Roma Crush Lecce 4-0 as Malen Brace Turns Perfect Start Into Early Serie A Warning

Roma have needed only two Serie A matches to make Gian Piero Gasperini’s second season look considerably more dangerous than a routine top-four campaign.

A week after dismantling Fiorentina 4-0 at the Stadio Olimpico, Roma went to Lecce and produced another four-goal victory, winning 4-0 at the Via del Mare through a Donyell Malen brace, Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora.

Eight goals scored.

Zero conceded.

Six points from six.

The numbers are impressive enough. The way Roma have produced them is more important.

Against Fiorentina, Malen scored a hat trick while Paulo Dybala created all three of his goals. Against Lecce, Roma found several different routes to attack, scored three times before halftime, controlled the second half and introduced enough quality from the bench to add a fourth through Mora.

That is beginning to look less like an early-season burst and more like a team whose attacking relationships have moved forward significantly from last year.

Our complete Serie A 2026-27 preview identified Roma as the strongest dark-horse challenger to defending champions Inter because Gasperini was entering his second season with a squad already familiar with his demands.

Two games do not settle a title race.

They can reveal whether an idea is working.

Roma’s idea currently looks very healthy.

Lecce vs Roma: Match Summary

Match detail	Information
Competition	Serie A 2026-27
Matchday	2
Venue	Stadio Ettore Giardiniero – Via del Mare, Lecce
Result	Lecce 0-4 Roma
Roma scorers	Donyell Malen 4′, 23′; Matías Soulé 25′; Rodrigo Mora 65′
Halftime	Lecce 0-3 Roma
Roma league record	Played 2, Won 2
Goals scored	8
Goals conceded	0
Points	6

The fixture formed part of Serie A Matchday 2, with the official Lega Serie A platform carrying the league schedule and competition information. Roma’s own official opening-five-match schedule confirmed the August 31 trip to Lecce before the season began.

Malen Needed Four Minutes to Continue Where He Left Off

Donyell Malen arrived in Lecce with momentum already approaching extraordinary levels.

He had scored three times against Fiorentina in Roma’s opening match.

Four minutes into Matchday 2, he scored again.

Lecce made the mistake that Gasperini teams are built to punish. Roma recovered possession high enough up the field for Paulo Dybala to become involved immediately, and Malen finished before the home side could reorganize.

The goal mattered beyond its timing.

It showed that Roma did not travel south intending to manage the match cautiously after their opening-week statement.

They attacked Lecce from the start.

For Malen, the run now stands at four league goals in the opening two matches of the new campaign.

That follows a 2025-26 season in which he had already established himself among Serie A’s leading scorers.

Our earlier Serie A title-race analysis highlighted Malen as one of the central reasons Roma could move closer to Italy’s elite this season.

The first two matches have strengthened that argument considerably.

Why Malen Fits Gasperini So Well

Malen is dangerous because he does not behave like a traditional fixed No. 9.

He attacks gaps.

He moves across center backs.

He can receive in transition, arrive from wider areas and finish quickly before defensive lines settle.

Those traits fit Gasperini’s attacking structure almost perfectly.

Roma’s possession is designed to drag defenders into individual decisions.

Once those decisions create space, the forwards have to recognize it immediately.

Malen does.

His second goal came in the 23rd minute after Wesley advanced and delivered from the left side. Malen’s movement separated him from the defensive line, and his finish made the score 2-0.

Five goals across the first two league fixtures would have sounded unrealistic before kickoff against Fiorentina.

After 23 minutes in Lecce, it had become reality.

Soulé Made It Three Before Lecce Could Recover

Lecce barely had time to process Malen’s second goal.

Two minutes later, Matías Soulé made it 3-0.

The sequence captured the part of Roma’s performance that should concern future opponents.

Gasperini’s side did not retreat after scoring.

They kept attacking the destabilized phase immediately after Lecce conceded.

That is often where strong teams separate themselves from merely competent ones.

