Malen the standout as Roma thrash Udinese 4-0 in Friuli

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."

Bryan Cristante has said Roma must stay near the top of Serie A for as long as possible after a 3-0 win...

Bryan Cristante has said it is important for Roma to win in order to build continuity, after the club beat Cagliari in their Serie A ninth-round fixture. Speaking after the match, the Roma midfielder played down the concerns raised by the performance, insisting the team had not conceded much. Roma conceded a goal from a deflection and one from a set piece in the second half. Cristante said the side must nonetheless be more concentrated and that the result was acceptable as the team moves on. Asked whether the team can sustain this run until the end of the season, he said: "We're trying. It's hard, there are many matches and many strong teams, but clearly if we play like this we can make it. As long as we're in it, we'll do everything to stay in it." On the team's attacking options, Cristante said Roma are scoring and creating plenty of chances. "Obviously, the more goals you score, the easier it is to win. If we keep going like this, that's better." Roma now travel to Manchester United, and Cristante described the trip as a difficult one. "It's always Manchester United, a strong team with many good players. It will be very difficult at their place because they will want to do well and bounce back. We're going there and we'll try to bring home the result, as we always do."

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.

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.

Gian Piero Gasperini said Roma's goal tally from many different scorers is a "great signal" after his side beat Udinese 4-0 in the tenth round of Serie A at the Bluenergy Stadium. Roma have scored 28 goals in ten matches, a striking change from last season, and Malen is not the only source of their threat. "The numbers sometimes count and say something. Certainly, as well as scoring many goals, we are scoring them with many different players. This is also a sign of confidence, of many players who now believe they can be decisive, both in the assist, as in this case, and in the finish. So we are scoring more goals and with more players. This is a great signal." Roma led 4-0 at half-time, but the second half saw them ease off, particularly in offensive intensity. Gasperini said the drop was understandable: "I don't know, because even the teams fighting for the top positions have some small problems. I have to say it is quite normal. When you go 4-0 up, although at half-time we told each other to be very careful, keep defending well and not conceding, it is clear something can drop. We play in Manchester in three days, we are playing a lot. This was our eighth match in less than twenty days. So what is lacking is not so much physical strength as a little attention and concentration. Then we conceded a goal from distance that reopened the game a little. It was a bad goal, because we were set up and that is exactly the sign of having switched off mentally. We would never have conceded a goal like that. But it is also true that as soon as we had the chance to accelerate, we could still be dangerous." Asked about the impressive performances of Roma's young players, and Ghilardi's goal, Gasperini credited the group's attitude: "I have the good fortune of having all the players, even the less young ones, who give me great availability. With young players there is always this availability, because they want to emerge and improve. I am lucky to have a group with a fantastic mix. We may have other kinds of faults, but in terms of availability it is total." He added: "Ghilardi, moreover, was quite angry because recently a goal was disallowed for him in the Champions League against Slovan, a really beautiful goal. That desire to score stayed inside him and tonight he scored a beautiful goal." On the physical demands of the calendar, Gasperini said: "A period this long, with this continuity of matches three times a week, I struggle to remember. It has happened to me at other times, for example with Atalanta in the year we won the Europa League. We had reached the final of the Coppa Italia too and were fighting for the Champions League in the league. But that was March-April, a different period. A situation like this I do not remember. There is certainly a lot of fatigue, because the matches you go to play are all high-level and very difficult. I think after the next break, although the commitments will continue to be many, the situation will be a little less heavy. Especially for us, who for almost all of this period have had the absences of Svilar, Koné, Dybala and Pellegrini. Being able to rotate the squad, get everyone playing and distribute minutes is certainly helping us." Asked whether any of the injured players could return before the break, Gasperini said: "It is difficult, but I hope so. In theory all three could recover, but it could also be that none of them do. We will see, this will be a decisive week." On Cristante, who was outstanding, Gasperini said: "The pre-season preparation has stayed the same. What varies a little is the reading of individual players, we also work individually. It is difficult to train Mora the same as Mancini or N'Dicka, we have our own parameters and reads, and we work a lot on the players, that yes. There is a lot of individualised work. Honestly, I remember Cristante like this." He explained that Cristante had been out for a month with a knee injury that affected the collateral ligament, adding: "He has played three games in a row after a month out, a bit like De Roon, the more he plays the better he gets. He recovers quickly and that is a good sign." Gasperini also reflected on the season so far: "You can never know beforehand what will happen. I have a group that is hungry to improve and sets team goals to get better, we are not thinking about anything grand. Tactical work we do not have much time for, we learn during matches. By playing we have undoubtedly grown, and we have great confidence in the whole squad. Using everyone also helps, so everyone is ready." On the attacking play, he said: "I see myself in all the concepts of play. There were also goals of fine quality, N'Dicka scoring with a header from a corner, and all the others were fine assists with equally fine goals. Right now everyone is in confidence, when we get there there is aggression from everyone." Roma return to Manchester in three days' time, with Gasperini's side facing a demanding run of matches before the international break.

