Roma Pre-Season: Dybala and Dovbyk Shine in 6-0 Win

Roma eased into pre-season with a 6-0 win over their Primavera side, but the scoreline was only the backdrop. The real story was Paulo Dybala, moving with the sharpness and swagger of a man intent on owning the year ahead.

Reports in Italy painted the same picture: this was the Dybala who dragged Roma through the final stretch of last season. Touch crisp, ideas clear, execution ruthless. He produced moments of real class, laid on an assist and scored twice, all while looking in notably strong physical condition for this stage of July.

For Gian Piero Gasperini, that matters more than any friendly result. He has been unwavering on one point since taking over: a fully fit Dybala changes the level of this team. The caveat has always been the same – his body. On this early evidence, the Argentine has given his new coach exactly the reassurance he wanted.

If Dybala offered the artistry, Artem Dovbyk supplied the power. Back from the tendon problem that required surgery and robbed him of much of the run-in, the Ukrainian striker marked his return with two goals and the air of a man eager to make up for lost time. He might have had more. The movement was there, the timing too, and the finishing looked instinctive rather than rusty.

That sharpness arrives at a delicate moment for him. Roma are pushing on the market, with names like Crysencio Summerville circling the conversation, and Dovbyk’s future has been openly mentioned as a possible sacrifice to fund new arrivals. These next few weeks, then, are not just about fitness; they are an audition.

For now, he has landed the first blow in his own defence. A fit Dybala and a firing Dovbyk give Gasperini something every coach craves at the start of a long season: genuine options, and the pleasant problem of deciding who he can afford to let go.