Mkhitaryan scores, assists to help Roma seal 4-0 win against Lecce

PanARMENIAN.Net - Roma enjoyed their first home league win for more than two months when they hammered Lecce 4-0 in Serie A on Sunday, February 23, helped by an inspirational performance from Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the Mail Online says.

Paulo Fonseca's fifth-placed side, suffering from the inconsistency which has dogged them over the last few seasons, had lost their previous three league games.

Lecce had won their last three, but the hosts made surprisingly light work of the 16th-placed visitors, who were unable to extend their three-point gap from the relegation zone.

The match was one of only two played in Serie A on Sunday due to the coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy. Four others were called off, including third-placed Inter Milan's game at home to Sampdoria.

"Mkhitaryan is a great player, he makes the right decisions in the final third of the pitch and gives continuity to our attack," said Roma coach Paulo Fonseca.

Mkhitaryan set up the first goal in the 13th minute when he laid off the ball for Cengiz Under to burst through the Rome defence and comfortably beat Mauro Vigorito.

The Armenian scored the second himself when he ran on to Edin Dzeko's pass and turned a first-time shot under Vigorito eight minutes before halftime.

The third came in the 69th minute from Dzeko who beat Vigorito at the second attempt and saw the offside flag go up before the goal was awarded thanks to a VAR review.

Aleksandar Kolarov completed the scoring as Roma won a league match at the Stadio Olimpico for the first time since December 15.