Brighton beat Roma 3-0 as Yasin Ayari scores twice

Brighton defeated Roma 3-0 in their first home friendly of the summer. Georginio Rutter opened the scoring before Yasin Ayari added a goal on each side of half-time.

Roma arrived after finishing third in Serie A last season. Brighton controlled long periods and prevented the Italian side from scoring at the Amex Stadium.

Rutter turned Brighton’s pressure into the opening goal

Jack Hinshelwood created the first clear chance after five minutes. He advanced through the middle, but Mile Svilar left his goal quickly and blocked the effort. Rutter then tested Svilar from outside the area. The Roma goalkeeper pushed his shot over the bar, while Luka Vuskovic headed the following corner wide.

Roma threatened through Donyell Malen and Wesley. Malen sent one effort narrowly wide, and Wesley lifted another attempt over the bar after running beyond Mats Wieffer. Brighton scored within seconds of Wesley’s miss. Rutter moved inside from the right and curled a powerful shot into the far top corner after 29 minutes.

Ayari doubled the lead before the interval

Yankuba Minteh accelerated into space ten minutes after the opener. Wesley recovered and challenged him, but the loose ball remained inside Roma’s half. Several Brighton players had supported the attack. Ayari reached the second ball and struck a low first-time shot beyond Svilar for the second goal.

The midfielder’s finish gave Brighton a clear advantage before half-time. It also rewarded his work beside Pascal Gross in the home midfield. Roma still had experienced attackers on the pitch, including Paulo Dybala. Brighton’s central defenders protected Bart Verbruggen and limited the number of direct shots.

A second Ayari goal settled the contest

Brighton needed only three minutes after the restart to score again. Minteh and Rutter combined from the left before the ball reached Ayari inside the area. Ayari controlled the pass and finished in front of the North Stand. His second goal changed the score to 3-0 and removed any immediate pressure on the home side.

Fabian Hurzeler then shared minutes across his squad. Costinha, Maxim De Cuyper, Ibrahim Osman and Charalampos Kostoulas were among the players introduced. Roma also made frequent changes during the second half. The substitutions altered both lineups, but the visitors could not reduce the three-goal gap.

New defenders completed useful minutes together

Vuskovic started beside Olivier Boscagli in central defence. The pair dealt with Roma’s front line while Brighton built attacks from a controlled first pass. Vuskovic also carried a threat at set pieces. One early header missed the target, and another hit the post after the referee had already stopped play.

Costinha and Zadoc Yohanna later received home minutes after joining the squad. Lewis Dunk entered at half-time and added experience during the second period. Minor physical issues kept Pascal Struijk and Michael Svoboda outside the match squad. Minteh also needed assistance after going down during the second half.

Brighton now prepare for another Italian opponent

The victory followed a 4-3 friendly win over Strasbourg. Brighton have therefore scored seven times across their latest two pre-season matches. Bologna visit the Amex Stadium on 15 August. That game gives Brighton another meeting with Serie A opposition before the English league season begins.

Roma will enter the Champions League after their third-place domestic finish. Their quality made Brighton’s three-goal win a useful test despite the friendly setting. The final score was supported by a clear chronology. Rutter scored first, Ayari struck twice, and Brighton protected the 3-0 lead through the closing changes.

The three goals arrived on both sides of halftime

Rutter opened the scoring in the 29th minute after Brighton had applied sustained pressure. Ayari added the second shortly before the interval. Roma entered the break with two goals to recover. Brighton then removed much of that possibility soon after play resumed.

Ayari scored again in the 48th minute. His second goal placed three goals between the teams with most of the half remaining. Brighton protected that score through the final whistle. A strong period around halftime therefore produced the complete margin.

The match also included an injury concern

Yankuba Minteh left the field after receiving treatment. His condition became the main concern inside an otherwise positive result. Luka Vuskovic and Olivier Boscagli shared defensive minutes during the friendly. Their appearance gave Brighton another chance to test new combinations.

Brighton’s three-goal margin rewarded the defenders as well as the scorers. Roma did not find a goal after Brighton established its advantage. Another Italian opponent follows in the summer programme. Bologna provide the next match before Brighton move closer to competitive fixtures.

Brighton scored three goals and conceded none

Rutter supplied the first finish before Ayari scored on both sides of halftime. Roma never reduced the deficit during the remaining minutes.

The result joined attacking output with a complete defensive return. Brighton used the friendly to give new defenders minutes against an experienced European opponent.