Antonio Arena scores with first touch on Roma debut at 16 in Coppa Italia | OneFootball

Antonio Arena scored with his first touch on his Roma debut at 16, but Torino knocked them out of the Coppa Italia with a 2-3 win in the round of 16 on Tuesday.

Introduced in the 80th minute, the forward met a Wesley cross with a firm header 90 seconds later to level at 2-2, having not previously touched the ball. L'Équipe notes he is a left-footed forward, born in Sydney in 2009, who joined from Pescara in the off-season.

Arena said he felt a little nervous when coming on and focused only on playing. When Wesley’s cross reached the far post, he met it and called the moment beautiful and unforgettable.

He was only three months old when Lionel Messi also scored with a header in the same net in front of the Curva Sud at the Stadio Olimpico, in the 2009 Champions League final against Manchester United, which ended 2-0.

Arena has a habit of marking debuts. He scored on his Serie C bow for Pescara against Lucchese last March at 16 years and 25 days, eclipsing the record of Marco Verratti.

Source: L'Équipe