Brighton 3–0 Roma in pre-season friendly at American Express Stadium

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 El Aynaoui was withdrawn at half-time without returning for the second period, replaced by Mannini.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 faced Brighton in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium on 8 August 2026, the club's final warm-up match in England before returning to Trigoria. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini fielded a 3-4-2-1 formation with Donyell Malen as the central striker, supported by Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé in attacking midfield roles. The fixture offered Roma's most challenging test of their current pre-season schedule, with Brighton having finished eighth in the Premier League last season. Gasperini used the match to assess his squad's readiness ahead of the new campaign, with several positions rotated through the available roster. Roma's lineup included Mile Svilar in goal, with a backline of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso. The midfield saw Devyne Rensch and Wesley operating as wing-backs, with Bryan Cristante captaining from central midfield alongside Neil El Aynaoui. Brighton started in a 4-3-3 shape under manager Fabian Hurzeler, fielding a squad that featured players across a range of positions ahead of the new Premier League season.

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 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 in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium on 8 August 2026, the club's final warm-up match in England before returning to Trigoria. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini fielded a 3-4-2-1 formation with Donyell Malen as the central striker, supported by Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé in attacking midfield roles. The fixture offered Roma's most challenging test of their current pre-season schedule, with Brighton having finished eighth in the Premier League last season. Gasperini used the match to assess his squad's readiness ahead of the new campaign, with several positions rotated through the available roster. Roma's lineup included Mile Svilar in goal, with a backline of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso. The midfield saw Devyne Rensch and Wesley operating as wing-backs, with Bryan Cristante captaining from central midfield alongside Neil El Aynaoui. Brighton started in a 4-3-3 shape under manager Fabian Hurzeler, fielding a squad that featured players across a range of positions ahead of the new Premier League season.

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 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 in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium on 8 August 2026, the club's final warm-up match in England before returning to Trigoria. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini fielded a 3-4-2-1 formation with Donyell Malen as the central striker, supported by Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé in attacking midfield roles. The fixture offered Roma's most challenging test of their current pre-season schedule, with Brighton having finished eighth in the Premier League last season. Gasperini used the match to assess his squad's readiness ahead of the new campaign, with several positions rotated through the available roster. Roma's lineup included Mile Svilar in goal, with a backline of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso. The midfield saw Devyne Rensch and Wesley operating as wing-backs, with Bryan Cristante captaining from central midfield alongside Neil El Aynaoui. Brighton started in a 4-3-3 shape under manager Fabian Hurzeler, fielding a squad that featured players across a range of positions ahead of the new Premier League season.

Roma completed their pre-season camp in England on 8 August with a final friendly against Brighton, kicking off at 16:00 Italian time. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini used the match to test his tactical setup and resolve remaining selection questions for the attacking line, with competition between Malen, Castro, Dybala and Soulé, while also assessing midfield options including Cristante and El Aynaoui. Lorenzo Pellegrini underwent medical examinations at Campus Biomedico on the morning of 8 August to formalise a one-year contract extension worth 2.5 million euros plus bonuses. The renewal represents significant stability for Roma's midfield and precedes his return to full training with the squad from the following week. Pellegrini, an academy product and long-serving captain, has been central to the club's plans under Gasperini's leadership as preparations continue for the 2026–27 season.