Castro and Lulli Score First Roma Goals in 2-0 Win Over Genoa
Santiago Castro scored in the 50th minute and teenager Emanuele Lulli in the 68th as Roma beat Genoa 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico to climb to second in Serie A.
Key points
- Roma beat Genoa 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday night, with both goals coming in the second half from players scoring for the club for the first time.
- Roma did it short handed.
- The first half ended goalless, with Roma controlling the ball but failing to find a finish, and Genoa holding the early moments.
Roma beat Genoa 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday night, with both goals coming in the second half from players scoring for the club for the first time. Santiago Castro opened the scoring in the 50th minute and 19 year old academy product Emanuele Lulli added the second in the 68th, lifting Roma to second place in Serie A.
Roma did it short handed. Donyell Malen was suspended after his red card against Como, and Paulo Dybala, Manu Kone, Mile Svilar and Bryan Cristante were all injured, so there were seven changes from the side that played in Europe in midweek. For Genoa, the night was an emotional return to the Olimpico for coach Daniele De Rossi and for Stephan El Shaarawy, both former Roma men, and the visitors arrived fresh from their first Serie A win of the season, against Fiorentina. Italy under-19 international Samuel Wiafe made his first Serie A start for Genoa.
The first half ended goalless, with Roma controlling the ball but failing to find a finish, and Genoa holding the early moments. El Shaarawy nearly scored on his return after nine minutes, Pierluigi Gollini parrying with his legs at the near post. Roma came close on the half hour, when Leonardo Balerdi nodded a Niccolo Pisilli corner onto the crossbar, and Genoa rattled the woodwork too, an El Shaarawy first time strike bouncing off the bar from the edge of the area after a block on Milutin Osmajic.
The breakthrough came five minutes after the restart. A corner was knocked down in a crowd at the near post and Castro turned and lifted a looping shot into the far top corner from seven yards. It was his first goal for Roma after joining from Bologna, an improvised finish from the former Bologna striker.
The second goal was the moment of the night. Matias Soule started a run inside his own half, rode two tackles, played a one-two with Lorenzo Pellegrini, and his deflected shot fell to Lulli at the back post. The teenager finished it for his first Serie A goal.
Control after the break
Roma finished with 66 percent of possession and five shots on target to Genoa's one. Genoa goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini was tested by a powerful strike from Milutin Osmajic, but Daniele De Rossi's side created little once they fell behind. Late in the game Genoa gave a Serie A debut to Robinho Junior, the son of the former Milan and Brazil forward Robinho.
The win ended a run of three games without a victory for Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma, who had drawn their previous two Serie A games and lost 4-3 at home to Real Madrid in their previous match. Roma move up from third to second on 17 points. Genoa drops from 17th to 19th on four points.
What is next
Roma host Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League on Tuesday. Genoa are at home to Venezia in Serie A on Sunday, October 25.