Abate plots 3-5-1-1 setup to shield Torino's defence against Roma

Gian Piero Gasperini held his pre-match press conference at 13:30 on 13 September from Trigoria ahead of Roma's fourth-round Serie A fixture against Torino on Monday 14 September at the Stadio Olimpico-Grande Torino, with kickoff at 18:30. The head coach addressed several topics in the buildup to the match, a second fixture in five days for Roma. Emanuele Lulli has recovered from injury, but Gasperini fielded questions about the fitness of Manu Koné and Lorenzo Pellegrini. The discussion also covered a potential minor rotation in the squad ahead of facing Torino manager Abate. The press conference came a few days after Roma's opening Champions League match, which ended in a draw against Fenerbahce. Gasperini's full remarks were made available following the conference.

Emanuele Lulli will be available for Gian Piero Gasperini in Roma's match against Torino on 14 September after recovering from an intestinal virus he suffered in recent days. The 19-year-old, who plays as a defender, is expected to start in the Serie A fixture at Stadio Olimpico-Grande Torino, the club's fourth league match of the season. Lulli had contracted the virus without fever, according to Sky Sport journalist Angelo Mangiante. The Palestrina-born player had featured in Roma's opening three Serie A games before being named on the bench for the Champions League debut at home against Fenerbahce. He will train normally today, though the fitness of Manu Koné and Lorenzo Pellegrini remains under observation.

After three league matches and nine points, Roma face their first genuine fixture congestion on the back of Champions League action midweek. Gian Piero Gasperini must now navigate his first serious turnover decision, with Manu Koné sidelined by a knee problem, Paulo Dybala cramping through the closing stages, and Gianluca Mancini appearing fatigued before his substitution. The manager faces a delicate balance: rotation has become unavoidable, but wholesale change could disrupt the coordinated pressing, tight spacing, immediate aggression after possession loss, and attacking patterns that have been central to Roma's bright start. Gasperini has built Roma's perfect opening around a squad that has rapidly learned to recognise itself. Making too many changes at once risks undermining those automatisms. Yet selective intervention is inevitable. Without Koné, Niccolò Pisilli appears the natural solution alongside Bryan Cristante; deploying Marten de Roon, though he has the deepest familiarity with Gasperini, would require him to build understanding with new teammates. In attack, resting Dybala makes sense, with Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora able to provide freshness behind Donyell Malen without overturning the offensive identity. Mancini also warrants consideration—he appeared below his usual standard in Istanbul, while Leonardo Balerdi brought aggression and intensity after entering the pitch. The real test lies in the principle Gasperini must master: having no untouchable starting eleven, yet changing three or four players without the football itself changing. Roma arrive at Torino with a perfect record and, more valuably than nine points, a recognisable shape. Three or four changes can regenerate; seven or eight risk creating a different team entirely. The paradox would be protecting energy by sacrificing the very continuity that has made the season's start so strong. For the first time, Gasperini must genuinely manage the squad rather than simply select the strongest team. That quality—doing turnover so well it barely shows—will define whether Roma can sustain their level across multiple competitions.

After three league matches and nine points, Roma face their first genuine fixture congestion on the back of Champions League action midweek. Gian Piero Gasperini must now navigate his first serious turnover decision, with Manu Koné sidelined by a knee problem, Paulo Dybala cramping through the closing stages, and Gianluca Mancini appearing fatigued before his substitution. The manager faces a delicate balance: rotation has become unavoidable, but wholesale change could disrupt the coordinated pressing, tight spacing, immediate aggression after possession loss, and attacking patterns that have been central to Roma's bright start. Gasperini has built Roma's perfect opening around a squad that has rapidly learned to recognise itself. Making too many changes at once risks undermining those automatisms. Yet selective intervention is inevitable. Without Koné, Niccolò Pisilli appears the natural solution alongside Bryan Cristante; deploying Marten de Roon, though he has the deepest familiarity with Gasperini, would require him to build understanding with new teammates. In attack, resting Dybala makes sense, with Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora able to provide freshness behind Donyell Malen without overturning the offensive identity. Mancini also warrants consideration—he appeared below his usual standard in Istanbul, while Leonardo Balerdi brought aggression and intensity after entering the pitch. The real test lies in the principle Gasperini must master: having no untouchable starting eleven, yet changing three or four players without the football itself changing. Roma arrive at Torino with a perfect record and, more valuably than nine points, a recognisable shape. Three or four changes can regenerate; seven or eight risk creating a different team entirely. The paradox would be protecting energy by sacrificing the very continuity that has made the season's start so strong. For the first time, Gasperini must genuinely manage the squad rather than simply select the strongest team. That quality—doing turnover so well it barely shows—will define whether Roma can sustain their level across multiple competitions.

Roma travel to Torino on Monday 14 September for a Serie A fixture with kickoff at 18:30 at Stadio Olimpico-Grande Torino, their second match in five days following last Thursday's Champions League debut at Fenerbahce. The fixture comes ahead of a crucial encounter against Inter on Saturday at 18:00 at the Olimpico, which could determine the league leadership if both sides secure favourable results beforehand. The match will pit Gasperini, Roma's established head coach, against Torino counterpart Abate, making his Serie A managerial debut this season. Both operate from similar footballing philosophies but with notable divergences. Gasperini favours obsessive man-to-man pressing across the pitch and incisive vertical passes, while Abate has adopted a style rooted in positional possession and ball dominance in the Dezerbian tradition—as he himself has stated—whilst maintaining strong tactical practicality and defensive balance. Both coaches share a connection to the 2007–08 season: Gasperini made his Serie A bow that year with newly promoted Genoa, whilst Abate debuted in the top flight as a young player for Empoli. Torino's preparation centres on a compact 3-5-1-1 shape designed to contain Roma's attacking threat, specifically targeting Malen. Gasperini may opt for limited rotation, setting up what could unfold as a tactical chess match at the Stadio Olimpico-Grande Torino.

Donyell Malen knows the way to the net against Torino. The Dutch forward scored twice on his Roma debut against Torino on 18 January at the Stadio Olimpico–Grande Torino, though one was ruled out for a marginal offside by VAR. After opening the season with a hat-trick against Fiorentina and a double against Lecce, Malen has gone without a goal in his last two matches against Atalanta and Fenerbahce but will have a chance to rediscover his scoring touch tomorrow evening. A goal in that fixture would make him the third player in Roma's history to score more than five goals after the first four league matches of a season. The other two are club legends: Pedro Manfredini, who scored 7 in 1960-61, and Francesco Totti, who scored 6 in 2001-02. Malen wears number 14 and will be looking to add his name to that elite list at the Olimpico tomorrow.