Roma Blasts Brighton in 4-0 Rout at The Olimpico

We're about six weeks into the Daniele De Rossi era, and Roma’s new manager has clearly settled into a tactical sweet spot. While De Rossi dabbled with a three-man backline in a recent match against Torino, the 40-year-old manager has found his groove, using a base 4-3-3 anchored by a Leandro Paredes-Bryan Cristante-Lorenzo Pellegrini midfield.

It was the same midfield that tamed a feisty Feyenoord side in the club's dramatic two-leg victory in the Knockout Round Playoffs. And considering the weight of today's Europa League match against Roberto De Zerbi's Bright & Hove Albion side, DDR opted for the continuity and familiarity that has seen the Giallorossi win seven of their nine matches under De Rossi.

With the Stadio Olimpico buzzing thanks to another sold-out crowd, Roma took early control of the match and generated a golden chance in the third minute when Romelu Lukaku played a thumping header toward goal, only to see Brighton keeper Jason Steele parry it over the crossbar.

Lukaku may not have scored, but his effort kicked off a frenetic, end-to-end spell with both clubs running at a break-neck pace, punctuated by an almost coast-to-coast run from Stephan El Shaarawy in the eighth minute. With no immediate passing outlets, SES had to call his own number but appeared to run out of gas as he carried the ball into the area, resulting in a rather tame attempt at the near post.

The two sides continued to tear up and down the Olimpico pitch, but neither side managed to find an early breakthrough until Roma's Argentine duo drew first blood.

Paulo Dybala: 13th Minute (Roma 1, Brighton 0)

What a pass from Leandro Paredes. After exchanging a quick glance with Dybala, he sprung his compatriot with a beautiful defense-splitting ball from beyond the midfield stripe, catching La Joya in stride. But this wasn't exactly a walk in the park for Dybala, who had to outrun Steele and fire from a tight angle, but he did the job well, beating the keeper and VAR (who corrected an offside call) in one fell swoop.

The ensuing 20 minutes saw Brighton assert themselves in the final third, probing gradually deeper into Roma territory, winning multiple corners and recycling possession as the Giallorossi backline scrambled to maintain its shape. No damage was done, but it was evident that Roma, despite Dybala's early goal, had a difficult evening ahead of them.

Roma's run-at-all-costs approach continued in the closing stages of the first half, with Dybala kickstarting a counterattack with a clever backheel. With Pellegrini charging hard through the middle of the pitch, the club captain couldn't quite pick out El Shaarawy to his left or Lukaku to his right, opting instead to fire a left-footer at Steele, winning a corner kick in the process. It didn't work in the end, but this was emblematic of Roma’s approach in the first 45—no hesitation, just run straight at the Brighton defense.

And just when it seemed Roma would head into the break with a comfortable but always fragile one-goal lead, fortune smiled on the Giallorossi.

Romelu Lukaku: 43rd Minute (Roma 2, Brighton 0)

After a looping long ball was played down the right flank, Brighton skipper Lewis Dunk appeared to have a beat on it, turning his hips as he attempted to settle the ball with his right boot. Whether he was feeling the pressure from Lukaku or simply took his eye off the ball, we cannot say, but in his haste, he inadvertently played the ball into no man's land, where Lukaku was ready to pounce.

But the first-half highlights weren't done for Roma, as Mile Svilar made a spectacular reaction save to deny a well-struck Danny Welbeck header in the 46th minute, preserving the Giallorossi's two-nil lead as they headed into the break.

Second Half

While Roma stood pat to begin the new half, De Zerbi brought on former Barcelona wunderkind Ansu Fati to start the second 45 minutes. Despite that attacking change, Roma had the first clean look of the new half, a Lukaku header at the right post, which was turned away by Steele after Lukaku tried to bounce it off the pitch.

As the match crept toward the hour mark, Roma took their foot off the gas, ceding more possession to Brighton, as De Zerbi's club poked and prodded the Giallorossi backline in an effort to cut the lead.

But not only did Brighton fail to cut Roma's lead, they soon fell behind by another goal after El Shaarawy and Gianluca Mancini caught the Seagulls napping.

Gianluca Mancini: 64th Minute (Roma 3, Brighton 0)

After chasing the ball for much of the second half, Roma capitalized on one of their few second-half chances. With El Shaarawy controlling possession at the left edge of the box following a Pellegrini corner kick, he sliced a cross towards the opposite post, finding Mancini's outstretched leg. And much like their first goal, Roma survived a VAR check, effectively putting this match to bed with roughly 30 minutes to play.

But what happened next likely secured Roma’s spot in the quarterfinals...

Bryan Cristante: 68th Minute (Roma 4, Brighton 0)

But El Shaarawy wasn't done yet. In a somewhat similar passage of play, the ball found its way to SES out wide. While he didn't have quite as much time as the previous goal, El Shaarawy nevertheless managed to whip the ball across the face of goal, picking out Bryan Cristante near the right post. And while he appeared to overrun the ball a tad, he did well to contort his neck enough to get a clean shot off. With a four-nil lead in their pocket, this goal should give De Rossi far more breathing room in next week's return leg in Brighton.

De Rossi would close things out by giving much-needed rest to Dybala and Paredes, who gave way to Tommaso Baldanzi and Edoardo Bove, respectively. Still, with 15 minutes plus stoppage remaining, Roma had to defend every blade of grass to preserve the clean sheet. Sensing a rising Brighton tide in the final 10 minutes, De Rossi went defensive in his next change, bringing Diego Llorente on for Leonardo Spinazzola, shifting the club to a three-man backline for the home stretch.

De Rossi's final change would see Sardar Azmoun and Nicola Zalewski come on for Lukaku and El Shaarawy, respectively, giving the club a pair of fresh and fast legs for the final five minutes plus stoppage time.

Final Thoughts

That was amazing. Roma played with intensity and a clear sense of purpose: to run Brighton off the pitch, miserable, defeated, and sore as they prepared for the long trek home. There's not much else we can say—Roma was sensational in all aspects tonight, and by winning by such a large margin, next week's return leg should enable De Rossi to rest some of his regulars.

Up Next

Back to the league as Roma hits the road to face Fiorentina on Sunday.