16-year-old Paratici scores hat-trick as Roma record 8-0 friendly victory

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Peter Young | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 7:46 AM ET

16-year-old striker Lorenzo Paratici scored a hat-trick in a mid-international break friendly for Roma on Thursday morning, as the Giallorossi recorded an 8-0 victory in 80 minutes against local side Roma City.

Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini organised a friendly for his players who were not called up for international duty during the September international break. The test brought an opportunity for the likes of Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini to get valuable minutes into their legs.

It was a makeshift Giallorossi XI who took to the field on Thursday: Angelino played in the back three alongside Mario Hermoso and Daniele Ghilardi. Lorenzo Pellegrini partnered Bryan Cristante in central midfield, flanked by Stephan El Shaarawy and Matias Soule filling in at wing-back.

Dybala and Tomasso Baldanzi started in the trequartista roles, with an opportunity for 16-year-old Paratici, the son of former Juventus and Tottenham director Fabio Paratici, starting at centre-forward.

It took just over 10 minutes for Paratici to score the first goal of the friendly, pouncing on a poor ball out from the back by the Roma City goalkeeper. Baldanzi had doubled the advantage with a shot from the edge of the area by the 20th minute.

Paratici got his second of the game with a header from a Dybala corner after 32 minutes. The Giallorossi went in for half-time 4-0 up after Soule rounded the ‘keeper after a good through ball from Pellegrini.

Baldanzi got his brace two minutes into the second half. 15 minutes later, Paratici secured his hat-trick with a well-taken finish inside the area.

Paratici and Pellegrini were replaced by youngsters Mattia Della Rocca and Mohamed Seck shortly after the hour mark.

From thereon in, it was over to Cristante, who added Roma’s seventh goal of the game after 66 minutes. He went on to double his personal tally 10 minutes later. The game then ended at the 80 minute mark.

Roma 8-0 Roma City

Paratici 11’, 32’, 58’, Baldanzi 20’, 47’, Soule 40’, Cristante 66’, 76’.

Roma line-up: Gollini; Ghilardi, Hermoso, Angelino; El Shaarawy, Cristante, Pellegrini, Soule; Dybala, Baldanzi; Paratici.

Players away on international duty: Evan Ndicka, Gianluca Mancini, Piotr Ziolkowski, Wesley Franca, Kostas Tsimikas, Zeki Celik, Manu Kone, Neil El Aynaoui, Nicolo Pisilli, Artem Dovbyk, Evan Ferguson.

This article first appeared on Football Italia and was syndicated with permission.

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