Roma suffered a historic defeat at home to Empoli on Sunday, losing 2-1 in a Serie A match that marked the first time the capital club has ever been defeated by the Tuscan side at the Stadio Olimpico.
Paulo Dybala’s decision to remain in Rome was expected to bolster Daniele De Rossi’s team, but instead, the Giallorossi delivered a lackluster performance that ended in a surprising loss. Emmanuel Gyasi opened the scoring for Empoli with a close-range finish just before half-time, and Lorenzo Colombo doubled the visitors’ lead with a penalty in the 61st minute.
Roma managed to pull one goal back when Eldor Shomurodov found the net with 10 minutes left on the clock. Despite the late push, Roma was unable to complete the comeback. The match saw Dybala, along with teammates Lorenzo Pellegrini and Gianluca Mancini, hit the woodwork, adding to Roma’s frustration.
The home crowd expressed their discontent, booing the team off the pitch after Roma fell behind by two goals to a side expected to be in the relegation fight this season.
“We were lacking energy and intensity… We played well in the second half but it wasn’t enough, and if you don’t play well in the first half things aren’t going to go well for you,” said De Rossi to Sky Sport.
Roma will need to regroup quickly as they prepare to face Juventus in Turin next weekend.
Adams Emulates Law in Torino’s Victory Over Atalanta
Earlier in the day, Che Adams made his mark in Torino’s 2-1 victory over Atalanta, scoring the decisive goal and becoming the first Scottish player to score for the club since Denis Law during the 1961/62 season.
Adams, who joined Torino as a free agent last month, netted his first goal for the club four minutes after half-time, capitalizing on a saved shot from Duvan Zapata. This goal followed his assist for Ivan Ilic’s equalizer in the 31st minute, making Adams’ home debut a successful one.
The win was sealed when Torino goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic saved a penalty from Mario Pasalic in stoppage time, ensuring that Torino claimed all three points and moved to four points from their first two matches.
The match was played against a backdrop of fan protests, with thousands of supporters marching to the stadium to demand that club owner Urbano Cairo sell the team after 19 years of ownership.
