Four days after a difficult result in Manchester, Roma returned to the Olimpico and left no room for doubt. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side dominated Sassuolo from the first whistle, scoring twice inside 30 minutes through Hermoso and a Sebastian Walukiewicz own goal before Rodrigo Mora added a third after the break. The 3-0 final scoreline barely flattered Roma, who finished with an xG of 3.47 against Sassuolo’s 0.3.
Key Moments
- 27′, Hermoso opens the scoring, the defender converting to give Roma the lead and quickly settle any nerves at the Olimpico.
- 30′, Sebastian Walukiewicz turns the ball into his own net to double Roma’s advantage, three minutes after the opener.
- 45′, Sassuolo make two half-time substitutions, withdrawing Nemanja Matic and Simone Cinquegrano, in an attempt to reshape after a punishing first half.
- 58′, Rodrigo Mora finishes from a Donyell Malen assist to put the game beyond any doubt and complete the scoring.
Tactical Breakdown
Roma’s 3-4-2-1 was simply too fluid and too aggressive for a Sassuolo side that never found a foothold. Gasperini’s team controlled 65 percent of possession, completed 644 of 714 passes and generated 28 shots, 25 of them from inside the box. The two goals in three minutes midway through the first half killed Sassuolo’s shape before they could organize any meaningful response.
Sassuolo’s double substitution at half-time, bringing on Kieron Bowie and Ignace Van der Brempt, did little to change the dynamic. Roma simply continued to press high and move the ball quickly. When Rodrigo Mora converted Malen’s assist in the 58th minute, Gasperini felt comfortable enough to rotate, taking off both Mora and Manu Kone in the 66th minute. The game had long been won by the time the bench was emptied.
Sassuolo managed just six shots in total and an xG of 0.3, which tells the full story of their afternoon. Aurelien Lauriente was isolated up front, the midfield of Thorstvedt, Matic and Cinquegrano was overrun before they were both withdrawn at the break, and the back three had no answer to the movement of Hermoso and Rodrigo Mora. With five consecutive defeats and an Aquilani whose post-match comments touched on job security, there is no easy fix on the horizon for the visitors.
Player Ratings
Match Context
Standings
Head To Head
Verdict
Roma sit second in Serie A on 27 points, one behind leaders Lazio and two ahead of Inter, having now gone eight wins and three draws without a league defeat this season. For Sassuolo, eight points from 11 games and a fifth consecutive loss leaves them deep in trouble, and pressure on Alberto Aquilani will only intensify after another lifeless performance on the road.
AS Roma
Sassuolo
Hermoso
Rodrigo Mora