Roma produced a dominant display to beat Udinese 5-2 at the Bluenergy Stadium in the tenth round of Serie A, with Cristante, Rodrigo Mora, Malen, Ndicka and Ghilardi all on the scoresheet. Cristante was named the best player on the pitch by the Giallorossi.net editorial team, which rated him 8 out of 10, after a first half the reviewer described as monstrous: he opened the scoring with a header and then set up Rodrigo Mora for the second goal. Soulé was credited with an assist for the third goal and also set up Ndicka's header for the fourth. The result was a commanding performance from Gasperini's side, who were rated 7.5 for the manager's work despite heavy absences. The first half was largely one-sided, with Roma playing an attacking, brilliant brand of football. The second half was more loose, and Udinese scored twice, though the reviewer felt those goals were avoidable and did not detract from a strong evening. Ghilardi was rated 7.5 and was praised for playing with a composure surprising for his age, staying clean in his challenges and sealing the win with a late goal. Ndicka, rated 7, was described as attentive and was rewarded with a headed goal that made it 4-0 for the time being. Hermoso, rated 6.5, was praised for his passing and his quality with the ball. Soulé was rated 7.5 and was singled out for quality, personality and an added concreteness, with the reviewer saying he had finally made the step up that had long been asked of him. De Roon, rated 7, was praised for taking control of midfield and for his positioning. Wesley, rated 6.5, was credited with the cross for Cristante's opening header but was criticised for avoidable technical errors. Molina, rated 6, was judged to have been less convincing and was said to have made numerous simple mistakes. Gollini was rated 6, having had little to do in the first half before being beaten twice after the break. Rodrigo Mora, rated 7, scored the second goal, his third of the season, despite limited minutes, and was described as a player who knows how to find the net. Malen, rated 7, had a missed chance against the crossbar but then produced a clinical left-foot finish past Okoye. Malen was described as always dangerous, and Castro, rated 6, came on and was said to have been repeatedly called back to the bench by Gasperini before providing the pass for Ghilardi's late goal. Pisilli was rated 6 after coming on, and Koulierakis and Rensch and Mancini all came on late in the game without leaving a mark.

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.

Gian Piero Gasperini said Roma's goal tally from many different scorers is a "great signal" after his side beat Udinese 4-0 in the tenth round of Serie A at the Bluenergy Stadium. Roma have scored 28 goals in ten matches, a striking change from last season, and Malen is not the only source of their threat. "The numbers sometimes count and say something. Certainly, as well as scoring many goals, we are scoring them with many different players. This is also a sign of confidence, of many players who now believe they can be decisive, both in the assist, as in this case, and in the finish. So we are scoring more goals and with more players. This is a great signal." Roma led 4-0 at half-time, but the second half saw them ease off, particularly in offensive intensity. Gasperini said the drop was understandable: "I don't know, because even the teams fighting for the top positions have some small problems. I have to say it is quite normal. When you go 4-0 up, although at half-time we told each other to be very careful, keep defending well and not conceding, it is clear something can drop. We play in Manchester in three days, we are playing a lot. This was our eighth match in less than twenty days. So what is lacking is not so much physical strength as a little attention and concentration. Then we conceded a goal from distance that reopened the game a little. It was a bad goal, because we were set up and that is exactly the sign of having switched off mentally. We would never have conceded a goal like that. But it is also true that as soon as we had the chance to accelerate, we could still be dangerous." Asked about the impressive performances of Roma's young players, and Ghilardi's goal, Gasperini credited the group's attitude: "I have the good fortune of having all the players, even the less young ones, who give me great availability. With young players there is always this availability, because they want to emerge and improve. I am lucky to have a group with a fantastic mix. We may have other kinds of faults, but in terms of availability it is total." He added: "Ghilardi, moreover, was quite angry because recently a goal was disallowed for him in the Champions League against Slovan, a really beautiful goal. That desire to score stayed inside him and tonight he scored a beautiful goal." On the physical demands of the calendar, Gasperini said: "A period this long, with this continuity of matches three times a week, I struggle to remember. It has happened to me at other times, for example with Atalanta in the year we won the Europa League. We had reached the final of the Coppa Italia too and were fighting for the Champions League in the league. But that was March-April, a different period. A situation like this I do not remember. There is certainly a lot of fatigue, because the matches you go to play are all high-level and very difficult. I think after the next break, although the commitments will continue to be many, the situation will be a little less heavy. Especially for us, who for almost all of this period have had the absences of Svilar, Koné, Dybala and Pellegrini. Being able to rotate the squad, get everyone playing and distribute minutes is certainly helping us." Asked whether any of the injured players could return before the break, Gasperini said: "It is difficult, but I hope so. In theory all three could recover, but it could also be that none of them do. We will see, this will be a decisive week." On Cristante, who was outstanding, Gasperini said: "The pre-season preparation has stayed the same. What varies a little is the reading of individual players, we also work individually. It is difficult to train Mora the same as Mancini or N'Dicka, we have our own parameters and reads, and we work a lot on the players, that yes. There is a lot of individualised work. Honestly, I remember Cristante like this." He explained that Cristante had been out for a month with a knee injury that affected the collateral ligament, adding: "He has played three games in a row after a month out, a bit like De Roon, the more he plays the better he gets. He recovers quickly and that is a good sign." Gasperini also reflected on the season so far: "You can never know beforehand what will happen. I have a group that is hungry to improve and sets team goals to get better, we are not thinking about anything grand. Tactical work we do not have much time for, we learn during matches. By playing we have undoubtedly grown, and we have great confidence in the whole squad. Using everyone also helps, so everyone is ready." On the attacking play, he said: "I see myself in all the concepts of play. There were also goals of fine quality, N'Dicka scoring with a header from a corner, and all the others were fine assists with equally fine goals. Right now everyone is in confidence, when we get there there is aggression from everyone." Roma return to Manchester in three days' time, with Gasperini's side facing a demanding run of matches before the international break.

Roma routed Udinese 5-2, scoring four times in the opening 37 minutes through Cristante, Mora, Malen and N'Dicka. In the second half, Zaniolo and Palma tried to reopen the game for Udinese before Ghilardi sealed the win with the final goal. Roma's first-half display was enough to settle the match well before the closing stages, with the hosts' four-goal cushion built before half-time.