Malen nets brace as Roma continue fast start to Serie A campaign by thrashing Lecce

[p]Buoyed by their 4-0 thrashing of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fiorentina/Q3A3IbXH/"]Fiorentina[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/as-roma/zVqqL0ma/"]Roma[/a] started quickly and it was unsurprising who got on the scoresheet after just four minutes.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gaspar-kialonga/QJJ3NUdE/"]Kialonda[/a] Gaspar’s error was capitalised on by none other than last week’s hat-trick scorer Donyell Malen, who slotted home and became the first Roma player to score four goals across their opening two league matches of the season since [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/montella-vincenzo/vcAWhGM6/"]Vincenzo Montella[/a] in 2004/05. [/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/soule-matias/fXK87Cpf/"]Matias Soule[/a] then saw a shot parried by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/falcone-wladimiro/OCJ3DqzU/"]Wladimiro Falcone[/a], before Malen netted his brace midway through the first half. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wesley-franca/zmtPBqz4/"]Wesley Franca[/a] picked him out at the near post, and he squeezed the ball past Falcone.[/b][/p][embed guid="0fe49d13-4489-4464-ae9f-9e055f068e6f" url="https://x.com/SerieA_EN/status/2094494454132388214" social-type="twitter" /][p]With that being the 10th of his last 11 club-level strikes to arrive inside the opening hour, the Dutchman was widely fancied to get the hat-trick.[/p][p][b]But it was just an assist for him when Roma all but put the game to bed just two minutes later, as he squared for Soule to strike, with his initial effort saved by Falcone before putting in the rebound. [/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lecce/G8lYsMgU/"]Lecce[/a] were struggling to contain Roma, but almost netted a consolation on the break, only for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/geubbels-willem/Uu9euJUk/"]Willem Geubbels[/a] to be denied one-on-one by Mile Svilar.[/p][p]Normal service resumed, and Soule and Malen had further efforts that just went wide, much to the relief of a Lecce side who could hardly wait for the half-time whistle.[/p][image alt="Match stats" id="b43c62e9-be90-4030-b7a9-9fbcd2723f68" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="2ab9d687-7943-43a5-9ff1-3ebd9aac7058" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]Understandably, with the game already won, Roma took their foot off the gas in the second half, and Lecce should have scored after the hour mark.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/coulibaly-lassana/nccbKjdO/"]Lassana Coulibaly[/a]’s header from a corner came off the post, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hermoso-mario/OUjnz4Ab/"]Mario Hermoso[/a] scrambled to clear the ball off the line. However, the Giallorossi were still dangerous in attack; [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dybala-paulo/W4myUVXR/"]Paulo Dybala[/a] curled over in a great position when a fourth goal beckoned for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lazio/URcSl02h/"]La Lupa[/a].[/p][p]But Roma eventually matched the scoreline from their Serie A opener.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mancini-gianluca/dMy1KKlG/"]Gianluca Mancini[/a] broke forward from centre-back and squared for new signing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mora-rodrigo/rFpsoDia/"]Rodrigo Mora[/a] to open his account for the club with a simple tap-in. [/b][/p][p]Roma are now back on top of the table as a result, and Gian Piero Gasperini’s men will be confident of a serious title charge after a fourth successive away league win and fifth straight head-to-head victory. Meanwhile, Lecce will have to wait at least another year to win their first two Serie A matches of the season for the first time ever.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/malen-donyell/KOdKXsao/"]Donyell Malen[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/as-roma/zVqqL0ma/"]AS Roma[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/as-roma-zVqqL0ma/lecce-G8lYsMgU/?mid=8tg7weHk"]Take a look at the match stats here[/a][/b].[/p]