Patrik Schick helped himself to two goals and an assist as Roma routed Virtus Entella 4-0 in the Coppa Italia on Monday.
Diego Perotti was due to captain Roma for the first time, but the winger hurt his calf during the warm-up, letting in Justin Kluivert on the left flank, while Federico Fazio was handed the captain’s armband.
Elsewhere, Rick Karsdorp and Javier Pastore were given rare chances to impress but Nicolo Zaniolo was rested against Entella, where he began his professional career.
Patrik Schick helped himself to two goals and an assist as Roma routed Virtus Entella 4-0 in the Coppa Italia on Monday.
Diego Perotti was due to captain Roma for the first time, but the winger hurt his calf during the warm-up, letting in Justin Kluivert on the left flank, while Federico Fazio was handed the captain’s armband.
Elsewhere, Rick Karsdorp and Javier Pastore were given rare chances to impress but Nicolo Zaniolo was rested against Entella, where he began his professional career.
The northerners were relegated from Serie B last season but were flying high in Serie C, placing fifth in Girone A, and eliminated Genoa last time out in the Coppa Italia.
Fiorentina awaited the winners at the Olimpico in the quarter-finals, and Schick took just 23 seconds to flick home a finish after Cengiz Under had attacked Entella’s right flank.
Robin Olsen then spilled an Entella free kick but redeemed himself by pushing away the rebound, while Dany Mota Carvalho had an equaliser correctly chalked off for an offside call.
Ivan Marcano was brought on for Juan Jesus, who was stretchered off with his knee bandaged, and the defender grabbed Roma’s second goal in first-half stoppages, courtesy of Karsdorp’s through ball and another Schick flick.
Andrea Paroni did his best to keep the Lupi's tally to a minimum with eye-catching stops on Kluivert, Schick and Pastore, but the former Sampdoria striker perfectly placed a shot past the goalkeeper just two minutes into the restart.
That was followed by Kluivert slipping in Pastore for Roma's fourth of the evening, before Alessio Riccardi came on for his Olimpico bow and almost marked it with a wonder strike from a far-right position.
Roma 4-0 Virtus Entella
Schick 1, 47, Marcano 45, Pastore 74
Roma: Olsen; Karsdorp, Fazio, Juan Jesus (Marcano 10), Kolarov; Cristante, Lorenzo Pellegrini (Zaniolo 82); Cengiz (Zaniolo 76), Pastore, Kluivert; Schick
Virtus Entella: Paroni; Belli, Pellizzer, Baroni, Crialese; Icardi, Paolucci (Ardizzone 70), Eramo; Adorjan (Simone Icardi 46); Caturano (Mancosu 46), Mota Carvalho
Referee: Di Paolo