There is just no stopping AS Roma at present after Rudi Garcia's men set a new all-time record of nine consecutive wins at the start of a Serie A season on Sunday.
The Giallorossi's 1-0 history making win at Udinese was all the more impressive after playing the last 25 minutes with 10 men following Maicon's sending off for two bookable offences.
The visitors shrugged off their numerical disadvantage, though, with US midfielder Michae Bradley netting inside the final 10 minutes to seal an unlikely three points.
The victory also ensured Roma kept a clean sheet for a sixth successive league outing – a run lasting over 520 minutes – while they have conceded just ONCE in their nine games so far.
Udinese dominated the opening period and were unlucky to see Antonio Di Natale strike the post in the opening minutes before having a goalbound effort cleared off the line.
Coach Francesco Guidolin said: "Roma are a great side, they showed that when they were reduced to 10 men, but in the first half they rode their luck a little."
Garcia, though, was taking nothing away from his own side as they maintained their lead at the top over Napoli and Juventus. "You make your own luck," said the Frenchman. "Especially when you give everything, week in week out."
Defending champions Juventus had set a record of nine successive wins at the start of the 2005-2006 campaign, although that feat no longer stands after the Turin giants were stripped of that season's crown, as well as the previous year's, due to their role in the 'Calciopoli' match-fixing scandal.
ROMA RECORD:
Aug 25 – Livorno 0-2 Roma Sept 1 – Roma 3-0 Verona Sept 15 – Parma 1-3 Roma Sept 22 – Roma 2-0 Lazio Sept 25 – Sampdoria 0-2 Roma Sept 29 – Roma 5-0 Bologna Oct 5 – Inter Milan 0-3 Roma Oct 18 – Roma 2-0 Napoli Oct 27 – Udinese 0-1 Roma
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