Paulo Dybala finally broke his Serie A goal drought to fire AS Roma to a narrow 1-0 victory over Sassuolo on Sunday, lifting the Giallorossi to second place in the league standings. The Argentine forward netted his first league goal of the season in the 16th minute, reacting quickest to a rebound after Sassuolo goalkeeper Arijanet Muric had saved Bryan Cristante’s shot. The goal marked Dybala’s 130th in Serie A and his first from open play since December.
The victory moved Roma level on points with league leaders Napoli, who stay top on goal difference after their 3-1 win over Inter Milan on Saturday. Despite their progress, Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini has emphasized the need for consistency, particularly at home, where all four of their defeats this season have occurred. Roma were coming off back-to-back losses to Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League and Inter Milan in Serie A but responded strongly to return to winning ways.
Under Gasperini’s management, Roma have developed into one of the league’s most defensively solid teams, conceding only three goals in eight matches the fewest in the league. However, their attack remains a concern, with only eight goals scored so far. Dybala acknowledged the importance of the win, saying the team remains grounded despite the title race heating up. Roma last won the Serie A title in 2001, and fans are beginning to dream of another Scudetto push.
Elsewhere, AC Milan dropped points after being held to a 2-2 draw by Pisa at the San Siro, slipping to third place, one point behind Roma and Napoli. Juventus’ struggles continued as they fell 1-0 to Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico, extending their winless streak in all competitions to eight matches. Toma Basic scored the only goal of the match after capitalizing on a costly mistake from Jonathan David. Despite late pressure, Juventus could not find an equalizer, and coach Igor Tudor admitted his side lacked sharpness and consistency.
Fiorentina’s miserable start to the season also continued as they were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw against Bologna. Goals from Santiago Castro and Nicolo Cambiaghi had given Bologna control, but Fiorentina hit back through Albert Gudmundsson and a late Moise Kean penalty. Despite the comeback, Fiorentina remain winless and sit 18th with just four points from eight matches. Torino, meanwhile, earned their second straight win after defeating Genoa 2-1, continuing their strong early-season form.
