Marco Borriello headed his first goal of the season to secure a 1-0 win for AS Roma over AC Chievo Verona that extended the league leaders’ all-time Serie A record for opening season wins to 10 on Thursday.
Roma, who have scored 24 and conceded just once this campaign, restored their lead of five points on second-placed SSC Napoli and Juventus after their respective wins over ACF Fiorentina and Catania on Wednesday.
Rudi Garcia’s side were afforded the honor of being the first Italian team to record nine opening wins in succession last weekend thanks to a late 1-0 win away to a feisty Udinese.
However, with Juventus also having achieved that feat during the 2005 and 2006 season, when the Turin giants were stripped of the title and any other related honors, fans of the Giallorossi packed the Stadio Olimipico on Thursday to see more history being made in the Italian capital.
“It’s a nice satisfaction, we’ve made history, but now we have to look ahead to our trip to Torino [tomorrow],” Borriello said.
Roma have so far played down talk of challenging for what would be their first Scudetto since 2001 and Borriello added: “We’re also playing very well away from home, but our objective is [to qualify for] Europe.”
Despite missing captain Francesco Totti and Gervinho through injury and with defender Douglas Maicon suspended, Roma dominated throughout, but found Chievo a tough nut to crack.
Despite missing French striker Cyril Thereau due to a late injury, Chievo — sitting bottom on four points with just one win — proved hard to break in a first period in which Roma should have hit the net several times.
The visitors’ goalkeeper, Christian Puggioni, punched away a long-distance drive from Dutchman Kevin Strootman, while Daniele de Rossi missed the target with a header and Marquinho flashed an angled drive wide.
The hosts continued to dominate after the break, but shots by Miralem Pjanic and De Rossi hit bodies in a packed Chievo defensive area.
Faced with the prospect of an unwelcome draw, Garcia added fizz by replacing Marquinho with striker Alessandro Florenzi and the hosts broke the deadlock several minutes later.
Pjanic’s pass found Florenzi and the forward’s inviting volley was headed home by Borriello.
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