Brighton 0-0 Roma: Dybala and Soulé deployed behind Malen in friendly

Roma suffered a heavy defeat to Brighton in their final pre-season friendly in England, conceding three goals in the first 50 minutes. The capitulation prompted Gian Piero Gasperini to make immediate changes, with Ziolkowski, Ghilardi and Koulierakis warming up on the sidelines. Hermoso was at fault for the opening goal, leaving too much space for Rutter, while N'Dicka's positioning proved costly for the third. Gasperini turned to his bench and demanded action, declaring: "Cambiamo" (We're changing). The last two substitutes entered within seconds of each other. This was Roma's third consecutive defeat on their UK tour, following a 4-1 loss to Cardiff. Gasperini also identified midfield frailties during the first half, noting the lack of protection in front of the back four. El Aynaoui was withdrawn at half-time without returning for the second period, replaced by Mannini. The full-back had been directly culpable for the second goal when his poor pass to Hermoso allowed Ayari to beat Svilar. Rensch, operating on the opposite flank, also drew Gasperini's ire for a series of misplaced decisions during the opening 45 minutes.

Evan Ferguson, the Roma forward on loan from Brighton, was present at the Amex Stadium on 8 August and exchanged greetings with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and the club's staff. Ferguson remains sidelined following an ankle injury sustained in January 2025. The Irish striker's appearance at Brighton ahead of the fixture underlined his continued recovery from the injury that has kept him unavailable since the start of 2025. His presence among the Roma party offered a chance to reconnect with his former coach and teammates despite his absence from the squad on the pitch. Ferguson joined Roma on loan from Brighton in July 2025 with an option to make the move permanent for €40 million.

Roma faced Brighton at the Amex Stadium in the final warm-up match of their British tour. Gasperini named Donyell Malen in the starting eleven, while leaving new arrivals Castro and Koulierakis on the bench to manage their workload ahead of the 2026–27 season opener. The Roma boss fielded a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso, and a four-strong midfield of Devyne Rensch, Bryan Cristante, Neil El Aynaoui, and Wesley. Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala occupied the advanced midfield roles, with Malen leading the attack. The fixture served as a final examination of the squad's preparation during the pre-season tour, with Gasperini using the match to assess combinations and match sharpness before competitive action resumes.

Roma faced Brighton at the Amex Stadium in the final warm-up match of their British tour. Gasperini named Donyell Malen in the starting eleven, while leaving new arrivals Castro and Koulierakis on the bench to manage their workload ahead of the 2026–27 season opener. The Roma boss fielded a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso, and a four-strong midfield of Devyne Rensch, Bryan Cristante, Neil El Aynaoui, and Wesley. Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala occupied the advanced midfield roles, with Malen leading the attack. The fixture served as a final examination of the squad's preparation during the pre-season tour, with Gasperini using the match to assess combinations and match sharpness before competitive action resumes.

Roma continue their pre-season preparation in England on Saturday 8 August, facing Brighton at the American Express Stadium with kickoff at 16:00. Head coach Gasperini will be without Molina, who will join the squad directly at Trigoria, though Malen is available. Pisilli and Bah remain sidelined through injury. The friendly forms part of Roma's summer training schedule following their time in Wales. Gasperini has confirmed his squad composition for the match, with the unavailability of two key players due to injury requiring tactical adjustments. The match will be broadcast live on DAZN, accessible via the app or official website through smartphone, PC, or tablet.

Roma suffered a 3–0 defeat to Brighton in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium, with goals from Rutter (29'), Ayari (40'), and Ayari again (49'). Kick-off was at 16:00 Italian time. Head coach Gasperini deployed Malen in a central attacking role, supported by Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé in attack, with Donyell Malen returning after missing the previous fixture against Newport County due to fever. Bryan Cristante and Neil El Aynaoui operated in midfield, flanked by Devyne Rensch and Wesley, while Mile Svilar started in goal behind a defensive line of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso. The match was Roma's final pre-season outing in Wales, coming after defeats and victories against Cardiff and Newport County respectively. Niccolò Pisilli and Bah were unavailable through injury. During the second half, Mancini and N'Dicka were replaced by Ghilardi and Koulierakis respectively, while Dybala and Soulé made way for Castro and Cherubini. The friendly took place with Bobby Madley as referee.

Roma faced Brighton at the Amex Stadium in the final warm-up match of their British tour. Gasperini named Donyell Malen in the starting eleven, while leaving new arrivals Castro and Koulierakis on the bench to manage their workload ahead of the 2026–27 season opener. The Roma boss fielded a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso, and a four-strong midfield of Devyne Rensch, Bryan Cristante, Neil El Aynaoui, and Wesley. Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala occupied the advanced midfield roles, with Malen leading the attack. The fixture served as a final examination of the squad's preparation during the pre-season tour, with Gasperini using the match to assess combinations and match sharpness before competitive action resumes.

