Brighton and Hove Albion 3 Roma 0
Rome wasn’t built in a day, they say, and the 2026-27 Albion team is also a work in progress. But the early signs were very promising as Fabian Hürzeler’s men beat the team from the eternal city in their first appearance of the summer in front of fans.
Gerorginio Rutter put Albion ahead after 29 minutes with a spectacular curling effort from 20 yards. Yasin Ayari scored either side of half time to make it 3-0 – and that was arrivederci Roma.
Apart from their goals, both scorers looked in good form, Georginio a constant danger and Ayari dominating in midfield.
Roma finished third in Italy’s Serie A last season and will compete in the UEFA Champions League in the forthcoming campaign but they were second best for long periods here.
Albion record signing Luka Vuskovic impressed alongside Olivier Boscagli in the centre of the Albion defence, with fellow newcomers Costinha and Zadoc Yohanna both getting their chances to shine amid a flurry of second-half substitutions. Minor issues kept Pascal Struijk and Michael Svoboda out of the squad.
Jack Hinshelwood had Albion’s first shot at goal after five minutes when he broke through the middle but goalkeeper Mile Svilar was quickly off his line to smother the midfielder’s effort.
Svilar was called into action again six minutes later, fingertipping Georginio’s 20-yarder over the crossbar. From the corner kick, Vuskovic found a yard of space at the far post but directed his header off target.
The Croatia defender was having an eventful few minutes. Next, he got his head in the way of a shot by Roma’s Argentinian striker Pablo Dybala and then put another header against the post, although referee Robert Madley had spotted an infringement.
However, Albion were not having everything their own way, and former Aston Villa man Donyell Malen flashed a shot just wide after an incisive move down Roma’s left initiated by the dangerous Brazilian wing back Wesley.
And it was Wesley who should have opened the Giallorossi’s account after 28 minutes, outpacing Mats Wieffer down the left but then scooping his shot over the crossbar.
It was a costly miss as, within seconds, Georginio had cut in from the right and sent a venomous shot curling high past Svilar’s right hand and into the top far corner of the net.
Ten minutes later, Yankuba Minteh charged clear only to be overtaken at the last by the speedy Wesley. At that point the chance seemed to have gone, but plenty of Albion players had got up in support and the ball broke for Ayari to drive a low first-time shot past Svilar.
Ayari grabbed his second three minutes into the restart. Minteh and Georginio worked the ball in from the left and the Sweden midfield man took a touch before smacking the ball home in front of a delighted North Stand.
But there was concern when Minteh went down in the 58th minute, just after receiving treatment on a leg injury, and had to be helped from the field
Albion face further Serie A opposition, Bologna, in another pre-season friendly at the Amex next Saturday (15 August). Kick-off at 3pm.
Albion (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Wieffer (Costinha 60), Vuskovic (Dunk ht), Boscagli (Cashin 85), Kadioglu (De Cuyper 60); Ayari (Cozier-Duberry 85), Gross (Middleton 85); Gomez (Yohanna 60), Hinshelwood (Yalcouye 75), Minteh (Osman 59); Georginio (Kostoulas 60).
Sub not used: McGill (gk).
AS Roma (3-4-3): Svilar; Mancini (Ziolkowski 84), Ndicka (Ghilardi 51), Hermoso (Koulierakis 51); Rensch (Reale 78), Cristante (Panico 78), El Aynaoui (Mannini ht), Wesley (Lulli 78); Soule (Cherubini 66), Dybala (Castro 66), Malen (Vaz 84).
Referee: Robert Madley.
