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Castro and Koulierakis Score on Debuts as Roma Thrash Newport 4-1
·5 August 2026·90d ago

Castro and Koulierakis Score on Debuts as Roma Thrash Newport 4-1

Source: Roma News

Roma secured a 4-1 victory over Newport County in their second pre-season friendly in Wales, bouncing back from a heavy defeat to Cardiff. New arrivals Castro and Koulierakis both found the net, along with Hermoso and Soulé, in a convincing performance at a League Two side.

Hermoso opened the scoring with a run from deep while operating as a centre midfielder alongside El Aynaoui, and also earned the penalty that Castro converted from the spot for the 2-0 lead. Castro added a second goal later in the match, with Koulierakis also getting on the scoresheet. Gasperini deployed his favoured formation featuring a playmaker—Cristante in this instance—and two strikers, pairing Dybala with Castro. Although Roma asserted early control, they managed the game more efficiently once ahead, allowing both new signings and Soulé to capitalize on chances created.

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Story Coverage3 sources on this story

Roma delivered a dominant performance in pre-season, defeating Newport County 4-1 on August 4th at Rodney Parade in Wales. New signings Castro and Koulierakis both scored on their debuts, with Mario Hermoso also finding the net alongside Matías Soulé. According to the coverage, Hermoso opened the scoring in an unconventional midfield role, creating the penalty that Castro converted for Roma's second goal. Castro added a second later in the match, while Koulierakis contributed the third. Forza Roma notes that Hermoso's deployment as a central midfielder alongside Neil El Aynaoui proved effective, offering creative depth from deeper positions. Manager Gian Piero Gasperini's favoured attacking formation paired Paulo Dybala with Castro up front, supported by a playmaker—Cristante—behind them. The victory comes as encouraging progress in Roma's pre-season preparations, particularly with both Castro and Koulierakis making promising early impressions following their arrivals.

AI synthesis of all sources below — always check the originals.

Testo Originale / Source Text

“Dopo la pesante sconfitta con il Cardiff, la Roma ottiene la vittoria nella seconda amichevole del ritiro in terra gallese. Contro il Newport County finisce 4-1 per i giallorossi con i gol dei due nuovi acquisti Castro e Koulierakis oltre che di Hermoso e Soulé. La bella notizia non è tanto la…”

Read the full article in Italian at Roma News.

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