ROME: Edin Dzeko hit a brace to go top of the Serie A goal charts on Tuesday as AS Roma thrashed Fiorentina 4-0, extending their 100 percent home record this season to keep the pressure on leaders Juventus.
The win moved Roma up to second on 50 points, four behind Juventus, who play at struggling Crotone on Wednesday.
Dzeko moved on to 17 goals, more than double the amount he scored in a miserable first season with Roma. It was the first time Dzeko has netted at least 17 league goals in a season since he scored 22 for VfL Wolfsburg in 2009/10.
“We’ll see, there are still a lot of matches to play,” Dzeko said when asked if he was targeting Europe’s Golden Shoe, awarded to the top goal-scorer.
“It seemed like an easy victory but it wasn’t. They had us in difficulty in the first half, then we did well after the first goal. I feel good, we’re working hard and you can see that on the pitch.”
Federico Fazio and Radja Nainggolan scored the other goals as Roma moved back two points above Napoli with a dominant performance at a half-empty Stadio Olimpico against Paulo Sousa’s men.
Fiorentina’s heavy defeat has given a minor boost to crisis-hit AC Milan.
Both are among several teams fighting for Europa League places and Milan, who suffered a third straight loss with a 1-0 defeat to Sampdoria on Sunday, moved back above La Viola to seventh.
Published in Dawn February 9th, 2017