Brighton & Hove Albion beat Roma 3-0 at the Amex on Saturday afternoon, and the scoreline flattered the visitors. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side had ten shots and did not put one of them on target. By Nick Staunton
Georginio Rutter opened it on 29 minutes, taking a through ball from Diego Gómez and curling a left-footed shot from twenty yards into the top corner. It was the best goal of the afternoon and there was competition.
Yasin Ayari made it two on 40 minutes, a first-time right-footed finish into the bottom corner after patient build-up. He got the third four minutes into the second half, taking a Rutter cutback, killing it with one touch and finishing from close range.
Albion had 60% of the ball, completed 488 passes to Roma’s 291, and won the shots-on-target count 6-0. Robert Madley refereed. Roma made changes on the hour and after, but nothing changed.
The Welbeck Question
This was the first match at the Amex since Danny Welbeck left for Chelsea, and the obvious worry was who scores now.
Rutter answered it as directly as anyone could in a friendly — a goal, an assist, and two further chances created. Fabián Hürzeler will have watched that and felt considerably better about the coming season than he might have a week ago.
The caveat is the one that applies to every August. Roma were on the last leg of a UK tour that had already produced a 4-1 defeat to Cardiff City, and pre-season form has a habit of evaporating by the second week of the league campaign. Dybala, Soulé and Malen all started and none of them threatened.
Still. A Serie A side with that front three managing nothing on target for ninety minutes at your ground is worth something, and the Amex enjoyed it.
There is also a small piece of history settled. The last time these two met was the Europa League in 2024, when Roma won 4-1 on aggregate and took the first leg 4-0 in Rome. Nobody in the ground had forgotten.
Next Up
Albion face more Serie A opposition on Saturday 15 August, when Bologna visit the Amex, kick-off at 3pm. It is the final pre-season fixture before the league starts.
Roma finish their preparations against Borussia Dortmund.
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