Facing their final test of pre-season, Everton will seek an elusive win on Saturday, when they host Italian giants Roma.
While the Merseyside club have been starved of success this summer, their visitors suffered a first setback in midweek, heavily losing the opening game of a quick trip to England.
Match preview
Though the return of David Moyes ultimately saw Everton pull far clear of any danger, only relegated pair Leicester City and Southampton scored fewer Premier League goals from open play in 2024-25, and the Toffees have set their sights higher for the year ahead.
New club owners the Friedkin family - who also run Roma - are trying to invest significantly in the squad, though that has proven a tough task so far.
Still struggling in the transfer market, Everton are now nearing the end of pre-season, having started with a 1-1 draw against Accrington Stanley before suffering a 1-0 loss to Blackburn Rovers four days later.
Then, they failed to make much of an impact on the Premier League Summer Series, which took place in the USA: after losing 3-0 to Bournemouth and 2-1 to West Ham United, Moyes was happier with the performance against another of his old clubs last weekend.
Twice fighting back from behind, the Toffees held Manchester United to a 2-2 draw in the final match of their Stateside trip, leaving just one more friendly on the schedule.
Before opening their 2025-26 campaign away to Leeds United on August 18, they must face opponents who regularly appear in the final stages of European competition.Gian Piero Gasperini head coach of Atalanta BC on August 19, 2024
After three consecutive sixth-placed finishes, Roma finally broke their run of occupying that spot in Serie A last season, following a remarkable revival under Claudio Ranieri.
After a chaotic start, which saw both Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric sacked before Christmas, club legend Ranieri returned to steady the ship and led his boyhood team up the table.
Though they just missed out on Champions League qualification, Roma finished fifth and could still reflect on a superb 19-game undefeated streak - plus a tally of 11 top-flight clean sheets in 2025.
Then, for the second summer in a row, Ranieri called time on his lengthy coaching career, handing the reins to Atalanta BC's innovative Europa League winner Gian Piero Gasperini.
At the start of pre-season, the Giallorossi followed a 9-0 crushing of Serie D side UniPomezia - featuring four goals from new boy Evan Ferguson - with three more wins, against Kaiserslautern, Cannes and Lens.
Gasp's side had kept clean sheets throughout, but Wednesday's game against Aston Villa brought that sequence to a messy end: three down before half time, Roma ultimately lost 4-0 to the Birmingham club in Walsall.
So, before kicking off their league campaign at home to Bologna on August 23, they will seek a much sharper display this weekend.
Everton pre-season form: D L L L D
Roma pre-season form: W W W W L
Team News
Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite on February 26, 2025
Everton have signed five players so far, including teenage full-back Adam Aznou from Bayern Munich and recent arrival Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall - the latter joining from Chelsea in a deal worth £28m.
However, they are still light on numbers following several departures, while two key defenders have been short of fitness.
Jarrad Branthwaite has just returned to full training after missing the Premier League Summer Series, but James Tarkowski will be available: he got some valuable minutes against Man Utd, continuing his return from a serious hamstring injury.
While Thierno Barry and Beto will vie to feature up front for the hosts, Roma are set to start with either Evan Ferguson or Artem Dovbyk spearheading Gian Piero Gasperini's familiar 3-4-2-1 formation; Paulo Dybala is still sidelined.
Young centre-back Daniele Ghilardi signed from Hellas Verona last week, and he joins fellow summer buys Wesley, Devis Vasquez and Neil El Aynaoui in the Giallorossi's travelling squad.
Evan N'Dicka was forced off by a thigh strain against Lens, then failed to appear in midweek, but the Ivorian defender should be ready if required this weekend.
Everton possible starting lineup: Pickford; O'Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Garner, Gueye; Ndiaye, Iroegbunam, Alcaraz; Barry
Roma possible starting lineup: Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Hermoso; Wesley, El Aynaoui, Cristante, Angelino; Soule, Baldanzi; Ferguson
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We say: Everton 2-1 Roma
Everton can finally get a morale-raising win at their new stadium, despite continuing to struggle in the transfer market.
A concerning loss against Villa shows that Roma are still short of matching their new manager's demands, and they could suffer back-to-back defeats.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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