ROME -- Edin Dzeko is going from strength to strength in his second season in Italian football, scoring twice as Roma beat Fiorentina 4-0 in Serie A on Tuesday.
Dzeko moved top of the goalscoring charts on 17 goals, more than double the amount he scored in a miserable first season with Roma.
It was the first time Dzeko netted at least 17 league goals in a season since he scored 22 for Wolfsburg in 2009-10.
Federico Fazio and Radja Nainggolan scored the other goals as Roma moved two points above Napoli into second spot, four points behind leader Juventus.
Fazio also proved crucial at the other end, with a goalline clearance to deny Federico Chiesa in the 14th minute.
That was Fiorentina's only real scoring chance as Roma began to take control.
Roma had several opportunities and should have taken the lead in the 29th when Nainggolan found an unmarked Bruno Peres with a delightful chipped pass, but the Brazilian defender incredibly fired over in one of the misses of the season.
The capital side did take the lead 10 minutes later following a brilliant Daniele De Rossi ball over the top which Dzeko controlled on his chest before turning and driving into the bottom left corner.
It was the first time Dzeko has scored in five successive matches since 2009.
De Rossi also set up Roma's second shortly before the hour with a free kick which Fazio headed in for his first Serie A goal.
Roma extended their lead in the 75th with a wonderful team move. From a counter-attack, Dzeko found De Rossi, who passed to Kevin Strootman on the left flank. The Netherlands international took one touch, looked up and picked out Nainggolan, who controlled the ball and calmly finished it off.
Dzeko doubled his tally seven minutes from time, snatching the ball off Fiorentina defender Davide Astori and firing past Ciprian Tatarusanu.