Key Highlights
Roma imposed themselves at the Bluenergy Stadium to leave Udinese with nothing to show, winning by five goals to two. Matias Soulé was the outstanding influence on the evening, his energy and creativity underpinning a clinical attacking performance that never allowed the home side to settle.
First Half
Udinese began with a degree of intent, Lennon Miller forcing an early save, but Roma soon seized the initiative. Bryan Cristante rose to head Roma in front in the tenth minute and his presence at the base of the visitors work paid further dividends as Roma built pressure. Between the twenty ninth and thirty ninth minute Roma produced a decisive spell: Soulé struck the post before Rodrigo Mora converted a Bryan Cristante pass in the thirty first minute, Donyell Malen finished a swift move in the thirty fourth minute from Soulé's layoff, and Evan N'Dicka nodded home from a corner in the thirty seventh minute after another delivery from Soulé. The half belonged to Roma by some distance; they edged possession, produced the lion's share of the big chances and registered a far higher expected goals total, and they went in at the interval leading by four goals to nil.
Second Half
The second half was more even and Udinese responded with urgency. Nicolò Zaniolo gave the home fans hope with an unassisted finish in the fiftieth minute and Udinese's attacking numbers improved as the half went on. Substitutes stirred both sides and Udinese enjoyed a clear spell around the seventieth minute that ultimately came to nothing, though they did work a corner that Matteo Palma converted in the seventy eighth minute through Hassane Kamara's delivery. Roma rarely panicked, protected their cushion and then sealed the victory in stoppage time when Daniele Ghilardi finished a move set up by Santiago Castro. Statistically the second half belonged to Udinese in terms of shots and expected goals, but Roma's early first half superiority had already decided the match and they held on to win by five goals to two.
Closing Thoughts
This result compounds Udinese's difficulties; they remain close to the foot of the table with only a handful of points from their opening nine games and now travel to Venezia next week needing answers at the back. For Roma the victory sustained their unbeaten start and keeps them among the league leaders as they return home to face Sassuolo. The match underlined contrasting lessons: Udinese showed greater threat after the break but their first-half defensive fragility was costly, and Roma demonstrated how a brief, ruthless spell can determine a game, with Matias Soulé and Bryan Cristante central to an emphatic away performance.
