Roma crushes Brighton: 4 slaps De Zerbi in the face

Roma-Brighton 4-0

Roma won with a net 4-0 against De Zerbi’s Brighton in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16, played at the Stadio Olimpico. Two goals per half decided the match: Dybala and Lukaku signed the double lead in the first half, Mancini and Cristante rounded off the result in the second half, sending the Giallorossi fans into ecstasy.

Roma got off to a strong start right away and found the lead on 13’: Paredes verticalized for Dybala, who, on one-on-one with Steele, skipped past him and deposited into the net. Brighton tried to react on 25’ with Welbeck, who hit a header off Adingra’s cross but Svilar was ready. In the final minutes of the first half, Lukaku takes advantage of Dunk’s mistake and pierces Steele, signing the 2-0.

The resumption began with one chance per side: Steele blocked a Lukaku header; Welbeck sent high with his left a splendid filtering pass from Adingra. At 64' the Giallorossi drop the triad: El Shaarawy collects a defense rebound and crosses back with his right, finding the winning paw of Mancini. Four minutes later Cristante closed the score definitively by backing an empty-goal header off a cross by the same El Shaarawy, after a beautiful triangulation between the latter and Spinazzola.

Now Roma will appear in England with a four-goal lead. The return match è scheduled for next Thursday at 9 p.m. at the Amex Stadium in Brighton.