Mourinho leads Roma to 10-0 win in first game - even without Euro 2020 stars

Jose Mourinho has been forced to defend his record after his spells at Tottenham and Manchester United, but his reign as Roma manager got off to the best possible start with a 10-0 win.

The Portuguese began work in the Italian capital last week, with his new side hosting lower-league team Montecatini at their Trigoria training ground.

Roma are looking to return to the Champions League for the first time since 2018 when the new season gets underway, having finished seventh under Paulo Fonseca last term.

The Italian giants are still without their players who took part in Euro 2020, including Bryan Cristante and new signing Rui Patricio.

Despite those missing stars, Mourinho was still able to oversee a hammering of Serie D minnows Montecatini.

Carles Perez got the scoring underway inside the first nine minutes when he cushioned a cross from the left and fired past Leonardo Santi in the Montecatini goal.

It would take another 10 minutes for Roma to double their lead, but they did score a second when Gianluca Mancinci was left unmarked at the back post and he headed in.

Roma's third was a wonderfully worked team goal, with Nicola Zalewski breaking past midfield before playing in Henrikh Mkhitaryan down the left wing.

The former Manchester United star cut into the box before squaring the ball to leave Borja Mayoral with a simple tap-in.

The hosts only had to wait a minute for the next goal, with Perez this time turning provider.

The Spanish winger picked up the ball inside the box before laying it back to Riccardo Calafiori who fired a first-time finish past Santi.

The Montecatini keeper would come into some serious bad luck five minutes later when Mayoral's long-range shot hit the post before hitting him in the back and going in.

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Having scored five goals without reply in the first-half, Mourinho made nine changes for the second period.

Only Mayoral and Zalewski kept their places in the team and they would combine for the former's second goal of the match 10 minutes in.

Zalewski picked up a poor goal kick from Francesco Sommellini before playing in Mayoral who took a touch before slotting into the bottom corner.

The sixth goal came from the penalty spot, with Nicolo Zaniolo converting the spot-kick after Bryan Reynolds had been brought down in the box.

Having provided the assist for one goal and been a crucial part of the build-up for another, Zalewski got himself on the scoresheet as the game entered the final 10 minutes.

The Polish midfielder picked up the ball 30 yards out before curling it inside Sommellini's near post.

There was still time for Amadou Diawara to get on the scoresheet when his high-pressing lead to Zaniolo playing him in.

The 23-year-old picked up the ball inside the box and passed the ball into Sommellini's far post.

Mayoral then completed the rout and his hat-trick two minutes later when he broke into the box and fired in from a tight angle.

It was Roma's biggest win since a 16-0 win over Pinzolo in July 2016, with Mourinho's side facing Serie B side Ternana in their next pre-season outing on Saturday.

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