Palermo 2 - 4 AS Roma : Fast start helps Roma to victory over Palermo

Roma scored three times in the opening half-hour en route to a 4-2 win over Palermo at the Renzo Barbera stadium.

The Giallorossi, looking to bounce back from Tuesday's 3-2 defeat at BATE Borisov in the Champions League, stormed into a second-minute lead when Alessandro Florenzi set up Miralem Pjanic in the box and his diagonal strike beat Palermo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino.

Eleven minutes later, Pjanic turned provider when he fed Florenzi in the area and the midfielder beat Sorrentino.

Roma were 3-0 up after 27 minutes.

Iago Falque found Gervinho in the box and his right-footed shot towards the near post found the net.

Palermo were unlucky not to reduce the arrears in the 30th minute when Franco Vazquez's close-range header from Aleksandar Trajkovski's cross beat Roma goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny but hit the crossbar.

The hosts did score in the 58th minute when Vazquez fed substitute Alberto Gilardino in the area and he struck a left-footed shot past Szczesny.

Giancarlo Gonzalez then gave Palermo further hope with two minutes remaining when he headed Robin Quaison's cross into the back of the net to make it 3-2.

However, Roma made it 4-2 seconds later when substitute Salih Ucan set up Gervinho to slot beyond Sorrentino.

The win, Roma's second on the trot in Serie A, has lifted the Giallorossi to third in the standings.

They are two points adrift of league leaders Inter Milan, who drew 1-1 at Sampdoria on Sunday.

Palermo, meanwhile, have now lost four consecutive games.