A goal changes the opponent’s emotional and tactical organization.

For a few minutes, spacing becomes less disciplined, midfielders step into areas they were previously protecting and defenders become caught between aggression and caution.

Roma attacked that uncertainty.

By the 25th minute, the contest was already moving away from Lecce.

Dybala Did Not Need to Score to Control the Attack

Paulo Dybala’s first two league matches offer an interesting example of influence without necessarily dominating the final scoreline.

Against Fiorentina, he supplied three assists for Malen’s hat trick.

In Lecce, his pressure and awareness contributed to the opening goal and his movement continued creating uncertainty between Lecce’s midfield and defensive lines.

Dybala’s value to this Roma side comes from his ability to occupy areas that defenders find difficult to hand over.

If a center back follows him, space opens behind.

If a midfielder takes responsibility, Roma can create an overload elsewhere.

If nobody follows him closely enough, he receives facing goal.

Malen benefits directly from that uncertainty.

The relationship is becoming one of the early stories of Serie A.

Roma’s First 25 Minutes Were More Important Than the Final Score

A 4-0 result naturally attracts attention.

The opening 25 minutes contained the more revealing evidence.

Roma scored three times before Lecce had established any meaningful control of the match.

The first goal came from pressure and transition.

The second came through movement and delivery from wide.

The third arrived during the psychological disruption created by conceding again.

Three goals.

Three different attacking situations.

That variety is exactly what Roma need if they are going to challenge across both Serie A and the Champions League.

Lecce Could Not Escape Roma’s Man-Oriented Pressure

Gasperini’s football asks uncomfortable questions of teams trying to build from the back.

Roma press aggressively into individual matchups.

Center backs are willing to follow players away from conventional defensive positions.

Wing-backs push high.

Midfielders step forward instead of protecting space passively.

The objective is not simply to win the ball.

It is to remove the opponent’s comfortable passing options before the next pass is played.

Lecce struggled to solve that pressure early.

When the hosts attempted to play through it, Roma repeatedly found opportunities to attack before Lecce could regain their shape.

The opening goal grew from exactly that type of moment.

Three at Halftime Allowed Roma to Play a Different Second Half

Gasperini did not need the second half to become another 45-minute sprint.

At 3-0, Roma’s task changed.

They needed control.

The team could lower the amount of unnecessary risk, preserve energy and manage the match without inviting Lecce into a comeback.

That ability will become increasingly important once Champions League fixtures begin.

Roma cannot play every domestic game as if energy is unlimited.

Our UEFA draw-week analysis examined how European league-phase schedules reduce training and recovery time for clubs competing on multiple fronts.

Roma are one of those teams.

Building enough advantage early to manage later stages of matches could become an important part of surviving the calendar.

Rodrigo Mora Added the Fourth and Showed Roma’s Depth

Rodrigo Mora completed the scoring in the 65th minute.

The goal did more than turn a comfortable victory into another 4-0 result.

It showed Gasperini can change attacking personnel without removing the threat.

That becomes essential across a season containing Serie A, Champions League football and domestic cup commitments.

Roma cannot ask Malen, Dybala and Soulé to carry every attacking minute between August and May.

Mora’s ability to enter and affect matches gives the coach another route.

So does Santiago Castro, another forward option added to a squad that already contained enough attacking talent to finish third last season.

Two Matches, Eight Goals, Zero Conceded

Roma’s first two Serie A results now read:

Opponent	Result	Roma goals	Goals conceded
Fiorentina	4-0 win	4	0
Lecce	4-0 win	4	0
Total	2 wins	8	0

Our opening-weekend Serie A wrap noted that Inter initially set the standard with their 4-1 victory over Monza.

Roma have now responded with two performances that belong in the same early conversation.

The season remains only two matches old.

Eight goals without conceding still represent a meaningful starting point.

The Clean Sheets Matter as Much as the Goals

Gasperini is known primarily for attacking football.

The defensive start may prove more important.

