Roma finally secured a pre-season victory, defeating Newport County 4-1 in a match that provided a necessary boost for manager Gian Piero Gasperini. The team had struggled throughout the summer, notably squandering a 3-0 lead to draw with Cannes before suffering a 4-1 defeat against Cardiff City.
There was added pressure on the squad today, as club owner Ryan Friedkin flew in to watch the proceedings from the stands. In response to the recent poor results, Gasperini experimented with his lineup, handing a debut to new signing Konstantinos Koulierakis while deploying Mario Hermoso in an unconventional midfield role.
The hosts began the match with significant aggression. Biggins nearly opened the scoring with a lob that grazed Mile Svilar’s crossbar, and Doidge soon after tested the Roma goalkeeper following a chaotic scramble in the penalty area.
Roma eventually broke the deadlock in the 38th minute. Bryan Cristante won possession in midfield, spread the ball to Santiago Castro on the left, and then allowed the return pass to run through with a dummy. This movement created space for Hermoso, who swept the ball home first-time from 12 yards out.
After the restart, Svilar was forced into another sharp save to deny Biggins, while Castro narrowly missed connecting with an inspired dinked pass from Paulo Dybala. Roma soon extended their lead when Hermoso was tripped inside the box, allowing Castro to step up and convert the resulting penalty.
The third goal arrived shortly after, marking a successful debut for Koulierakis. Following a well-worked short corner, Dybala delivered a cross that the defender nodded in from close range. The intensity of the match boiled over on 65 minutes when a furious scuffle erupted after Dybala was hacked down on a counter-attack by Cameron Evans, leaving the Roma players visibly incensed despite the friendly nature of the fixture. Dybala continued to argue with Evans off the ball for several moments.
Matias Soulé added a fourth for Roma after coming off the bench, bending a precise left-foot finish around the goalkeeper’s glove into the far bottom corner. However, Gasperini’s side failed to keep a clean sheet, as Kyle Cameron’s glancing header from a late free kick squirmed in at the back post to finalize the 4-1 scoreline.
Match summary: Hermoso 38 (R), Castro pen 54 (R), Koulierakis 59 (R), Soulé 81 (R), Cameron 85 (N). Roma lineup: Svilar (Gollini 75); Mancini, Ndicka (Ziolkowski 75), Koulierakis (Ghilardi 69); Rensch (Soulé 69), El Aynaoui, Hermoso, Wesley (Wesley 75); Dybala (Vaz 69), Cristante; Castro (Lulli 69).
