Another win for Roma

Roma assured themselves of their best-ever start to a Serie A season after beating Sampdoria 2-0.

Roma assured themselves of their best-ever start to a Serie A season after beating Sampdoria 2-0 to record a fifth successive win. A 65th-minute opener from defender Medhi Benatia and a first goal in a Giallorosso shirt for Gervinho earned Roma a victory that takes them two points clear at the top of the table with Napoli held at home by Sassuolo. Roma created the best openings to justify a win which increases the pressure on the home team's coach Delio Rossi 10 days after a derby defeat to Genoa left his job on the line. The hosts ended the game with 10 men when Antonino Barilla earned two late yellow cards to compound the Blucerchiati's woes. Roma coach Rudi Garcia, who was sent off early in the second half, afforded himself the luxury of leaving captain Francesco Totti on the bench as he rotated his side. Marquinho had the first chance of the game in the 13th minute, but he sliced his shot from Marco Borriello's knock down. A mistake by the Roma striker sent Manolo Gabbiadini through on goal at the other end, but Morgan De Sanctis made a fine save low to his right to deny what proved to be the home team's best chance of the night. The rest of the game belonged to the Giallorossi, who showed more than just a few glimpses as to why they are leading the way in Serie A. They opened the scoring when defender Benatia dribbled his way through and, despite being fouled as he entered the area, he was still able to stick out his left leg to guide the ball into the bottom left-hand corner. Totti was sent onto the field for the final 20 minutes and he made a telling intervention too, setting up Gervinho for Roma's second two minutes from time. He led an attack with three against three, picking his moment to put the former Arsenal forward through, and he threaded a shot inside the near post to seal victory. Samp lost their temper and Barilla picked up a second yellow card in stoppage time to complete a miserable night for Samp.