Roma finished third last season because their structure became more reliable as the campaign developed.

They now appear to have carried that organization into the new season while increasing attacking output.

Mile Svilar has not yet conceded in the league.

Gianluca Mancini, Evan Ndicka, Mario Hermoso and the wider defensive group have protected the penalty area while still being asked to defend aggressively away from their own goal.

That balance is difficult.

Gasperini’s system can look spectacular when the press works.

When timing is poor, the same aggression can expose enormous spaces.

Roma have avoided that problem through two matches.

Gasperini’s Second Season Is Beginning to Look Different

This was one of the key reasons we placed Roma high in our preseason projections.

Gasperini’s football contains too many coordinated movements to become automatic immediately.

His teams need time to understand pressing triggers, defensive rotations, wing-back positioning and how attacking players exchange spaces.

Roma spent last season learning.

They finished third with 73 points and closed the campaign with a seven-match unbeaten run.

The second season begins with a team that no longer appears to be learning the basic language.

Players are acting earlier.

The press is arriving faster.

Attacking movements look more instinctive.

That can produce an enormous difference over 38 matches.

Malen Is Already Turning Preseason Potential Into Production

Before the campaign, our Serie A team-by-team analysis listed Malen among the players capable of shaping the season.

His first two games have justified the attention.

Three goals against Fiorentina.

Two against Lecce.

Five league goals in two matches.

Strikers sometimes begin seasons with numbers inflated by penalties, rebounds or one unusually chaotic match.

Malen’s goals are arriving through repeatable patterns.

Movement behind defenders.

Attacks into open channels.

Quick finishing after turnovers.

Combinations with Dybala and the wing-backs.

That makes the start considerably more interesting than a temporary scoring streak.

Wesley’s Role Is Becoming Increasingly Important

The second Malen goal highlighted another part of Roma’s attacking structure.

Wesley provided the delivery after advancing into space.

Gasperini’s wing-backs are essential because they determine the width of the entire system.

If the wide players remain too deep, Roma’s central attackers become crowded.

If they advance at the right moments, the opposition back line has to stretch.

That creates the gaps Malen wants.

Wesley’s involvement therefore goes beyond assists and crosses.

His positioning changes where defenders have to stand.

Marten de Roon Gives Gasperini Another Familiar Tool

Roma arrived in Lecce after adding Marten de Roon, one of the players most closely associated with Gasperini’s Atalanta era.

The coach explained before the game that the move developed within 24 to 48 hours after an opportunity emerged.

De Roon gives Roma something Gasperini understands completely: tactical reliability.

He knows the pressing demands.

He knows when to cover an advancing defender.

He understands how the midfield should react when Roma lose possession.

That familiarity can become especially useful as the schedule becomes more congested.

Roma’s official pre-Lecce press conference included Gasperini’s explanation of how quickly the De Roon deal came together.

The Champions League Changes the Size of Roma’s Test

Domestic form is only one part of Roma’s 2026-27 season.

Their return to the Champions League places a different level of demand on the squad.

Our full Champions League draw analysis showed the scale of the challenge.

Roma will host Real Madrid, Sporting CP, Lille and Slovan Bratislava.

They must travel to Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Fenerbahçe and AEK Athens.

That schedule will test every area currently looking comfortable in Serie A.

The away matches at PSG and Manchester United in particular will ask whether Roma’s aggressive defensive structure can survive against elite transition attacks.

PSG have already demonstrated the resilience available in their own squad this season, recovering from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Lille, a match examined in our Lille vs PSG analysis.

Roma therefore need depth before the European schedule begins, not after fatigue appears.

Roma’s Next Match Will Tell Us More

Lecce are not expected to challenge for the Scudetto.

Neither were Fiorentina expected to provide the league’s strongest title test in Matchday 1.

The next game changes the level.

Roma host Atalanta on September 5.

That fixture carries several layers.

Gasperini faces the club where he built one of modern Serie A’s most recognizable tactical identities.

