MILAN (AP) — Paulo Dybala showed he has fully recovered from his latest injury with a stunning goal to give Roma a 1-0 win at Sassuolo that sent the Giallorossi to the top of Serie A with Napoli on Sunday.
It was Dybala’s first Italian league goal since Feb. 2, shortly before a season-ending thigh injury. The often-injured playmaker also scored in the Europa League midweek.
The match at Sassuolo was Dybala’s third in Serie A since the Argentinian World Cup winner returned from another injury this season.
Roma moved level with defending champion Napoli, which beat Inter Milan 3-1 on Saturday. The two teams have a point more than AC Milan and three more than Inter.
Bologna is a point further back after being held 2-2 at Fiorentina after late drama. Juventus could move level with Inter if it wins at Lazio later Sunday.
Roma knew it could go joint top on points with a win but had lost three of its last four matches in all competitions – although those losses had all come at home, with Gian Piero Gasperini’s team having won all its away games this season.
Roma took the lead in the 16th minute. Dybala laid the ball off to Bryan Cristante, whose effort was well parried by Arijanet Muric but Dybala firmly volleyed in the rebound.
Dybala celebrated by tucking the ball under his shirt and sucking his thumb before blowing a kiss to the camera, with his wife expecting their first child.
Struggling Fiorentina might not have got a first league win of the season but it will certainly feel like it.
Fiorentina snatched a point after — at one moment — thinking it was 3-0 down.
Bologna was leading 2-0 thanks to a sensational volley from Santiago Castro and another strike from Nicolò Cambiaghi. Thijs Dallinga appeared to have wrapped up all three points halfway through the second half but his goal was ruled out for offside and instead the visitors were in for a nervy finale.
Albert Guðmundsson pulled one back for Fiorentina from the penalty spot in the 74th after Lewis Ferguson charged down a shot with his arm, and nine minutes later Bologna defender Emil Holm was sent off following a second booking.
And home side Fiorentina earned a second penalty in stoppage time when Moise Kean's overhead kick hit the arm of former Fiorentina player Federico Bernardeschi, who argued he was trying to protect his face.
Kean stepped up and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way.
Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano missed the trip to his former club Fiorentina as he was still in hospital with pneumonia.
Hellas Verona was denied its first Serie A win of the season as Mattia Felici scored a stoppage-time equalizer to snatch a 2-2 draw for Cagliari.
Verona, which had been leading 2-0 until the 77th minute, was left just a point off the relegation zone.
Guillermo Maripán scored a last-minute winner to snatch a 2-1 comeback victory for Torino over bottom club Genoa.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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