AS Roma moved to within three points of the Serie A summit after a relatively routine 2-0 victory over US Lecce, extending the Salentians’ dismal H2H record to just one win in the last 38 meetings.
2025/2026 Serie A
0-2
Match Report
Having lost four of their previous six league games (W2), Roma kicked off outside the top four for the first time since September. Determined to recapture their early-season form, the Giallorossi started on the front foot against Lecce, and their positive approach was rewarded with a breakthrough in the 14th minute. Paulo Dybala showed impressive vision to pick out Evan Ferguson on the edge of the box, and the Irishman slotted a clinical low finish beyond Wladimiro Falcone to score his third SA goal of the season.
Winners in all 10 prior league games in which they’d opened the scoring this season, Roma looked to press home their advantage as the first half progressed. But clear-cut chances came at a premium up to HT, with Bryan Cristante seeing a dangerous effort blocked and Falcone reacting smartly to thwart a close-range strike from Ferguson.
Having created next to nothing in a lacklustre first-half showing, Lecce improved after the break, as substitute Santiago Pierotti fired wide when well-placed in the box. Grateful for that reprieve, the visitors hit back with a couple of opportunities of their own, but Wesley França and Dybala were ultimately wayward with their finishing.
Undeterred, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men found the all-important second goal with time ticking into the final 20 minutes, as Artem Dovbyk guided Niccolò Pisilli’s cross-shot into the net from six yards. That killed off any hopes of a comeback from Lecce, with Eusebio Di Francesco’s side unable to create anything of note against a stubborn Roma defence. As such, the Giallorossi eased through the closing stages to secure a comfortable three points in Apulia, ending a run of three successive SA away defeats.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
14' GOAL! Lecce 0-1 Roma (Evan Ferguson)
38' Highlight from Lecce vs Roma
42' Match Event for Lecce vs Roma
58' Highlight from Lecce vs Roma
71' GOAL! Lecce 0-2 Roma (Artem Dovbyk)
111' Match Event for Lecce vs Roma
Line-ups
Lecce XI: Wladimiro Falcone, Ylber Ramadani, Youssef Maleh, Sottil, Lameck Banda, Antonino Gallo, Danilo Veiga, Mohamed Kaba, Gaspar, Francesco Camarda, Tiago Gabriel
Subs: Thórir Jóhann Helgason, Gaby Jean, Filip Marchwinski, Álex Sala, Konan N’Dri, Corrie Ndaba, Jamil Siebert, Santiago Pierotti, Jasper Samooja, Nikola Stulic, Olaf Gorter, Niko Kovač, Christ-Owen Kouassi, Matías Pérez
Roma XI: El Shaarawy, Dybala, Cristante, Zeki Çelik, Mile Svilar, Manu Koné, Evan Ferguson, Daniele Ghilardi, Wesley Vinícius França Lima, Niccolò Pisilli, Jan Ziolkowski
Subs: Angelino, Artem Dovbyk, Tsimikas, Devis Vásquez, Matías Soulé, Radoslaw Zelezny, Alessandro Romano, Jacopo Mirra, Emanuele Lulli