On Tuesday, August 4, 2026, AS Roma embarked on an amicable journey to the Rodney Parade stadium for a friendly match against Newport County, a team from League Two (the fourth tier). The match saw several changes in both teams' lineups throughout the game. For Newport County, Wright was replaced by MacDonald at halftime, and Norman was substituted with Thomas before the final whistle, while Pugh took over in the 90th minute. Cameron started as captain and scored a goal, with Halpin coming on for him later. Other changes included Jarvis replacing Sassi after 78 minutes, Evans making an appearance instead of Doidge at 60 minutes, and Davies entering the fray at 46 minutes. Head coach Hayden Mullins managed the team from the sidelines as Newport County sought to secure a positive result against their Italian counterparts.
AS Roma lined up in a 3-4-1-2 formation with Svilar between the posts, Mancini and Ndicka forming part of the defense alongside Koulierakis, who scored for AS Roma. The midfield was occupied by Rensch, El Aynaoui, Hermoso, Wesley, and Cristante, while Dybala and Castro provided attacking support. Substitutions were made to both teams, with Gollini replacing Svilar after 76 minutes, Ziolkowski taking the place of Ndicka at 75 minutes, Ghilardi substituted Koulierakis, Lulli came on for Rensch, Reale replaced Wesley, and Panico entered in place of El Aynaoui. Mannini took over from Hermoso as the match progressed.
Gasperini was in charge of AS Roma with a few key players absent due to post-World Cup holidays or injuries. Koné was away on vacation while Pisilli was sidelined by an injury. Despite these absences, AS Roma managed to secure a win, thanks to goals from Castro and Koulierakis.
The next friendly match for AS Roma is scheduled against Brighton at the American Express Stadium on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at 16:00 BST.
