Mattia Destro and Kevin Strootman got on the scoresheet for Roma as they ran wild over Livorno to record a 3-0 win over Livorno at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday evening.
Rudi Garcia’s side went 2-0 up at the break as they closed the deficit behind league leaders Juventus to five points on the Serie A log.
Roma needed just six minutes to open the scoring when Gervinho flicked back Adem Ljajic’s cross off the byline. It fell in the path of Mattia Destro had finished off with the most simplest of touches. The goal shouldn’t have stood though as the Ivoirian was in an offside position.
Mehdi Benatia came close to doubling the host’s lead with his acrobatic overhead-kick which few just wide of the post in the 17th minute. An ambitious effort by the Moroccan.
The Giallorossi were again denied of another goal when Destro’s snapshot was smothered by Francesco Bardi, before the shot-stopper then prevented Gervinho’s shot from rolling over the line after it initially hit the ‘keepers’ torso.
Destro saw his effort ten minutes from the break cleared off the line, but Kevin Strootman made it 2-0 with his tap-in from the rebound as Roma continued to dominate the display.
Roma thought they had made it 3-0 when Destro’s shot on the edge of the box sliced through the backline and into the back of the net on the brink of the interval. The goal didn’t stand however after Strootman was deemed offside, blocking the passage en-route to goal.
Miralem Pjanic lined-up another powerful drive just after the hour mark, but Bardi did well to get down to turn it behind his post and out for a corner.
The second half seemed to fizzle out somewhat, and it saw Ljajic’s delicate chip just two yards out turned out for a corner after Bardi brilliantly got a hand to it.
The Livorno goalkeeper couldn’t do anything to deny Ljajic’s second strike when he latched onto a ball, cut inside before unleashing a powerful drive on the edge of the box to put the scoreline beyond a result.
