In an exciting Serie A game, Roma defeated Empoli 2-1 thanks to goals from Paulo Dybala and another player he assisted.
On Monday night, both teams had numerous attempts at the woodwork, while Roma missed a penalty and an Empoli player was dismissed late in Tuscany.
The team led by Jose Mourinho was seeking redemption after two straight defeats: a 4-0 league loss at Udinese away from home the previous weekend and a 2-1 Europa League loss at Ludogorets.
Dybala’s seventh-minute shot off the right post prevented Roma from having the best possible start.
Ten minutes later, the hosts failed to clear a cross, and it fell to the Argentine at the edge of the area. He fired a hard shot into the top left corner to give them the lead.
Shortly after, Empoli came close to tying the score, but Martin Satriano’s header hit the left post and went wide. Nevertheless, two minutes before the break, Filippo Bandinelli headed in Petar Stojanovic’s cross into the bottom right corner to even the score for the home team.
When Tammy Abraham volleyed in at the back post off a cross from the right by Dybala, Roma regained the lead.
Ten minutes before the end of the game, Pellegrini should have doubled the visitors’ lead, but his penalty kick off the crossbar after Liberato Cacace was called for bringing down Roger Ibanez inside the box.
After hitting the post for Empoli, Akpro was sent off three minutes from the full time for a dangerous tackle on Chris Smalling, decreasing their chances of salvaging something from the game.
After six rounds, Roma has moved up to fifth place with 13 points, one point behind Napoli, Atalanta, and AC Milan in first place and behind Udinese on goal differential. After four draws and two losses, Empoli is still winless and in 16th place.
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