Roma’s pre-season defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion offered a glimpse of how Gian Piero Gasperini could shape his attack for the 2026-27 campaign, with Donyell Malen, Santiago Castro, Paulo Dybala and Matias Soule all involved at the Amex Stadium.
The result was another disappointing one for Roma, who were beaten by Brighton on Saturday afternoon during their tour of the United Kingdom. However, the game provided an opportunity to assess how Gasperini might use the attacking players currently available to him.
Football Italia was among the accredited media present for the friendly between Brighton & Hove Albion and Roma.
Roma have now completed their UK trip with defeats by Brighton and Cardiff City, alongside a 4-1 win against fourth-tier Newport County. They have one final pre-season fixture to play, against Borussia Dortmund next weekend, before beginning their Serie A campaign away to Fiorentina on 24 August.
Gasperini initially selected Roma in a 3-4-2-1 formation at the Amex. Dybala and Soule operated as the two advanced midfielders behind Malen, who led the attack.
The main point of interest came in the second half, when Gasperini removed both of his Argentine attackers and brought on Castro. The change also altered Roma’s shape, with the team moving to a 3-4-1-2.
Malen then moved to the right side of the front two, while Castro played to his left. Luigi Cherubini, who had come on as a substitute, occupied the trequartista position behind them.
The match therefore offered a first look at Malen and Castro playing together. Malen was Roma’s leading scorer last season, while Castro arrived from Bologna earlier in the current transfer window in a deal worth €35m including bonuses.
Despite that signing, Gasperini has repeatedly indicated that he does not believe Roma have completed enough business this summer. The head coach is still seeking several additions before the transfer window closes in the coming weeks.
His priorities include further attacking reinforcements and one more defender. Gasperini has also said he wants Roma to add quality rather than simply increase the size of the squad.
“Compared to last term, I asked for a defender, a winger, and two strikers,” Gasperini told the press after Roma’s 4-1 defeat against Cardiff City last weekend.
“Of course, if a player leaves, then he has to be replaced too. This was my objective, it doesn’t seem so difficult or insurmountable to me.
“We are also clearly trying to get quality players, like Castro.”
The final pre-season meeting with Borussia Dortmund will give Gasperini another chance to test his attacking combinations before Roma travel to Fiorentina for their Serie A opener. The Brighton fixture suggested that Malen and Castro can be paired in a two-man attack, although Dybala and Soule remain options in the roles behind the main striker within the manager’s preferred systems.
