Serie A | Roma 2-0 Udinese: Giallorossi jump into first place

Roma jumped to the top of the Serie A table after Lorenzo Pellegrini’s penalty and Zeki Celik swept Udinese aside, though Artem Dovbyk joined the injury list.

The Giallorossi fell to a painful 1-0 defeat to Milan last week, as Paulo Dybala injured his thigh when missing a penalty, joining Leon Bailey, Evan Ferguson and Angelino on the treatment table. Squad rotation was therefore minimal after Thursday’s 2-0 Europa League win away to Glasgow Rangers. The Friulani had Keinan Davis back on the bench, but Thomas Kristensen and Lennon Miller missed the trip, as Nicolò Zaniolo received a frosty reception from his former fans.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Manu Koné twice failed to finish off the loose ball in the box, while Zeki Celik and Lorenzo Pellegrini steered their headers just wide from Wesley and Matias Soulé crosses respectively.

Udinese threatened on the counter-attack when Arthur Atta ran onto the long Jesper Karlstrom ball and drilled past the far post, but Roma clipped the upright on the half-hour mark with Bryan Cristante’s deflected low drive from the edge of the area.

Houssine Kamara’s long-range screamer was parried with real difficulty by Mile Svilar, but Kamara got it all wrong moments later at the other end when he failed to kick the Gianluca Mancini cross, instead charging it down with his arm. It was spotted on the VAR review, and Lorenzo Pellegrini converted the resulting penalty.

Dovbyk went off with a hip injury, replaced by Tommaso Baldanzi, while Adam Buksa tested Svilar after the restart.

Roma doubled their lead with a well-worked move, as Zeki Celik burst down the right to complete a give and go with Mancini, sweeping in with the inside of the right boot from eight yards.

Zaniolo was almost gifted a goal on 72 minutes when Evan Ndicka passed it straight to him inside the area, but Svilar rushed off his line for a desperate save one-on-one.

Svilar also scrambled across to fingertip the Vakoun Bayo header away from a corner, while Arthur Atta saw his effort deflected onto the base of the upright in the final minute of normal time.

Pellegrini pen 42 (R), Celik 61 (R)