Roma 5-1 Carpi: Garcia's five-star men leave new boys winless
The Giallorossi move up to third place in Serie A
after dispatching Carpi in resounding fashion with
goals from five different scorers, including
Miralem Pjanic and Gervinho
Roma made light work of Carpi at the Stadio
Olimpico, returning to winning ways in Serie A
with a 5-1 victory over the struggling visitors.
Rudi Garcia's men scored three goals in seven
minutes to storm into a three-goal lead by the
half-hour mark, with Kostas Manolas, Miralem
Pjanic and Gervinho all finding the target.
Carpi pulled one back before the break through
former Roma man Marco Borriello, but goals from
Mohamed Salah and Lucas Digne saw the hosts
gain an unassailable lead.
Both sides had opportunities to net the game's
seventh goal, but Gervinho hit the
woodwork before Morgan De Sanctis denied
Ryder Matos from the spot in the closing stages,
leaving the visitors without a top-flight win this
season.
It was Carpi who forged the first chance of the
game, but after Borriello danced his way into the
box he was denied at the near post by a fingertip
save from De Sanctis.
It proved costly for the visitors, who found
themselves behind in the 24th minute as Manolas
tucked home his first goal for the club following a
wayward shot from Digne.
By the 31st minute Garcia's men had added a
further two to their tally.
Pjanic's wonderfully executed 20-yard free kick
dumbfounded Zeljko Brkic before Gervinho
volleyed home after the keeper could only parry a
shot from Maicon straight to him.
Borriello reduced the deficit ahead of the interval,
but six minutes after the restart the hosts
restored their three-goal cushion when Salah
added the finishing touch after Francesco Totti
had been denied by Brkic on the counter-attack.
There could have been a second for Borriello but
he fired wide after pouncing on a loose touch from
Radja Nainggolan in the box and Digne quickly
grabbed Roma's fifth, opening his account for the
club as he headed home at the back post following
a cross from Maicon with 68 minutes on the clock.
Only the post stopped Gervinho from extending
the hosts' advantage, but a foul from Maicon
gifted Carpi another chance to reduce the deficit
with 15 minutes remaining.
However, Matos was denied from the spot by De
Sanctis, who showed agility belying his years to
get up and keep out the Brazilian's follow-up
effort as well.
Victory sends Roma, temporarily at least, up to
third position in the table, while Carpi continue to
languish in the relegation zone with just two points
from their opening six fixtures.
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