Roma Pre-Season: Dybala Shines, Dovbyk Makes Statement

Roma’s pre-season opened not with a gentle jog, but with a statement. A 6-0 win over their own Primavera side will not echo around Europe, yet inside Trigoria it meant plenty, because Paulo Dybala looked like Paulo Dybala again.

The Argentine, as reported by TuttoMercatoWeb, picked up exactly where he left off in the closing weeks of last season, when he almost single-handedly hauled Roma through tense fixtures. Here, in the first outing of the summer, he sprinkled the same class: two goals, an assist, and those small, sharp touches that separate him from the rest.

More important than the numbers was how he moved. Dybala arrived in camp in conspicuously good condition, lighter on his feet, sharper in the turns, quicker into space. Every sprint and change of direction will have been watched closely, because Gian Piero Gasperini has been unwavering on one point since he walked through the door: a fit Dybala changes everything.

On this evidence, that belief gained fresh fuel.

Gasperini has never hidden it. If Dybala’s body holds up, Roma’s ceiling rises. The opening friendly is a flimsy barometer for the season ahead, but coaches read pre-season differently to the rest of us. They look for signals, for hints. Dybala gave them in abundance.

Dovbyk answers a different question

If Dybala’s performance reassured, Artem Dovbyk’s display posed a challenge of another kind – not to the opposition, but to the club’s transfer plans.

The Ukrainian striker, who lost a crucial slice of last season to a tendon problem that required surgery, returned looking like a man eager to reclaim lost time. He scored twice, could have had more, and played with the urgency of someone who knows the clock is ticking on his Roma future.

His name has hovered around the market chatter, mentioned as a possible sale to help fund incoming deals, including the push for Crysencio Summerville. Matches like this complicate that equation. Every clean finish, every powerful run, is a reminder of what Roma might be giving up.

For now, Dovbyk has these next few weeks to make his case directly to Gasperini. Pre-season can be ruthless: some players are quietly moved on, others force their way back into the conversation. A double on day one is a strong opening argument.

Roma’s summer, then, begins with two forwards sending very different but equally clear messages. Dybala is ready to be the difference-maker his coach believes in. Dovbyk is not prepared to be just a line on the balance sheet.