Paulo Dybala was simply inspirational with his first Serie A hat-trick since October 2018, including a curler from distance, as Roma swept Torino aside 3-2.
The Giallorossi were still buzzing from Thursday’s Europa League play-off penalty shoot-out win over Feyenoord, with Mile Svilar the hero, but that also brought with it fatigue and injuries to Diego Llorente and Rick Karsdorp. Chris Smalling got his first start since September 1, Evan Ndicka’s first after AFCON and a return to the 3-5-2 formation. Toro also played on Thursday, losing 2-0 at home to Lazio in a rescheduled Serie A Week 21 fixture. Mergim Vojvoda and Adrien Tameze joined Alessandro Buongiorno and Perr Schuurs on the absentee list.
There was a huge opportunity for Roma after 10 minutes when Sardar Azmoun went on the counter and generously rolled across for the unmarked Rasmus Kristensen, who thumped the upright of an open goal when relatively undisturbed.
Antonio Sanabria also fired well wide from a free kick and saw a shot deflected off Smalling, but Toro lost Matteo Lovato to a left calf strain early on.
The Granata remained dangerous on the counter-attack, Raoul Bellanova standing up a cross to the back post for the Samuele Ricci half-volley onto the side-netting.
However, substitute defender Saba Sazonov was late on Azmoun and trod on his foot just inside the box for an inevitable penalty, which Dybala converted sending Vanja Milinkovic-Savic the wrong way to put Roma in front.
Cool, calm & collected from Paulo Dybala 🥶️
📺 Watch Serie A LIVE with @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/CzqWsborgK
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 26, 2024
It lasted barely 120 seconds before Torino got a deserved equaliser, as Bellanova put in yet another cross from the right and Duvan Zapata’s header bounced just in front of Mile Svilar to nestle into the far bottom corner.
𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞 from Duván Zapata!
Torino level the game up just two minutes after Roma open the scoring 🕗 pic.twitter.com/lT13Y2CTrA
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 26, 2024
They nearly went into the break leading, as Svilar got down to beat away the Nikola Vlasic scorcher from distance.
After the restart, Svilar was again tested by Valentin Lazaro at the base of the near post, while Gianluca Mancini couldn’t keep the header down on an Angelino cross.
Roma restored their advantage with a gem of a goal from Dybala, who was a good 25 metres out when he curled a left-foot strike that dipped viciously into the bottom corner beyond Milinkovic-Savic.
TAKE A BOW, PAULO DYBALA! 💎
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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 26, 2024
Dybala wasn’t done yet, as he completed a double give and go with substitute Romelu Lukaku to burst down the left and beat Milinkovic-Savic from the tightest of angles with his left foot. It was his first Serie A hat-trick since October 2018 for Juventus.
Romelu Lukaku 🤝 Paulo Dybala
Dybala bags his third to complete the hat-trick & put Roma 3-1 up 🤩
📺 Watch Serie A LIVE with @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/DPExWBYz0f
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 26, 2024
Vlasic kept trying and fired straight at Svilar, while Dybala tried to set up Edoardo Bove for a tap-in, denied by the Sazonov interception.
It wasn’t over, as Dean Huijsen accidentally prodded a Ricci pull-back from the by-line into his own net from point-blank range.
This set up a tense finale, Duvan Zapata going over surrounded by defenders after a rapid counter-attack.
Roma 3-2 Torino
Dybala pen 42, 57, 69 (R), Duvan Zapata 44 (T), Huijsen og 88 (T)
Player statistic
| 25' |  |
Valentino Lazaro | ||
| 33' | |
Samuele Ricci | ||
| Paulo Dybala |  |
42' | ||
| 44' |  |
Duván Zapata (Assist: Raoul Bellanova) | ||
| Evan Ndicka | |
45+1' |
| Paulo Dybala (Assist: Bryan Cristante) |
|
57' | ||
| Paulo Dybala (Assist: Romelu Lukaku) |
|
69' | ||
| Bryan Cristante | |
85' | ||
| 88' |  |
Dean Huijsen |
Match statistic
