Five-star Fiorentina continue strong start to Serie A season by thrashing Roma
The in-form hosts started fast and were ahead inside just nine minutes as Moise Kean - who was an injury doubt before the match - played a lovely one-two with Lucas Beltran before slotting in via the inside of the far post.
Architect of the opener, Beltran coolly slotted past Mile Svilar from the penalty spot to double La Viola’s lead, after ex-Roma player Edoardo Bove was fouled by Zeki Celik in the box.
Ivan Juric was so unhappy with his team’s performance that he made two substitutions just after the half-hour mark, and one of them made an immediate impact.
Manu Kone’s dipping strike cannoned in off the post for his first goal for the Giallorossi, but Fiorentina would punish a lack of concentration from the visitors immediately.
Kean tapped home his second of the game and seventh of the campaign after being picked out by Bove to restore the hosts’ two-goal advantage before the break.
It got even better for La Viola early in the second half, as Bove continued a trend of players scoring and assisting in this match by showing quick feet before neatly converting past Svilar.
Paulo Dybala did his best to try and eat into his side’s deficit, but his whipped free-kick was tipped onto the post by David de Gea just after the hour-mark.
Roma’s mission to salvage something from the match became as good as impossible when Mario Hermoso was sent off for a second bookable offence after pulling down Dodo just outside the box - a disastrous first Serie A start for the Spaniard.
Mats Hummels came on for his Giallorossi debut and had a disastrous impact himself, heading into his own net following a corner as Fiorentina hit Roma for five.
Mercifully, things did not get any worse for the visitors, who have now worryingly lost three of their last five outings.
Goals are clearly an issue for the Giallorossi who have netted just nine times in as many matches, unlike Fiorentina who have rattled in 15 in their last three matches under Raffaele Palladino, as they rise into the top-four.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Edoardo Bove (Fiorentina)