Pellegrini and Lukaku Propel Roma to Dominant 2-0 Victory Against Nine-Man Napoli

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AS Roma secured a 2-0 home victory over Napoli in Serie A on Saturday, courtesy of goals from Lorenzo Pellegrini and Romelu Lukaku.

The win elevated Roma to sixth place with 28 points, one ahead of Napoli, who slipped to seventh. Matteo Politano and Victor Osimhen received red cards for Napoli.

Walter Mazzarri, in charge since November, has now suffered five defeats in eight competitions.

Pellegrini’s decisive goal came in the 76th minute, with a half-volley into the top corner after a mis-hit shot from Stephan El Shaarawy.

Defending champions Napoli faced adversity as they were reduced to 10 men when Matteo Politano received a red card in the 66th minute for kicking out at Nicola Zalewski, who had pulled him back by his jersey.

Victor Osimhen received his second yellow card in the 86th minute, leaving Napoli with nine men. Goalkeeper Alex Meret played a crucial role in keeping the score at 1-0, but Romelu Lukaku secured the win for AS Roma in the 96th minute as Napoli sought a late equalizer.

Romelu Lukaku orchestrated a decisive counter-attack for AS Roma, receiving the ball in the Napoli half and passing to Evan Ndicka. Ndicka returned the ball to Lukaku, who clinically struck it into the net.

In the first half, the referee issued six yellow cards, including bookings for both managers. Despite Napoli dominating possession, Roma appeared more threatening.

Roma manager Jose Mourinho expressed confidence in winning the game early on, stating, “Roma came in very, very well, we were always in control against a much stronger team from a technical point of view.”

The match saw a close chance for Roma when Lukaku set up Edoardo Bove, whose shot from the edge of the area hit the crossbar.

Matteo Politano’s red card changed the dynamics, prompting Mourinho’s triple substitution. Lorenzo Pellegrini, making an immediate impact, scored the opening goal with his first touch.

“With 10 men, we had an advantage, we took advantage of it well with the changes and with our interpretation. I think it’s a well-deserved victory,” Mourinho remarked.

Napoli struggled to mount a comeback, with goalkeeper Alex Meret making a crucial save from a Lukaku attempt. Victor Osimhen’s red card dashed Napoli’s hopes of equalizing.

In another Serie A fixture, Bologna secured a 1-0 victory over Atalanta, moving back up to fourth place, with Lewis Ferguson scoring the decisive late goal.

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