Roma win ugly in Tuscan tussle with Empoli
The visitors’ star-studded attack quickly set about making their presence felt at Carlo Castellani Stadium and, although Dybala somehow found the post from close range early on, he made amends in superb fashion. A fluffed clearance by Sebastiano Luperto fell at the Argentine’s feet before an instinctive touch and left-footed finish flew into the top corner - his 27th strike from outside the box since 2012, which nobody in Serie A can beat over the same period.
The Giallorossi failed to kick on, however, and a disjointed performance quietened the thousands of rowdy traveling fans. Martín Satriano fired the first Empoli warning shot when his header struck the post but captain Filippo Bandinelli soon succeeded where his team-mate failed by ghosting into the box and calmly nodding past Rui Patrício.
An action-packed contest continued much the same after the break as Roma’s Roger Ibañez saw his header cleared off the line before the lively Satriano poked his finish a whisker wide. Mourinho may have been growing concerned on the touchline with time slipping away but Dybala provided another moment of brilliance, whipping a cross to the far post where Tammy Abraham volleyed in his second league goal of the campaign. Somehow, there was still time for a missed penalty and a red card as Lorenzo Pellegrini struck the crossbar from the spot and Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro was given his marching orders for a high challenge on Chris Smalling to cap off a breathless affair.
The result came at the perfect time for Roma, who now face a daunting triple-header with Atalanta, Inter Milan and Real Betis. Empoli, meanwhile, made it 14 H2H clashes without victory over the Giallorossi as their search goes on for just a third league win this calendar year.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Martín Satriano (Empoli)