Villa and Roma Clash in High-Stakes Pre-Season Friendly
Alright, so here's what’s going down with Aston Villa and AS Roma—it’s a pretty exciting pre-season matchup that’s gotten a lot of people talking. On Wednesday evening, August 6, 2025, the two clubs faced off for the very first time in history at the Bescot Stadium in Walsall. That’s Villa’s temporary home while Villa Park is getting some renovation work done.
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Now, this wasn’t just a casual warm-up. Both teams were looking to sharpen up before their respective league campaigns begin. For Villa, this match was part of their efforts to iron out some early issues—they’d only managed one win from five pre-season games coming into this. After a tour of the U.S. where they stayed unbeaten, including a win against St. Louis and two draws, they were hoping to carry that momentum back to England. Roma, on the other hand, are just starting to build under their new boss, Gian Piero Gasperini. They’ve got another match lined up against Everton, so this was a good chance for them to assess their squad and new signings.
Unai Emery went with a strong lineup. Emi Martinez started in goal—despite transfer speculation surrounding him this summer. In defense, Villa fielded Lamare Bogarde, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings, and Ian Maatsen. Midfield was anchored by Kamara and Tielemans, and further up the pitch, we saw Bailey, Buendia, and Ramsey supporting Ollie Watkins. Watkins, by the way, is reportedly on Newcastle’s radar, so his performance was being closely watched.
Dutch forward Donyell Malen, who’s had a solid pre-season with a goal and three assists, was expected to be involved as well—though there’s added competition now that Villa are close to signing Evan Guessand from Nice in a deal worth around £26 million. Also of note, youngsters like Triston Rowe and Jamaldeen Jimoh were given minutes, with Emery rotating his squad a bit.
As for Roma, their squad included some intriguing new names—Daniele Ghilardi from Hellas Verona and striker options like Evan Ferguson and Artem Dovbyk. Dybala wasn’t fully fit yet, but they still had plenty of firepower. Injuries to players like Evan N'Dicka and Matias Soule had created some concern, but both were expected to recover in time for the match.
The game was streamed live on VillaTV for fans around the world, and while it was “just a friendly,” the stakes felt higher. It was a test of depth, chemistry, and momentum as both clubs edge closer to competitive action. And for supporters, it was a glimpse into what’s ahead this season—new players, new tactics, and a lot to look forward to.
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