Gasperini's fury at Zaniolo's goal shows Roma's intensity, but second-half lapses remain

Evan Ndicka said Roma eased off after going 4-0 up at half-time in their 10th-round Serie A win at Udinese, but were pleased to secure the three points at the Bluenergy Stadium. The defender spoke to reporters after the match, which Roma dominated in the first half before failing to sustain the same level after the interval. Asked what went wrong in the second half and how important the three points were, Ndicka said: "Obviously, when you close the first half winning 4-0, considering also the many matches we are playing, I don't want to say we already have our minds on the next games, but we dropped the pace a little. In the end, though, we won, and that is the most important thing." The result keeps Roma's campaign moving through a demanding run of fixtures, with the squad facing a crowded calendar. Ndicka was also asked about scoring in Udine and what it meant to close a circle after what happened there two years ago. He replied: "Yes, a circle is closing. I am very happy with my goal in Udine, also because of what happened, but above all I am happy for the team and for these three points." His remarks put the emphasis on collective success over personal milestones, with the victory the key takeaway for a Roma side that took a commanding lead before the break.

Roma eased to a 5-2 win over Udinese, moving to within one point of Inter and Lazio in the table, pending those sides' matches. Five different players scored. Bryan Cristante opened the scoring with a header and then set up Rodrigo Mora's goal to make it 2-0. Donyell Malen completed the hat-trick for 3-0 before Evan N'Dicka made it 4-0 in the 37th minute. Udinese, coached by Runjaic, came back into the game after the break. Zaniolo, the former Roma player, pulled one back, and Palma added a second to make it 4-2. Ghilardi sealed the result late on with the fifth Roma goal. Roma's player ratings: Rodrigo Mora and Malen (7) scored again, Cristante (8) was on the scoresheet with a goal and an assist, and Okoye was given a 4.5.

Bryan Cristante spoke to Dazn after Roma beat Udinese, saying the win was essential to stay in contention and that the team now turns its attention to Manchester. Asked whether Roma must always play at full speed, Cristante said: "Yes. We started the second half well, but we conceded two goals. One from distance and one from a corner. We didn't concede too much, but we have to be more focused. It's fine like this, we'll take it home." He was also asked whether the Cristante of old had returned. "Let's hope so, and it's welcome. The important thing was to win and to keep up our momentum. We had to win to stay close, and we did it, it wasn't easy with so many matches close together." On the table, which looks good, and the fact that goals keep coming, he said: "We'll try. It's difficult, there are many matches against strong teams, but if we play like this there are possibilities. We have to compete to stay there for as long as we can. Serie A isn't easy, but as long as we're in it we'll do everything to stay in it." Roma have been scoring and creating a lot, which Cristante called "very important". He added: "If you score it's easier to win. If we can continue like this, it's better." Looking ahead to the trip to Manchester, he said: "It's always Manchester United, a strong team with a lot of very good players. It will be very difficult in their own stadium, they will want to do well and bounce back. We're going there and we'll try to bring back a result, which would be very important for our position in the Champions League."