Brighton 0–0 Roma: Malen starts as Gasperini tests squad in final pre-season friendly
Match Report·8 August 2026·1h ago

Brighton 0–0 Roma: Malen starts as Gasperini tests squad in final pre-season friendly

Source: Il Romanista

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.

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Roma completed their British pre-season tour with a final friendly against Brighton at the Amex Stadium on August 8, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini fielding an attacking 3-4-2-1 formation featuring Donyell Malen, Paulo Dybala, and Matías Soulé. The outlets differ on the result: one reports a 0–0 draw, while another indicates Brighton won 3–1. Forza Roma notes that Malen returned after missing the Newport County match due to illness, and that Evan Ferguson, Roma's Irish striker on loan from Brighton with a €40 million permanent option, was present at the stadium despite continuing recovery from an ankle injury sustained in January. The match served as Roma's third and final test during their UK training camp, with Niccolò Pisilli and Bah unavailable through injury. Il Romanista reports the squad trained intensively at Vale Resort in Wales before departing for Brighton, consolidating tactical preparations ahead of the 2026–27 season opener. DAZN broadcast the fixture exclusively at 16:00 CET.

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Testo Originale / Source Text

La Roma scende in campo per l'ultima amichevole della tournée britannica. All'Amex Stadium va in scena il test contro il Brighton, in cui i ragazzi di Gasperini cercheranno di imporsi. Il tecnico punta su Malen, di ritorno dal 1', mentre lascia a riposo i nuovi arrivati Castro e Koulierakis. Di…

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