Roma-Sporting Lisbon 2-3: Pellegrini’s goal is not enough, Tabata decides

Roma lost for the first time in the pre-season, on the fourth occasion, against Sporting Lisbon in Faro but all eyes are on what happens in the stands and not on the pitch. Mourinho’s team is defeated 3-2 at the end of a match that is not beautiful and nervous, but everyone’s thinking for Paulo Dybala: in the first half he is in the hotel with Pinto to fix the long and complicated contract, in the second half he shows up at the stadium with the GM, he sits in the stands under Dan and Ryan Friedkin (highly acclaimed by the Romanists present) and makes all those who feared some hitch in the negotiation breathe a sigh of relief. There are none: in the next few hours Dybala will be officially Romanist.

ROME AS THE OWNER

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Returning to the field, in the first half Roma plays in a sort of starting formation, with Mancini, Ibanez and Kumbulla in front of Rui Patricio, Celik and Spinazzola on the wings, Matic (with the new jersey number 8, 21 will be from Dybala), Cristante in midfield, Pellegrini with Zaniolo and Abraham. The most striking thing, net of the result with which the first fraction ends (1-1) is that Roma seem more and more a creature of Mou: a team that plays friendlies as if they were official matches, see the brawl between Kumbulla and Edwards on the occasion of the penalty awarded for a foul by Ibanez on Rochinha and converted by Pedro Gonçalves. It was the 29th minute, a minute later Roma equalized with an own goal by Inacio after a corner by Pellegrini. To be noted in the 14th minute a beautiful save by Rui Patricio on the conclusion of Gonçalves: the Portuguese goalkeeper was booed for a long time for the decision, years ago, to leave Sporting in a moment of economic crisis. Well Pellegrini, packed Spinazzola and Abraham.

FIGHTING AND GOAL

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In the second half, Mou changes a lot: Sporting takes the lead in the 53rd minute with Inacio headed from a corner, while Roma equalized in the 68th minute with Pellegrini, good at crossing in the center with a perfect assist from Abraham. All eyes, however, are for Paulo Dybala: there is still no official announcement, but around the 50th minute the Argentine, with Pinto, wearing Roma’s red jersey, sat in the stands under Dan and Ryan Friedkin. Needless to say, all eyes are on him and less on what he is lighting up on the pitch. To report several moments of nervousness between the Giallorossi and the opponents: Kumbulla in the first half, Zalewski, Veretout and Zaniolo in the second half, so much so that Mourinho takes Nicolò off because he is very nervous. Sporting provokes and touches hard, the players are the mirror of their coach and respond – always – in kind. In the final comes the third goal of Sporting that closes the accounts: a rebound, after a lost ball by Cristante, favors Tabata who is in front of Svilar and beats him. It ends like this, meeting on 23 against Nice. With Paulo Dybala.