Paulo Dybala bagged a brace, while Renato Sanches and Romelu Lukaku scored their maiden goals as Roma got the first win of the season, thrashing sorry Empoli 7-0.
The Giallorossi had just one point from three rounds, but started the new Lukaku-Dybala partnership for the first time, along with Evan N’Dicka’s Serie A debut, as Houssem Aouar, Chris Smalling and Lorenzo Pellegrini joined Tammy Abraham and Marash Kumbulla on the treatment table. Rock bottom Empoli had no points or even goals, missing Daniel Maldini and Elia Caprile.
It was the ideal start for the hosts, because Sebastian Walukiewicz was so busy looking at Lukaku that he lost sight of the Rasmus Kristensen cross from the right and blocked it with his arm. Dybala converted the penalty into the top corner, despite Etrit Berisha going the right way.
Renato Sanches was rushed back into the starting XI after injury and got the second goal, as he spread the play down the right for Kristensen and was allowed a free header on the cross back in from 12 yards.
Leandro Paredes tried to curl in directly from the corner flag and almost managed it, thumping the inside of the far top corner where the upright met the crossbar.
Roma added a third in odd circumstances, as Bryan Cristante completed a give and go with Lukaku, but when he was about to take the shot, Bartosz Bereszynski and Alberto Grassi both went sliding in to block, leading to a strange ricochet that took it over Berisha.
Matteo Cancellieri almost let his temper get the better of him with a gesture of a headbutt towards N’Dicka, but the debutant also tried to make the most of what seemed like barely any contact.
In first half stoppages, Rui Patricio got down to push a Bereszynski snapshot round the base of the near post, but it was one-way traffic in the Eternal City.
Dybala added a fourth of pure style, meeting the Cristante pass to burst into the box, with a drop of the shoulder sent Sebastiano Luperto to ground and swept the finish past the on-rushing Berisha.
It was almost a hat-trick for La Joya moments later, his free kick from the edge of the box going over the wall and thumping the crossbar.
Rui Patricio had to smother a Ciccio Caputo glancing header at the near post, then Tommaso Baldanzi’s long-range strike bounced off the base of the far upright for what was almost Empoli’s first goal of the season.
Instead, Cristante made sure he did get on the scoresheet after that earlier own goal, as Andrea Belotti laid it off and he hit a long-range right-foot ground to air missile into the far top corner.
There was still one thing left to do, Lukaku getting his maiden goal for the Giallorossi, which came moments later from another Belotti assist. Il Gallo sent a perfectly weighted through ball to send Lukaku clear and he rolled it past the on-rushing Berisha.
Sardar Azmoun came off the bench for his Serie A debut and there was a seventh goal, a corner finding the acrobatic Cristante back-heel flick for Gianluca Mancini’s header from point-blank range.
Roma 7-0 Empoli
Dybala 2, 55 (R), Renato Sanches 8 (R), Grassi og 35 (R), Cristante 80 (R), Lukaku 82 (R), Mancini 85 (R)
