Dybala suffers knee injury scare in Roma's victory over Newport

Roma recovered from their Cardiff defeat with a commanding 4–1 victory over Newport County in a pre-season friendly. Gian Piero Gasperini's side impressed throughout, with Mario Hermoso opening the scoring in the first half and new arrivals Santiago Castro and Koulierakis both netting their first goals in giallorosso colours. Matías Soulé added the fourth to complete the rout. CEO John Galantic and Ryan Friedkin attended the match at the stadium. Hermoso featured prominently, winning a penalty, scoring, and providing an assist. He praised the team's adaptation and mentality under Gasperini, emphasising the positive impact of the new signings and the squad's unity. On the transfer front, Roma's recruitment drive continues across multiple fronts. Salah‑Eddine rejected a move to Olympiacos despite an agreement between the clubs. The focus shifts to left-back targets, with ongoing dialogue with Torino over Alessio Cacciamani—Roma are considering raising their offer. A €17 million proposal has been submitted to Atlético Madrid for Nahuel Molina, with talks described as open but difficult. Separately, negotiations with Feyenoord over Read remain active; Roma have agreement with the player but not yet with the Dutch club, who await potential rival bids from Nottingham Forest.

Paulo Dybala sustained a knee injury during Roma's match against Newport after a challenge from Evans. The forward left the pitch requiring ice treatment on his knee. The incident occurred during what proved to be a dominant Roma performance. The match saw strong contributions from other squad members, with Hermoso delivering a notable display and Castro opening his account. Koulierakis marked his debut with a goal as Roma secured a commanding 4–1 victory. Dybala's injury adds to Roma's injury concerns as the squad prepares for the upcoming season. Hermoso outlined the team's readiness for the challenge ahead, stating: "I do what Gasp asks me to do. We are waiting for new reinforcements." Meanwhile, the transfer window remains active, with speculation surrounding potential additions to strengthen the squad.

Mario Hermoso produced a dominant display in an unfamiliar midfield position as Roma defeated Newport County 4–1 in a friendly. The Spanish defender won a penalty, scored a goal and provided an assist, demonstrating his versatility in a role Gian Piero Gasperini deployed him in for the first time this pre-season. Hermoso acknowledged the unconventional assignment but spoke positively of his performance and the cohesion within the squad. "For me it was a role a bit different, but I found myself very well with my teammates. The important thing is to win because that brings confidence for the next matches," he said. Gasperini explained the decision by noting that Roma are still awaiting arrivals in the squad, and Hermoso underlined the requirement for players to adapt to the manager's tactical demands. On Roma's prospects for the 2026–27 season, Hermoso stressed the importance of unity and the squad's strong form last season. "We know we are strong when we are all united, with the mentality to do great things as we did last year," he said. He also praised new arrivals Castro and Koulierakis, calling them "important pieces to have a great season in the league and in the Champions League," and expressed confidence that further players would arrive from what he termed "the World Cup".

Roma recovered from their Cardiff defeat with a commanding 4–1 victory over Newport County in a pre-season friendly. Gian Piero Gasperini's side impressed throughout, with Mario Hermoso opening the scoring in the first half and new arrivals Santiago Castro and Koulierakis both netting their first goals in giallorosso colours. Matías Soulé added the fourth to complete the rout. CEO John Galantic and Ryan Friedkin attended the match at the stadium. Hermoso featured prominently, winning a penalty, scoring, and providing an assist. He praised the team's adaptation and mentality under Gasperini, emphasising the positive impact of the new signings and the squad's unity. On the transfer front, Roma's recruitment drive continues across multiple fronts. Salah‑Eddine rejected a move to Olympiacos despite an agreement between the clubs. The focus shifts to left-back targets, with ongoing dialogue with Torino over Alessio Cacciamani—Roma are considering raising their offer. A €17 million proposal has been submitted to Atlético Madrid for Nahuel Molina, with talks described as open but difficult. Separately, negotiations with Feyenoord over Read remain active; Roma have agreement with the player but not yet with the Dutch club, who await potential rival bids from Nottingham Forest.

