Roma end winless Champions League run with 4-0 rout of Slovan Bratislava
Gian Piero Gasperini's side finally found their scoring touch, brushing aside Yaya Touré's Slovan Bratislava at the Stadio Olimpico to claim their first European win of the season.
Roma secured their first Champions League victory of the campaign with a 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava at the Stadio Olimpico, according to the BBC, which described the performance as a ruthless dismantling of a Slovakian side managed by former Barcelona midfielder Yaya Touré.
The result followed a mixed start to the League Phase for Gasperini's side, who had drawn away at Fenerbahçe on Matchday 1 before what Yahoo Sports described as a disastrous defeat to Real Madrid the previous weekend.
Mario Hermoso opened the scoring in the 21st minute, converting a chance that Yahoo Sports valued at 0.36 expected goals into a finish worth 0.98 xGOT. It was his second goal in all competitions this season and came from a headed assist by centre-back Daniele Ghilardi, who bounced the ball into Hermoso's path.
Nahuel Molina doubled the lead in the 39th minute, scoring his first goal for the club after pouncing on a rebound from a Malen effort. Molina had been rested the previous weekend following what Yahoo Sports called a difficult outing against Real Madrid.
Niccolo Pisilli made it 3-0 in the 52nd minute, netting his first Champions League goal for the club he joined at the age of eight. He wore the captain's armband for the second half and, according to Yahoo Sports, created a match-high three scoring chances, completed all 11 of his long-pass attempts and played a match-high 18 line-breaking passes.
Roma added a fourth to complete the scoreline, giving Gasperini's side their first win of the European campaign by a four-goal margin.
Ghilardi's display drew particular attention given his reduced role this season. Yahoo Sports reported he had slipped to fourth-choice centre-back behind Leonardo Balerdi, Evan Ndicka and Gianluca Mancini, with speculation over a possible move to Milan. Against Slovan he completed 94% of his passes, sent nine balls into the final third, made six recoveries, won two aerial duels and drew three fouls.
Balerdi, signed from Marseille in late August, also impressed, winning five of seven duels, contributing ten defensive actions and playing nine passes into the final third. Yahoo Sports noted that some Marseille supporters had mocked the move when it was completed.
Hermoso's defensive work added to his attacking contribution, with the Spaniard recording a match-high 100 touches in 77 minutes and winning six of seven aerial duels alongside four defensive actions.
The win lifts Roma off the foot of their recent form in the League Phase after the setbacks against Fenerbahçe and Real Madrid, giving Gasperini's squad their first three points of the European campaign heading into the next round of fixtures.