Dybala’s brace propels Mourinho’s Roma atop Serie A

ROME: This was just what Jose Mourinho had in mind when he lured Paulo Dybala to join Roma instead of a host of other suitors.

Dybala scored twice in less than a quarter of an hour — his first goals since joining Roma after his contract expired at Juventus — and the Giallorossi beat Silvio Berlusconi’s promoted Monza 3-0 to move atop Serie A on Tuesday.

“I had a lot of desire to score goals and fortunately they came here before our home fans,” Dybala said.

Dybala linked up perfectly with center forward Tammy Abraham, the first high-profile player who Mourinho brought to Roma when the coach returned to Italy last year.

First, a headed pass from Abraham set Dybala up near midfield and the Argentina international dribbled the rest of the way before slotting in between two defenders.

Dybala’s second — his 100th in Serie A — was a sliding effort to knock in a rebound off a shot from Abraham.

When Dybala came off during the second half, he shared a special moment with Mourinho.

“Last season during the match against Juventus when he came off, I told him, ‘You’re good,’” Mourinho said. “Today I told him the same thing.”

The coach also noted how the often-injured Dybala is returning to form ahead of the upcoming World Cup.

“This could be a sign of what’s to come in November and December in Qatar,” Mourinho said. “Maybe (Argentina coach Lionel) Scaloni can send some us a few bottles of wine to celebrate having another top player.”

Center back Roger Ibañez made it 3-0 by heading in a corner from Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini.

Seeking more significant hardware after winning the inaugural Europa Conference League title last season, Mourinho’s team moved one point ahead of Inter Milan, who beat promoted Cremonese 3-1 at