Cian Ashford struck twice as Cardiff City swept aside Serie A giants Roma 4-1 in their final pre-season friendly at Cardiff City Stadium on 1 August. Yousef Salech and Ollie Tanner also got on the scoresheet in a display full of pressing and intensity under Brian Barry-Murphy.
Cardiff took the lead inside three minutes. Ollie Tanner raced down the right and delivered a low ball into the area. Yousef Salech could not convert, but Roma's attempted clearance struck Ashford and looped over keeper Mile Svilar. Chris Willock then forced a flying save from Svilar, while Gabriel Osho made several important interventions at the other end.
The home side doubled their advantage on the half-hour. Wesley Franca underhit a backpass towards Svilar, Salech refused to give up the chase and blocked the goalkeeper's attempted clearance, leaving the ball to roll into an empty net. Roma had a chance to respond immediately when Perry Ng brought down Franca in the box, but Nathan Trott comfortably saved Matias Soulé's weak penalty. Trott denied Soulé again from a tight angle before Cardiff made it 3-0 in the 39th minute. Tanner provided another dangerous cross from the right, Salech won the initial header, and Ashford reacted quickest inside the six-yard box to score his second.
Dybala gives Roma brief hope
Barry-Murphy made one change at the break, introducing Harry Tyrer for Trott. Cardiff continued to threaten after the restart, but Roma found a way back into the match in the 58th minute when Paulo Dybala drifted into space around the penalty spot and swept in a low cross from the left.
Any hopes of an Italian comeback were extinguished five minutes later. Cardiff broke forward quickly and Tanner found himself one-on-one with a defender. He initially seemed to have lost the opening, but recovered possession and calmly slotted past Svilar to make it 4-1. The goal was followed by angry scenes as Dybala and Bryan Cristante confronted the referee over an earlier challenge between Calum Chambers and Santiago Castro. Chambers felt Castro had dived and made his feelings known.
Controlled finish in front of 10,705
Cardiff stayed disciplined as Barry-Murphy introduced a string of substitutes, including Ronan Kpakio, David Turnbull, Eli King, Isaak Davies and Callum Robinson. Tyrer produced a full-stretch save to deny Soulé late on, while Chambers impressed with several well-timed defensive interventions. Roma came close to another consolation in stoppage time when Daniele Ghilardi headed against the post, but Cardiff comfortably saw out the remaining moments.
The result, witnessed by a crowd of 10,705, gives Cardiff a significant boost ahead of the competitive campaign, which begins against Swindon Town in the Carabao Cup next weekend.
Team line-ups
Cardiff City: Trott (Tyrer 46); Ng (Kpakio 67), Osho (Moreno 82), Chambers, Bagan (Anyadike 82); Robertson (King 77), J. Colwill (Tankiewicz 82); Tanner, Ashford (Turnbull 72), Willock; Salech (Robinson 77). Substitutes: Turner, Mafico, Davies.
Roma: Svilar; Mancini (Ghilardi 46), Ndicka, Hermoso (Ziolkowski 72); Rensch (Reale 82), Cristante (Panico 87), Bah (Mannini 29), Wesley (Lulli 72); Soulé (Cherubini 82), Dybala (Vaz 72); Castro (Malen 67). Substitutes: De Marzi, Gollini, Nardin.
