AS Roma 4-0 Lecce: Malen Brace Downs Lecce in Serie A
Donyell Malen scored twice as AS Roma continued their dominance over Lecce with a comfortable 4-0 win.
Roma set out their intentions from the off, taking control early on, and Malen put them ahead in the fourth minute before adding a second on 23 minutes to leave Lecce with no way back. Roma finished the game with 15 shots to Lecce’s three, eight of which were on target.
Matías Soulé made it 3-0 before the break with a goal in the 25th minute, Roma’s dominance reflected in their 65% share of possession, while Lecce’s expected goals tally of just 0.74 told its own story about their lack of threat going forward.
Roma were as solid at the back as they were incisive going forward. Mario Hermoso was outstanding in defence, helping his side to a clean sheet while also contributing at the other end, with the 3-4-2-1 system allowing Roma to dominate throughout.
The second half followed a similar pattern. Lecce made changes in search of a way back into the game, but could not find a way past a Roma side who instead extended their lead further, Rui Mora scoring in the 65th minute to complete the scoring at 4-0. Roma made 30 tackles and 14 interceptions over the course of the game as their defence stood firm.
The win moves Roma top of the serie A table on six points and continues their strong record against Lecce, who they have now beaten in 12 of the last 15 meetings between the sides. Lecce remain on three points and will need to find improvement if they are to push higher up the table.
Roma’s attacking quality was clear throughout, racking up an expected goals total of 3.25 despite facing four saves, with Malen, Paulo Dybala and Soulé combining well going forward.
Malen’s brace made the headlines, but it was the collective performance, marshalled by Hermoso in defence, that underlined why Roma look like serious contenders this season. Lecce, by contrast, will have to regroup quickly as they look to respond in their next fixture.
