Roma smashed Palermo 5-0 in Giuseppe Iachini’s first game back in charge of the Sicilians at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday evening in Serie A.
Edin Dzeko opened the scoring in the first half before Seydou Keita and a Mohamed Salah brace made the scoreline more emphatic. Dzeko netted a well-deserved second at the death.
Roma controlled the game from the early stages but failed to move the ball around quickly enough to put the Sicilians under too much pressure.
Dzeko missed an absolute sitter in the 26th minute when all he had to do after a Maicon cutback was place the ball into the open goal under no pressure, but the striker somehow contrived to drag his shot wide to whistles from the home support.
Dzeko redeemed himself in the 29th minute after chesting down a cross from the right before driving the ball through the legs of Fabrizio Alastra on the half-volley.
Miralem Pjanic almost doubled the home side’s lead in the 43rd minute after Palermo gave away a cheap free kick but his shot to the goalkeeper’s side of the wall hit the post.
Maicon had a sight of goal one minute into the second half after Radja Nainggolan floated a cross to the Brazilian who fired over on the volley.
Seydou Keita made it 2-0 in the 52nd minute as the ball fell under his feet from a corner and his toe-poked finish found the top corner.
Mohamed Salah scored in the 59th minute after firing across the goalkeeper from a narrow angle after being set up by a tidy Dzeko flick.
Salah scored two minutes later after being shepherded out wide only for the Egyptian to hit the target brilliantly from a seeming impossible angle on the byline.
Dzeko looked to have scored a second but the goal was disallowed for offside.
The Lupi were then able to see out the game comfortably and Kevin Strootman was brought on to a warm reception following his injury troubles.
Dezko made it 5-0 in the 88th minute after heading a lovely Diego Perotti cross into the net.
The result sees Roma go fourth while the Rosanero slip down to 16th and they are just three points clear of the relegation zone.
