Roma kick-off pre-season with 16-0 win

Roma got their season off to a winning start with a 16-0 victory over local side AC Pinzolo on Wednesday evening.

Despite heavy rain in the hours leading up to the match in Trentino, thousands of fans turned out to watch Luciano Spalletti’s side bring up the curtain on the 2016-17 season. And they saw plenty of action against a side made up of semi-professionals from the region.

Edin Dzeko, Mohamed Salah, Diego Perotti and Juan Iturbe were among the goalscorers for the Giallorossi, who understandably dominated possession for much of the contest - and were able to turn that domination into goals.

With heavy rain falling on Pinzolo in the build-up to kick-off, the game kicked off in slippery conditions. But the Roma players quickly adjusted to the difficulties underfoot, with last season’s top scorer Salah picking up where he left off with the game’s first goal just minutes into the contest.

The Egypt international made it 2-0 soon after before it became Edin Dzeko’s turn to shine, as the powerful forward made it 3-0 inside the first 18 minutes with a close-range finish.

Christian D’Urso – the one member of the Primavera-winning squad named in Spalletti’s starting XI – then got himself on the scoresheet, before Dzeko added a further three goals prior to half-time.

Between those strikes Edoardo Soleri replaced his Primavera teammate D'Urso, while both Diego Perotti and Vasilis Torosidis also got on the scoresheet to leave it 9-0 at half-time.

Then came the changes, as a completely new unit came out for the second half. And it took the new boys 10 minutes to add to the scoreline, as Juan Manuel Iturbe won and converted a penalty.

Federico Ricci, on loan at Crotone last season, then showed his cutting edge in front of goal as he slotted home after good work from Iturbe, before Gerson marked his first appearance in a Roma shirt with a curling effort from 20 yards.

That seemed to open up the action, as Ezequiel Ponce and then Lorenzo Di Livio both hit the target from close range. Ricci then added to his tally, bringing the scoreline to 15-0 with just minutes remaining.

In the end it would be Iturbe who finished off the scoring, as he raised one of the loudest cheers of the afternoon with a rasping drive from 25 yards that left the goalkeeper with no chance.

The squad’s second and final game in Pinzolo takes place on Sunday, as Russian side Terek Grozny visit.