Balerdi: Roma set to exercise buy-back option despite Old Trafford error

Roma lost 3-2 to Manchester United at Old Trafford, and Leonardo Balerdi was one of the match's standout figures before a decisive mistake. The Argentine defender played very well for around 80 minutes, then miscued a clearance under pressure, allowing Cunha to equalise at 2-2. Despite that moment, Balerdi produced an excellent performance, and his overall impact at Roma has been positive. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Giallorossi are inclined to exercise their option to buy his contract from Marseille, for a fee of between 11 and 14 million euros, depending on his number of appearances of at least 45 minutes this season. The player is happy in the capital and the club is satisfied with his performance. There is also a background development: the defender, born in 1999, was sounded out by Inter in the summer, while Juventus had considered him on several occasions in recent years.

Fonseca has left Lyon and is set to join Sporting, with the Portuguese club's announcement expected shortly. The former Roma coach has terminated his contract with the French club and must pay a compensation fee of €5 million, as stipulated in the agreement he signed. Tears at the end of the match against Angers had hinted at his departure. The move takes Fonseca back to Portugal for the first time in ten years. His last spell there was with Braga in 2016. The task ahead is to get Sporting back to the heights they reached in recent years. Another date has already been circled: on 8 December at the Olimpico, Roma face Sporting, and Fonseca is expected to line up as an opponent. For Roma, the fixture gives the club's supporters a first look at their former coach on the opposite bench in Rome, a return that will draw attention in the capital.

Donyell Malen is preparing to return to England as a key figure, having been one of the most successful winter signings in Roma's history since joining from the club in January 2026. The Dutch forward has scored 22 Serie A goals in the 2026 calendar year, making him the top scorer across Europe's five major leagues, ahead of Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal. Tonight's clash at Old Trafford could have featured Malen wearing a different shirt. According to Corriere della Sera, in 2024 Ruud van Nistelrooy, then assistant coach at Manchester United, suggested Malen's name to the Red Devils' hierarchy while he was still at Borussia Dortmund. The English club did not follow up on the proposal, and Malen later moved to Aston Villa before joining Roma. Under Gian Piero Gasperini, his impact has been devastating for the Giallorossi. The forward will face the side that could have bought him two years ago. Tonight's match kicks off at 21:00, and given the form he has shown in Roma colours, Malen could leave Manchester with plenty of regrets.

Leonardo Balerdi was dominant for 80 minutes of Roma's Champions League clash at Manchester United before a single error at Old Trafford turned the match. The Argentine defender, chosen by Gian Piero Gasperini ahead of Ndicka in central defence after winning that selection battle, was in monumental form and would have been a strong contender for player of the match had the game ended 15 minutes earlier, at the 80th minute, before the referee Gil Manzano blew his final whistle. Until the 83rd minute he had produced impeccable reading of the game, hard tackling and a clean, impressive touch on the ball. Then came a lapse in technique and concentration that handed Cunha the ball for United's 2-2 equaliser, paving the way for the home side to go ahead, as they surged on the back of their enthusiasm against a Roma side that looked tired and deflated. The mistake weighs heavily on the final result. It also revived memories of Balerdi's time at Marseille, where he was often criticised for exactly these costly lapses, born of overconfidence or a momentary drop in concentration. This time, the error proved decisive. The article argues it would be unfair to erase what Balerdi did over 80 minutes. He arrives on the back of excellent performances and has a strong understanding with Gasperini's way of playing. SofaScore statistics underline his display: 12 defensive contributions, 3 tackles, 2 of them won, 5 recoveries and 5 interceptions, 4 clearances, 50% of ground duels won and 60% of aerial duels won. His passing accuracy was 94% in his own half and 75% in the opposition half. Gasperini values his garra, his fierce aggression in duels and a leadership personality that never backs down. The lesson from Old Trafford, the article concludes, is that the quality of a great defender is there, but making the next step requires eliminating the blackouts that risk spoiling an excellent performance.

Roma lost 3-2 to Manchester United at Old Trafford, and Leonardo Balerdi was one of the match's standout figures before a decisive mistake. The Argentine defender played very well for around 80 minutes, then miscued a clearance under pressure, allowing Cunha to equalise at 2-2. Despite that moment, Balerdi produced an excellent performance, and his overall impact at Roma has been positive. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Giallorossi are inclined to exercise their option to buy his contract from Marseille, for a fee of between 11 and 14 million euros, depending on his number of appearances of at least 45 minutes this season. The player is happy in the capital and the club is satisfied with his performance. There is also a background development: the defender, born in 1999, was sounded out by Inter in the summer, while Juventus had considered him on several occasions in recent years.

Roma were beaten 3-2 at Old Trafford after dominating the first half, with Manchester United winning the game after a controversial refereeing decision and a defensive error by Reportedly Balerdi. Roma's first-half display was built on an aggressive 3-4-2-1 press that left United's 4-2-3-1 struggling to cope. The visitors took control with a Soulé goal, assisted by a delicious pass from Mora, and then a penalty converted by Malen after Soulé was fouled. Roma came close to extending their lead in the first half: Soulé came close to scoring, and Malen wasted several chances through poor first touches, while Roma's pressing forced repeated turnovers. Rensch went off injured in the first half and was replaced by Lulli, a role unusual for him. Gasperini made changes at the break, bringing on Pisilli for Mora to seek more balance, and Tielemans replaced Baleba. Roma's control faded late in the match. Several loose passes and too many backpasses from Roma gave United a foothold, and Maguire and De Roon created the danger from corners. Referee Gil Manzano judged a foul by Cunha in the area, awarded a penalty and ordered it retaken, which changed the game. Roma's keeper Vásquez was denied the chance to be the hero, as the penalty was retaken and Vásquez was unable to stop it. Rensch's withdrawal and the switch to a back three of Ghilardi, N'Dicka and Castro for Hermoso, Mancini and Malen came after Roma's defeat to Napoli, Gasperini's team had already faced Real Madrid in a heavy defeat, and the match was another negative result for the club in a big game against a top-level opponent. The article notes that Gasperini remained calm after the match, saying he was learning from the errors without making a drama of it. Roma must now avoid any hangover in Serie A, where the club's ambitions appear more justified.