Atalanta now operate under Maurizio Sarri.

Roma will face a team capable of testing their pressure, midfield spacing and defensive transitions more severely than Lecce managed.

A third victory would move the conversation beyond an encouraging opening.

How Roma Compare With the Other Perfect Starters

Serie A’s opening rounds have already produced several clubs with six points.

AC Milan have also started perfectly, including a 2-0 win over Venezia in which Gonçalo Ramos finally broke the resistance after halftime.

Our analysis of Milan’s second victory showed a very different type of contender.

Milan have needed patience.

Roma have overwhelmed both opponents early.

Inter remain the defending champions and the benchmark.

Juventus and Lazio have also started strongly.

August cannot tell us which team will survive the winter.

It can tell us which sides have entered the season with fewer unresolved problems.

Roma currently belong near the top of that list.

Why the Lecce Result Is More Useful Than Another Home Rout

The Fiorentina victory came at the Olimpico.

The atmosphere, momentum and opening-night energy all favored Roma.

Lecce required something else.

Roma had to travel.

They had to deal with a team coming off a 2-0 opening victory over Venezia.

They had to prove the Fiorentina performance had not depended on one exceptional evening.

They answered within 25 minutes.

That is valuable because title challenges are rarely destroyed by matches against direct rivals.

They are often damaged by dropped points in fixtures where strong teams are expected to win.

Our season preview repeatedly identified consistency against the middle and lower half as one of the areas that could separate Inter from the challengers.

Roma took care of this one emphatically.

Lecce’s Biggest Problem Was That Every Error Became Dangerous

Eusebio Di Francesco’s side had beaten Venezia 2-0 in their opening match.

They entered the home opener with three points and reasonable confidence.

Roma removed that confidence quickly.

Lecce’s early mistake produced Malen’s opening goal.

Their inability to recover defensive width contributed to the second.

The emotional reaction to falling two behind created space for the third.

Against many opponents, one structural error costs a chance.

Against Roma in their current form, it is beginning to cost goals.

Roma Are Beginning to Build a Title Argument

Calling any club a title favorite after two games would be irresponsible.

Roma can still build a credible argument.

They finished third last season.

The coach has continuity.

The system is established.

Malen is scoring at an extraordinary rate.

Dybala remains creatively influential.

Soulé is producing.

Mora and Castro provide alternatives.

The defensive structure has opened with two clean sheets.

Our preseason projection placed Roma second behind Inter because the second-year Gasperini effect appeared capable of producing a significant step forward.

The first 180 league minutes have done nothing to weaken that forecast.

The Hard Part Begins Now

Roma’s schedule will become much less forgiving.

Atalanta arrive next.

Then comes Torino away.

Inter follow later in September.

Champions League football begins adding travel and recovery pressure.

The current attacking rhythm will be tested by stronger defensive structures.

The defensive record will be tested by attackers capable of punishing the space Gasperini deliberately leaves behind his press.

This is when an exciting start either becomes evidence of progress or settles back into normal early-season volatility.

Final Analysis: Roma Are Winning Before Matches Become Complicated

The most impressive element of Roma’s opening two matches is not simply that they have scored eight times.

It is when those goals have arrived.

Against Lecce, Malen scored after four minutes.

He scored again after 23.

Soulé made it three two minutes later.

Roma did not spend an hour searching for solutions.

They imposed the problem immediately.

That makes the second half easier.

It allows Gasperini to manage minutes.

It gives substitutes opportunities without asking them to rescue the result.

It reduces the number of high-risk possessions required late in matches.

Across a season containing Champions League football, those small advantages accumulate.

Roma have not proved they can challenge Inter for 38 games.

They have shown why the possibility deserves to be taken seriously.

Two matches into the campaign, Gasperini’s side have scored eight, conceded none and turned both fixtures into comfortable wins before the final phase arrived.

Fiorentina supplied the first warning.

Lecce showed it was not an isolated performance.

Atalanta will provide the first serious examination of what Roma have become.