ITALIAN SOB
Seagulls succumb to Roman conquest
BRIGHTON’S Europa League bid lay in Roman ruins last night after they were flattened by Romelu Lukaku.
After a miserable return to his homeland, boss Roberto De Zerbi said the humbling loss must be a lesson for his club and owner Tony Bloom.
De Zerbi’s side have now lost three games in a week without scoring a goal to go out of the FA Cup and slide to ninth in the Premier League.
Their likely elimination from Europe will leave little to play for in the rest of the season.
Lukaku netted his 27th Europa League goal, the third highest, and his seventh in the competition this season.
Injury-hit Brighton were without Joao Pedro and fellow striker Kaoru Mitoma, while ruthless Roma scored four goals with seven shots on target.
De Zerbi (inset) and Roma boss Daniele De Rossi are close friends but there was no room for sentiment during a brutal 90-minute lesson. “I told De Rossi that the only positive of this game is that I lost against a friend,” said the Seagulls boss.
“The truth is, we lost against a stronger team than us. Roma players are used to playing these matches, that’s why they are stronger. It was not the second goal that made the difference.
“The truth is that we are not used to playing these games at this level.
“This is a lesson to learn for the president to improve the team. And for myself to improve from January to March.
And for the players? Today is the day that I love my players the most.
“The players walk away with regrets. When you have regrets, the next time you know what to expect.
We lost deservedly against a better team.”
But a lack of spending this summer will only increase the chances of Italian coach De Zerbi leaving at the end of the season.
Last night Brighton brought their poor Premier League form to the soldout Olimpico Stadium.
Two World Cup winners combined for the opening goal after 13 minutes, as Argentine Leandro Paredes threaded a ball through for Paulo Dybala to round Jason Steele and slot home his 10th goal this year. Lukaku, on loan from Chelsea and who will be for sale again this summer, doubled the lead after 43 minutes.
Lewis Dunk failed to deal with a long ball and the Belgian cut in and fired a shot past the Albion keeper at his near post.
Gianluca Mancini netted the third after 64 minutes and his fellow Italy international Bryan Cristante completed the rout four minutes later.
ROMA (4-3-3): Svilar 7; Celik 6, Mancini 7, N’Dicka 6, Spinazzola 7 (Llorente 82); Cristante 7, Paredes 7 (Bove 72), Pellegrini 7; Dybala 8 (Baldanzi 72), LUKAKU 8 (Azmoun 88), El Shaarawy 7 (Zalewski 88). BRIGHTON (4-2-3-1): Steele 6; Lamptey 5, Van Hecke 6, Dunk 4, Igor 5 (Estupinan 75); Gilmour 4 (Baleba 81), Gross 5; Adingra 6, Enciso 4 (Fati 46, 6) Buonanotte 5 (Veltman 75); Welbeck 5 (Ferguson 81). REFEREE: Francois Letexier (France) 7.