Paulo Dybala sustained a knee injury during Roma's match against Newport after a challenge from Evans. The forward left the pitch requiring ice treatment on his knee. The incident occurred during what proved to be a dominant Roma performance. The match saw strong contributions from other squad members, with Hermoso delivering a notable display and Castro opening his account. Koulierakis marked his debut with a goal as Roma secured a commanding 4–1 victory. Dybala's injury adds to Roma's injury concerns as the squad prepares for the upcoming season. Hermoso outlined the team's readiness for the challenge ahead, stating: "I do what Gasp asks me to do. We are waiting for new reinforcements." Meanwhile, the transfer window remains active, with speculation surrounding potential additions to strengthen the squad.

Mario Hermoso produced a dominant display in an unfamiliar midfield position as Roma defeated Newport County 4–1 in a friendly. The Spanish defender won a penalty, scored a goal and provided an assist, demonstrating his versatility in a role Gian Piero Gasperini deployed him in for the first time this pre-season. Hermoso acknowledged the unconventional assignment but spoke positively of his performance and the cohesion within the squad. "For me it was a role a bit different, but I found myself very well with my teammates. The important thing is to win because that brings confidence for the next matches," he said. Gasperini explained the decision by noting that Roma are still awaiting arrivals in the squad, and Hermoso underlined the requirement for players to adapt to the manager's tactical demands. On Roma's prospects for the 2026–27 season, Hermoso stressed the importance of unity and the squad's strong form last season. "We know we are strong when we are all united, with the mentality to do great things as we did last year," he said. He also praised new arrivals Castro and Koulierakis, calling them "important pieces to have a great season in the league and in the Champions League," and expressed confidence that further players would arrive from what he termed "the World Cup".

Paulo Dybala sustained a knee injury during Roma's match against Newport after a challenge from Evans. The forward left the pitch requiring ice treatment on his knee. The incident occurred during what proved to be a dominant Roma performance. The match saw strong contributions from other squad members, with Hermoso delivering a notable display and Castro opening his account. Koulierakis marked his debut with a goal as Roma secured a commanding 4–1 victory. Dybala's injury adds to Roma's injury concerns as the squad prepares for the upcoming season. Hermoso outlined the team's readiness for the challenge ahead, stating: "I do what Gasp asks me to do. We are waiting for new reinforcements." Meanwhile, the transfer window remains active, with speculation surrounding potential additions to strengthen the squad.

Roma defeated Newport County 4–1 in a friendly in Wales on 4 August, bouncing back after a poor display against Cardiff. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini deployed Mario Hermoso in an unusual central midfield position, a tactical gambit that paid immediate dividends. Hermoso opened the scoring in the 37th minute following an assist from Santiago Castro and an intelligent flick by Bryan Cristante. In the second half, Castro converted a penalty to make it 2–0 in the 54th minute, before Konstantinos Koulierakis headed in from a Paulo Dybala corner in the 59th to extend Roma's lead. Matías Soulé added a fourth in the 81st minute after being set up by Hermoso; Newport pulled one back through Cameron's header in the 85th. Koulierakis, making his Roma debut, earned praise for his physical presence and defensive anticipation, characteristics reminiscent of his predecessor. Hermoso was named the standout performer, credited with both a goal and the assist for Soulé's finish. Castro, partnering with fellow Argentine Dybala in attack, impressed Gasperini with his link-up play and movement. The friendly served as valuable preparation ahead of Roma's next fixture against Brighton on 8 August.

Roma bounced back from a defeat at Cardiff with a dominant 4-1 victory over fourth-tier Newport County in a pre-season friendly today. Goals from Hermoso, Castro, Koulierakis and Soulé secured the win under the watch of Ryan Friedkin, with Cameron grabbing Newport's consolation late on. Castro impressed in an unfamiliar midfield role, scoring once and winning a penalty, while Dybala orchestrated play from attacking positions and assisted Koulierakis's header before becoming involved in a brief skirmish triggered by a heavy challenge from Evans. Gasperini has reasons to smile ahead of fresh arrivals, with negotiations advancing for Molina but the Read transfer path becoming more complicated. The friendly served as a positive tune-up for Roma's squad depth, with young players given minutes in the closing stages. Donyell Malen missed the match due to fever. Roma continue their pre-season schedule with another training session at Hensol tomorrow, followed by a final friendly against Brighton on Saturday before returning to the capital.