Salah Scores & helps Roma crush Udinese 4-0 | VIDEO
Roma struggled in the first half, but kicked into gear to crush Udinese 4-0 with two Diego Perotti penalties, Edin Dzeko and Mohamed Salah.
The Giallorossi made five changes from the side that drew 1-1 with Porto in the Champions League play-off on Wednesday, as Bruno Peres got his debut with Wojciech Szczesny returning in goal. Udinese had Cyril Thereau suspended and new Coach Beppe Iachini used a 3-5-1-1 system with Serie A debutants Seko Fofana and Rodrigo De Paul.
Bruno Peres saw his snapshot beaten away early on and Edin Dzeko’s tap-in was crucially deflected by Thomas Heurtaux, but Udinese were also dangerous with Silvan Widmer and Duvan Zapata.
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Stephan El Shaarawy’s half-volley tested Orestis Karnezis and Radja Nainggolan flicked a corner on to the side-netting, while Dzeko’s header was well held.
Spalletti’s half-time team talk evidently worked, as Roma were much more aggressive and Nainggolan volleyed over from close range on a smart Salah pull-back.
Dzeko thought he’d opened the scoring at full stretch on an Emerson ball over the top, but Karnezis performed a stunning one-handed reaction save.
Widmer performed a decisive goal-line clearance after Bruno Peres’ deflected pass had stranded Karnezis.
The pressure finally paid off when Danilo mistimed his sliding tackle and took down Dzeko, so substitute Diego Perotti converted the resulting penalty.
Szczesny was almost caught out by a howler of a first touch and Kostas Manolas turned a free header wide from the Paredes free kick.
Salah turned on the turbo to burst into the box and was clumsily brought down by Emmanuel Badu, so Perotti converted his second penalty of the night. He became the first player to convert two spot-kicks in the same Serie A match since Vincenzo Montella in 2002.
There were concerns towards the end of the match, as Manolas limped off with a muscular problem.
Nainggolan ran on to a Paredes pass and rolled it across for Dzeko to side-foot home from three yards, his first goal of the season.
Udinese capitulated, as another smart Paredes cross found Salah’s header, scoring at the second time of asking after a Karnezis save.
