Sunday’s 7-0 thumping of Empoli marked Romelu Lukaku’s first goal for Roma and the team’s first victory of the Serie A campaign.
In the 82nd minute of a commanding performance, in which team captain Paulo Dybala also scored his first two goals of the season, Belgium striker Lukaku scored Roma’s sixth goal.
Renato Sanches, Bryan Cristante, Gianluca Mancini, and Albert Grassi’s hilarious own goal sealed a blowout over a meaningless, goalless, and relegation-bound Empoli, catapulting Roma up to 12th place on four points and out of the relegation zone.
Coach Jose Mourinho told DAZN, “It’s obviously important for strikers to score goals.”
“He scores in front of his supporters, and he leaves the field pleased, so it was ideal for him.
“He must experience love and desire. He arrived and saw right away that the squad needed him.”
In an onslaught designed to help Roma reach the Champions League for the first time since 2018, Lukaku made his debut alongside Dybala.
Lukaku, who is on loan from Chelsea, had an appearance as a substitute in Roma’s match against AC Milan before to the international break. Aside from his straightforward finish after Andrea Belotti’s assist, he had a rather quiet evening against Empoli.
Rasmus Kristensen’s cross was handled by Sebastian Walukiewicz after only thirty-five seconds. From the penalty spot, Dybala hammered home his first goal of the season.
When Sanches extended the advantage for the home team in the eighth minute by whipping in another cross that the unmarked Portugal international headed home perfectly, Kristensen proved crucial once again.
Lukaku had a part in Roma’s odd third goal, setting up Cristante before Bartosz Bereszynski struck Grassi, his Empoli teammate, with the ball and watched it go into his own goal.
Ten minutes into the half, Dybala scored his second brilliant goal of the game when he received a feed from Cristante, feinted, and rolled in a slick finish to send Sebastiano Luperto packing.
Lukaku hits the mark
Before being replaced in the 64th minute, the Argentina attacker had a chance to finish the game with a hat-trick if his free kick hadn’t struck the crossbar.
Cristante’s long-range goal in the 79th minute gave Roma a late boost just as the game seemed to be heading toward an otherwise boring conclusion.
When Lukaku arrived in Rome last month, supporters flocked to the airport to meet him, setting the scene for him to bask in the adoration. Four minutes remained and Mancini scored the last goal with a header.
Christian Kouame’s game-winning goal gave Fiorentina a 3-2 victory over Atalanta in Sunday’s exciting Serie A match in Florence.
In the 76th minute, Ivorian Kouame took advantage of defensive hesitancy to poke in his first goal of the year and elevate Fiorentina to seventh place.
At the Stadio Artemio Franchi, Fiorentina’s goals came from Giacomo Bonaventura and Lucas Martinez-Quarta. With this victory, the hosts tied champions Napoli and Frosinone, who had defeated Sassuolo 4-2 earlier in the day, on seven points.
For the first time ever, Frosinone led by Eusebio Di Francesco came back to win a Serie A match.
After trailing by two goals in the opening twenty-five minutes, they rallied to win the game at home behind goals from Luca Mazzitelli’s brace, a stoppage-time finish from Pol Lirola, and a penalty from Walid Cheddira just before halftime.
After suffering their second loss in their first four games, Atalanta is two points behind in ninth place. As a result, Lecce maintains their Champions League spots despite only drawing 1-1 against Monza.