Smarting from a Coppa Italia exit against these very opponents in midweek, it was little surprise to see Roma fly out of the traps against Torino.
For all the possession they managed in the early stages, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side were unable to create anything clear-cut in the final third, but a moment of inspiration changed the feel of the game at the midway point of the first half.
Donyell Malen was making his Roma debut, and it looked as though he marked it in perfect fashion when he stepped in off the left and found the bottom corner, but his celebrations were cut short when VAR confirmed he’d strayed offside in the build-up.
That only proved to be a temporary reprieve for Torino, who found themselves behind moments later when Malen finally found his debut goal.
This time, there was to be no denying the Dutchman, as Paulo Dybala found him inside the area and Malen coolly slotted into the far corner to fire his new side ahead.
Torino looked a shadow of the side that put three past Roma in midweek and offered precious little in an attacking sense before half-time.
Torino boss Marco Baroni reacted at ahead of the restart by bringing on Cesare Casadei, and his introduction almost paid immediate dividends when he released Cyril Ngonge in behind, only for a latch-ditch Evan Ndicka challenge to prevent him from being able to get a shot on goal.
Roma certainly weren’t showing much that suggested they wanted to kill the game off, and they instead seemed content to sit on their one-goal cushion.
That was until Dybala took things into his own hands, first being denied by a fine one-handed save from Alberto Paleari before he turned home Gianluca Mancini’s cross on the follow-up.
The shackles seemed to come off from that point for Roma, who could’ve made their victory more handsome when Malen rippled the side netting.
The hosts’ best chance of the game came 10 minutes from time when Che Adams flashed an effort inches wide of the far post, and Torino were ultimately unable to break the Giallorossi down as they slumped to a fifth defeat from their last six Serie A home games.
The evening belonged to Roma, who secured their third successive clean sheet for the first time this season to open up a three-point cushion inside the top four.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Paulo Dybala (AS Roma)