Claudio Ranieri celebrated his first victory in charge of AS Roma, leading the team to a convincing 4-1 win against Lecce. The goals came from Alexis Saelemaekers, Gianluca Mancini, Nicolò Pisilli, and Manu Koné, marking a much-needed turnaround for the Giallorossi after a string of disappointing results.
Entering the match, Roma had suffered four consecutive defeats in Serie A, including two under Ranieri’s management, alongside a thrilling 2-2 draw in the Europa League against Tottenham. With Artem Dovbyk and Bryan Cristante sidelined due to injuries, Stephan El Shaarawy was moved into an attacking role alongside Paulo Dybala and Saelemaekers.
Lecce, who were unbeaten under new coach Marco Giampaolo and fresh off a draw with Juventus, faced challenges as several key players were unavailable for the match.
The game began with Dybala nearly scoring in the fifth minute; his looping header was misjudged by Lecce’s goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone, who barely managed to keep it out. Saelemaekers, making his first start since recovering from a fracture, broke the deadlock in the 18th minute. He connected with a clever pass from El Shaarawy and skillfully dribbled around Gaby Jean to score from a tight angle.
However, Zeki Celik was forced to leave the match due to injury shortly after. Roma continued to press for more goals, but Lecce equalized when Nikola Krstovic converted a penalty after Saud Abdulhamid fouled Lassana Coulibaly.
Despite the setback, Roma regained their lead when Gianluca Mancini scored with a diving header from El Shaarawy’s cross. They extended their advantage further when Nicolò Pisilli scored after a quick counterattack initiated by Patrick Dorgu’s mistake.
As the match progressed, Mats Hummels made crucial defensive plays to maintain Roma’s lead. The final goal came late in the game when Pisilli assisted Manu Koné, who cut inside and fired into the net.
Although Medon Berisha nearly pulled one back for Lecce with a powerful shot that struck the upright during stoppage time, Roma held on for a decisive victory. This win not only marked Ranieri’s first triumph in his third spell at Roma but also his 100th game as head coach of the club.
With this performance, Roma aims to build momentum as they look to improve their standing in Serie A and regain confidence moving forward.
Goals: Saelemaekers 13 (R), Krstovic pen 40 (L), Mancini 59 (R), Pisilli 66 (R), Koné 86 (R)
Roma (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Mancini, Hummels (81′ Hermoso), Ndicka; Celik (23′ Abdulhamid), Koné, Paredes, Angelino; Saelemaekers (56′ Pisilli), El Shaarawy (81′ Zalewski); Dybala.
Lecce (4-3-3): Falcone; Guilbert, Gaspar, Baschirotto, Jean (64′ Pierotti); Coulibaly (64′ Berisha), Ramadani (46′ Kaba), Rafia (46′ Oudin); Dorgu, Krstovic, Rebic (46′ Morente).
