Patrik Schick won a penalty, scored the second and Nicolò Zaniolo sealed Roma’s 3-1 victory over Sassuolo with a stunning solo effort.
There was only one point separating these sides going into the Boxing Day round, with the Neroverdi surprisingly in front. Diego Perotti was back in the starting XI after injury, with Edin Dzeko, Stephan El Shaarawy and Lorenzo Pellegrini fit for the bench, but Daniele De Rossi, Davide Santon and Ante Coric were out of action. Sassuolo missed Kevin-Prince Boateng, Claud Adjapong, Jeremie Boga and suspended Rogerio, but Eusebio Di Francesco’s son Federico was benched.
Sassuolo had never beaten Roma in Serie A, managing only four draws from 10 meetings. However, four of the five visits to the Olimpico were score draws.
There was a huge scare within 55 seconds, as Robin Olsen’s horrible clearance was straight at Domenico Berardi, who went for the empty net from distance and the goalkeeper scrambled back to flap it away.
The referee awarded a penalty when Patrik Schick and Gian Marco Ferrari both ran after a long ball over the top, the forward at full stretch prodding it into the arms of Andrea Consigli when he crossed paths with the defender and was tripped. The referee viewed it again on the VAR screen and confirmed his decision with yellow card, as Schick did not seem to have control of the ball.
Perotti celebrated his comeback with a delicate penalty rolled in to send Consigli the wrong way and give Roma the lead.
Domenico Berardi twisted and turned in the box for a deflected finish and from the corner Schick’s awful attempt at a clearance bounced off the underside of the bar and back out. Goal-line technology confirmed it was millimetres away from an own goal.
Schick was more accurate at the other end, as he doubled Roma’s lead on the counter. He sprung the offside trap on a Bryan Cristante through ball and kept his cool to waltz round the goalkeeper and deposit into an empty net.
Schick again tested Consigli and the goalkeeper did just enough to stop Nicolò Zaniolo going around him, while Perotti’s effort was parried at the near post.
Schick should’ve made it 3-0 after the restart, but his free header from a set play was weak and straight at Consigli.
Zaniolo scored a simply sensational goal to consolidate his status as a star in the making. The 19-year-old burst down the right, cut inside to send defenders to ground, then placed a delicate chip over the goalkeeper into the far corner. It was quite a way to mark his debut Serie A goal.
Justin Kluivert came off the bench and wanted in on the act, stinging Consigli’s gloves at the near post, while Cengiz Under’s rising strike was fingertipped over the bar and Aleksandar Kolarov had a cross-shot turned round the upright.
While Consigli was busy keeping the scoreline relatively low, Olsen made a late save one-on-one with Federico Di Francesco, but still couldn’t keep that elusive clean sheet.
In stoppages, Khouma Babacar ran on to a smart Berardi through ball and fired low past on-rushing Olsen.
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Schick finaly stepping up in couple of last games