Roma’s erratic preseason continues as Dybala misses penalty, Castro debuts

Roma’s preseason stumbled on Tuesday as the Italian side fell 4-1 to English Championship club Cardiff in their second friendly, with Paulo Dybala scoring and later missing a penalty, while newcomer Santi Castro made his debut for the Loba.

The Loba’s preseason began on a bittersweet note with a 3-3 draw against Cannes in France after leading 3-0. The match ended level, showing early defensive frailties. It set a tone of inconsistency for the Italian side.

In the Cardiff encounter, Paulo Dybala was in the starting eleven and found the net, extending his scoring run from the first friendly where he recorded a double. The Argentine forward, often called La Joya, demonstrated an individual spark despite the team’s collective struggles. Paulo Dybala fue titular, according to the match report.

However, Dybala’s night turned sour when he saw his penalty saved after the visitors were already 2-0 down to the British side. The miss highlighted the gap between his personal form and the squad’s performance.

The match also marked the debut of Santiago Castro, listed as Santi Castro, who arrived from Bologna for €35 million plus bonuses. He featured for 66 minutes, received a booking and tried once at goal.

Roma’s attacking line featured three Argentines – Dybala, Matías Soulé and Castro. Soulé logged the most minutes of the trio with 81, while Dybala played 71 minutes before being substituted.

The Cordobés, referred to as La Joya, scored the lone Roma goal in the 4-1 defeat to Cardiff. The result underscored the erratic start to the pre‑season campaign.