(Reuters) – Goals by Romelu Lukaku and Lorenzo Pellegrini helped AS Roma to a 2-0 win over promoted visitors Frosinone in Serie A on Sunday, relieving the pressure on manager Jose Mourinho.
Lukaku deftly changed direction to evade his marker and fire home from 10 metres to give the hosts a 21st minute lead.
Frosinone, who had lost one of their previous 17 away matches, pushed for an equaliser but Roma captain Pellegrini extinguished their hopes with a perfectly timed volley from a free kick seven minutes from the end.
Midfielder Paulo Dybala was instrumental in both goals, providing a pass to set up Lukaku in the box and delivering a precise set piece to Pellegrini for the second.
Roma jumped to 12th place with eight points from seven matches after their second league win of the season. Frosinone are 10th with nine points.
The result ended a disappointing run for Mourinho’s side, who had suffered a 4-1 defeat by Genoa on Thursday, leaving them hovering just above the relegation zone.
After Sunday’s match, Mourinho praised the visitors.
“It was a real team, and that’s something I always like, against a side that has nothing to do with Serie B,” he told DAZN. “Frosinone have a lot of quality, I liked them when analysing them in the build-up and I liked them today.”
For Mourinho the win was a relief after he said on Thursday that he was enduring his worst start to a season as a manager.
“I am very, very happy that they won the game, because when you lose the way we did in midweek, it is not easy. You must be emotionally balanced and have the right mentality to get on that pitch,” he added.
“Having said that, we never felt that the fans were against the team. The support when we were on the bus and in the stadium was extraordinary.
“I knew that whether we won or not today, we would show that we are friends, we are a team, we are united.”
The match at Stadio Olimpico was an intense affair on a humid Rome night, with signs of fatigue evident. The referee had to stop the game for a few minutes after experiencing cramp near the end, resulting in a nine-minute stoppage.
Szczesny heroics earn Juventus goalless draw at Atalanta
Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny put in a superb second-half performance to help the visitors secure a hard-fought 0-0 draw at Atalanta in Serie A on Sunday.
The Poland keeper made a stunning fingertip save late on to divert Luis Muriel’s free kick onto the underside of the bar before the ball hit him on the back and went out for a corner.
A Muriel shot then bounced off Szczesny’s chest but Teun Koopmeiners could not keep his shot down from the rebound.
Juve are fourth with 14 points, trailing leaders Inter Milan by four points, while Atalanta are fifth on 13 points.
