Dzeko off the mark with a brace as Roma thump Benevento

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:13 am

AS Roma forward Edin Dzeko scored his first two goals of the season as his side came from behind to thump Benevento 5-2 in Serie A on Sunday, while Carles Perez crowned their performance with an outstanding solo goal.

Roma have seven points from four games and are still unbeaten on the pitch. Their only defeat, 3-0 to Verona, was decided by a disciplinary panel after they irregularly fielded Amadou Diawara in the game that ended 0-0.

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Benevento, who have six points, went ahead in the fifth minute with a shot from Gianluca Caprari which took a deflection and looped over Antonio Mirante.

Pedro levelled in the 31st minute from Lorenzo Pellegrini's pass and Roma took the lead with a Route One goal four minutes later.

Mirante's long goal kick found Henrikh Mkhitaryan and the Armenian sent a diagonal pass between two defenders for Dzeko to sidefoot into the far corner.

Mkhitaryan himself had another goal chalked off following a long VAR review for offside in the buildup.

Roma midfielder Jordan Veretout clumsily gave away a penalty early in the second and, although Giancarlo Lapadula's effort was saved by Mirante, he equalised from the rebound.

Veretout put Roma back in front from another penalty and Dzeko finished off a counter-attack for the fourth before Perez completed the win in style.

The substitute collected the ball in his own half, charged forward, slipped between two defenders and rifled home from the edge of the area.