ROME - AS Roma are enjoying a record-breaking start to the season, dominating the offensive rankings in Italy and across Europe. With 12 goals scored from open play in their first five Serie A matches, the Giallorossi are second only to Barcelona among all teams in Europe's top five leagues.
The numbers are clear and confirm an attack in top form. Coach Gasperini's side have netted 14 goals in total while conceding just three, maintaining sole possession of top spot in the standings with 13 points. This output translates to an average of 2.8 goals per game, with at least two scored in each of the first five league fixtures, extending a positive run to ten games that began last season. Top scorer Donyell Malen already has six goals in five appearances.
The attacking numbers
The 37.5% increase in open-play goals compared to last year is the clearest sign of the change. This is complemented by exceptional efficiency from set pieces, with 12 goals scored following a dead-ball situation, the highest figure in Serie A. In Europe, only Barcelona, with 21, have done better than Roma in this specialty. To find other teams with a similar haul from open play you have to look to Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Freiburg and Lille, all stuck on ten.
The manager praised the group's energy. "We must be happy with what we're doing, with the path we're on," he stated. "Not just our condition, not just our enthusiasm, not just our desire to succeed, there's a lot of positive energy in this team and we must continue on this path."
The attacking partnership between Malen and Paulo Dybala is proving to be a lethal weapon, capable of shifting the standings and troubling any defence. The team, unbeaten in their last five games with three wins and two draws, now look ahead to the next away fixture against Como, eighth in the table, scheduled for October 11th. All upcoming fixtures are available on the fixtures page, while the updated table can be checked in the standings. The goal is to maintain this impressive pace.
This story first appeared at sports.yahoo.com
