Soulé came close to extending Roma’s advantage, striking the post, before Donyell Malen rattled the crossbar.
However, the visitors eventually doubled their lead in the 31st minute as Cristante delivered a low cross for Rodrigo Mora to score from close range.
Two minutes later, Malen made it 3-0, cutting inside Christian Kabasele before beating goalkeeper Maduka Okoye with a shot into the near corner.
Roma completed their first-half scoring in the 37th minute when Evan Ndicka headed home Soulé’s corner.
Udinese attempted to respond after the break and pulled one back in the 50th minute through former Roma midfielder Nicolò Zaniolo, who capitalised on a rebound after goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini failed to hold Lennon Miller’s effort.
The hosts continued to push forward and reduced the deficit further in the 78th minute when Matteo Palma volleyed home from inside the penalty area following Hassane Kamara’s delivery.
Udinese threatened to make the closing stages more uncomfortable for Roma, with Unai Gómez narrowly missing the target. However, Daniele Ghilardi restored Roma’s three-goal advantage in stoppage time, controlling Santiago Castro’s pass before firing into the roof of the net.
The victory gives Roma an important boost ahead of their upcoming UEFA Champions League encounter against Manchester United.
Udinese, meanwhile, remain under pressure after another disappointing performance, with coach Kosta Runjaic facing growing uncertainty over his position following the heavy defeat.
