Roma End Winless Run as Castro and Lulli Seal 2-0 Victory Over De Rossi’s Genoa

FolioPitch.com – 18 October 2026 | AS Roma returned to winning ways in Serie A with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Daniele De Rossi‘s Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico, a match that will be remembered as the Serie A Roma 2-0 Genoa First time special for Castro and Lulli. Both Santiago Castro and Emanuele Lulli scored their maiden goals for the club, handing Gian Piero Gasperini’s side a much-needed three points after a difficult spell across domestic and European competition.

Roma entered the contest under pressure, having drawn their previous two league fixtures before suffering a painful 4-3 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid on Wednesday night, a game in which they surrendered a 3-1 lead in the closing minutes. With Donyell Malen suspended following his red card against Como, and Paulo Dybala, Manu Koné, Mile Svilar and Bryan Cristante all unavailable through injury, Gasperini made seven changes from the midweek European clash.

Emotional Return for De Rossi and El Shaarawy

The evening carried significant emotional weight, with former Roma icons Daniele De Rossi and Stephan El Shaarawy returning to the Stadio Olimpico in Genoa colours. De Rossi, now managing the Grifone, arrived fresh from guiding his team to their first Serie A victory of the season against Fiorentina. Genoa were without Lorenzo Colombo, Alex Amorim, Djibril Sow, Franz-Ethan Meichtry and Lorenzo Venturino due to various knocks, which opened the door for Italy Under-19 international Samuel Wiafe to make his first Serie A start.

El Shaarawy nearly made an immediate impact against his former club, forcing Pierluigi Gollini into a smart save with his legs at the near post after just nine minutes. Matias Soulé, meanwhile, swept a first-time effort far too centrally from the edge of the area as Roma probed for an opener.

Woodwork Denies Both Sides in Entertaining First Half

Roma came agonisingly close on the half-hour mark when Leonardo Balerdi nodded a Niccolò Pisilli corner onto the crossbar. Moments later, Rodrigo Mora’s header was well parried off the line by Justin Bijlow, with Castro flagged offside on the rebound. Genoa responded in kind, rattling the woodwork themselves when El Shaarawy’s first-time strike from the edge of the area bounced off the bar following a decisive block on Milutin Osmajic.

The first half ended goalless, but the deadlock was broken in bizarre fashion shortly after the restart. In the 50th minute, a corner was knocked down in a crowded near-post area, and Castro managed to turn and dink the ball into the far top corner from seven yards with an odd, looping finish. It was a superb piece of improvisation from the former Bologna striker, who netted his first goal in Roma colours.

Soulé Magic Sets Up Lulli’s Milestone Moment

The second goal arrived in the 68th minute and was another moment of individual brilliance. Matias Soulé started a driving run from inside his own half, riding two tackles before completing a give-and-go with Lorenzo Pellegrini. His shot was then deflected off a Genoa defender into the path of Emanuele Lulli at the back post, and the 19-year-old youth academy product made no mistake to register his first Serie A goal.

The statistics underlined Roma’s dominance on the night, with the Giallorossi enjoying 66 percent possession and registering 15 total shots to Genoa’s nine. Roma also managed five shots on target compared to just one from the visitors, while both sides recorded five corners apiece. The hosts committed ten fouls to Genoa’s seven, reflecting the competitive nature of the contest.

Late Chances and a Debut to Remember

Genoa pushed for a route back into the game, with Osmajic stinging Gollini’s gloves with a powerful strike. The visitors also handed a Serie A debut to Robinho Junior, the son of former Milan and Brazil striker Robinho, in a poignant moment for the young midfielder. Roma managed the closing stages comfortably to secure a clean sheet and a confidence-boosting result.

The victory, which saw the Serie A Roma 2-0 Genoa First time special for Castro and Lulli storyline unfold perfectly for the home side, lifts the mood around the capital club after a testing week. Gasperini will be particularly pleased with the contributions of his younger players, with Lulli’s emergence from the academy offering genuine encouragement for the months ahead.

Conclusion

For Roma, this was a performance that blended resilience with flashes of individual quality, and the Serie A Roma 2-0 Genoa First time special for Castro and Lulli will be fondly remembered by the Olimpico faithful as the night two players opened their accounts for the club. De Rossi’s Genoa, meanwhile, showed spirit but lacked the cutting edge to trouble a disciplined Roma defence. As the Serie A Roma 2-0 Genoa First time special for Castro and Lulli result confirms, Gasperini’s men remain firmly in the hunt as the season gathers pace, while Genoa will regroup and look to build on their recent victory over Fiorentina in the coming weeks.