Roma hammer Empoli 7-0 for first win of season

Sept 17 (Reuters) - Jose Mourinho's AS Roma earned their first win of the 2023-24 season after two quick-fire goals set them on their way to a 7-0 home trashing of bottom-placed Empoli in Serie A on Sunday.

After a horror start to the season, the victory lifted Roma out of the relegation zone to 12th on four points from four games.

Five different Roma players were on target against powerless Empoli, who remain the only team in Serie A yet to score a goal and collect their first point this season.

"We played well, but we didn't have a 7-0 game," Mourinho told DAZN.

"We played to win calmly and the team played a good match. A bit of ups and downs, even on a physical level. You can see that there are people who don't have the condition to play a 90-minute match."

Paulo Dybala gave Roma the lead, converting from the spot in the second minute after a penalty was awarded for a handball.

Renato Sanches doubled the advantage in the eighth, nodding home a cushioned cross by Rasmus Kristensen, before Empoli's Alberto Grassi made it 3-0 to Roma with an own goal in the 35th minute.

Empoli did not pose a challenge to Mourinho's Roma who were even more comfortable after the break and Dybala scored his second of the night, placing a low finish inside the bottom left corner.

The Argentine striker has opened personal scoring account this season in his second game.

Bryan Cristante fired home from outside the box to make it 5-0 11 minutes from time before new signing Romelu Lukaku added one more with a low shot into the middle of the net in his first Roma start since joining on loan from Chelsea.

Captain Gianluca Mancini completed the rout with a header from Cristante backheel cross following a corner on an entertaining night at the Stadio Olimpico.

Empoli became the third team in the Serie A history to have lost their first four games of a season without scoring, after Mantova in 1964-65 and Padova in 1994-95.

"I believe that at this moment the responsibility isn't just the coach's: It's everyone's, including me," said Empoli sporting director Pietro Accardi.

"It's clear that we will take some time to reflect. There is something that isn't going right."

They next host leaders Inter Milan.

Roma travel to Sheriff Tiraspol in Moldova in the Europa League on Thursday before they visit Torino in the league next Sunday.