Roma suffered a 3–0 defeat to Brighton in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium, with goals from Rutter (29'), Ayari (40'), and Ayari again (49'). Kick-off was at 16:00 Italian time. Head coach Gasperini deployed Malen in a central attacking role, supported by Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé in attack, with Donyell Malen returning after missing the previous fixture against Newport County due to fever. Bryan Cristante and Neil El Aynaoui operated in midfield, flanked by Devyne Rensch and Wesley, while Mile Svilar started in goal behind a defensive line of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso. The match was Roma's final pre-season outing in Wales, coming after defeats and victories against Cardiff and Newport County respectively. Niccolò Pisilli and Bah were unavailable through injury. During the second half, Mancini and N'Dicka were replaced by Ghilardi and Koulierakis respectively, while Dybala and Soulé made way for Castro and Cherubini. The friendly took place with Bobby Madley as referee.

Roma are preparing to negotiate with Bologna over the signing of Jonathan Rowe, the 23-year-old English forward, as they look to strengthen their attacking options. The move would likely depend on Matías Soulé's departure from the Stadio Olimpico, with Roma exploring the possibility of adding another forward to their ranks. Bologna have set an asking price of €40 million for Rowe, whose contract runs until 2029. The club face competition from Chelsea for the player's signature, though Rowe may be tempted by Roma's guaranteed Champions League football next season compared to Bologna's absence from European qualification. Roma have already invested €35 million in Santiago Castro from Bologna earlier this summer and signed Donyell Malen permanently from Aston Villa following his loan spell in the second half of last season. Paulo Dybala has been tied down to a new contract, but the club could move on from Soulé to create space for a fresh attacking addition. Rowe arrived at Bologna from Marseille last summer and registered three goals and three assists across 28 Serie A appearances in his first campaign. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has also been keeping tabs on RB Leipzig's Antonio Nusa as an alternative, though Rowe represents a more economical option.

Roma suffered a heavy defeat to Brighton in their final pre-season friendly in England, conceding three goals in the first 50 minutes. The capitulation prompted Gian Piero Gasperini to make immediate changes, with Ziolkowski, Ghilardi and Koulierakis warming up on the sidelines. Hermoso was at fault for the opening goal, leaving too much space for Rutter, while N'Dicka's positioning proved costly for the third. Gasperini turned to his bench and demanded action, declaring: "Cambiamo" (We're changing). The last two substitutes entered within seconds of each other. This was Roma's third consecutive defeat on their UK tour, following a 4-1 loss to Cardiff. Gasperini also identified midfield frailties during the first half, noting the lack of protection in front of the back four. El Aynaoui was withdrawn at half-time without returning for the second period, replaced by Mannini. The full-back had been directly culpable for the second goal when his poor pass to Hermoso allowed Ayari to beat Svilar. Rensch, operating on the opposite flank, also drew Gasperini's ire for a series of misplaced decisions during the opening 45 minutes.

Roma faced Brighton at the Amex Stadium in the final warm-up match of their British tour. Gasperini named Donyell Malen in the starting eleven, while leaving new arrivals Castro and Koulierakis on the bench to manage their workload ahead of the 2026–27 season opener. The Roma boss fielded a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso, and a four-strong midfield of Devyne Rensch, Bryan Cristante, Neil El Aynaoui, and Wesley. Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala occupied the advanced midfield roles, with Malen leading the attack. The fixture served as a final examination of the squad's preparation during the pre-season tour, with Gasperini using the match to assess combinations and match sharpness before competitive action resumes.

Roma suffered a 3–0 defeat to Brighton in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium, with goals from Rutter (29'), Ayari (40'), and Ayari again (49'). Kick-off was at 16:00 Italian time. Head coach Gasperini deployed Malen in a central attacking role, supported by Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé in attack, with Donyell Malen returning after missing the previous fixture against Newport County due to fever. Bryan Cristante and Neil El Aynaoui operated in midfield, flanked by Devyne Rensch and Wesley, while Mile Svilar started in goal behind a defensive line of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso. The match was Roma's final pre-season outing in Wales, coming after defeats and victories against Cardiff and Newport County respectively. Niccolò Pisilli and Bah were unavailable through injury. During the second half, Mancini and N'Dicka were replaced by Ghilardi and Koulierakis respectively, while Dybala and Soulé made way for Castro and Cherubini. The friendly took place with Bobby Madley as referee.