Balerdi wins Roma hearts after Torino display, compared to Maldini

Roma drew 0–0 with Torino in a match report that handed out ratings to both sides' players. Gianluca Mancini earned praise for his leadership display, while Torino's Vlasic worked hard throughout but failed to produce decisive moments or clear chances. The match reports and player assessments offer insight into individual performances across both teams.

Roma extended their perfect league record with a 2-0 away victory at Torino, goals from Donyell Malen and Niccolò Pisilli securing three points. The win keeps Gasperini's side at the top of Serie A with a 100% record from their opening fixtures.

Roma extended their perfect start to the season with a 2–0 away victory at Torino in the fourth round of Serie A, with goals from Malen and Pisilli. The win maintained their unbeaten record of four consecutive victories. Ahead of their next fixture against Inter at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday 19 September at 18:00, the squad will return to training on 15 September morning at Trigoria.

Roma secured a fourth-league-day victory at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino on 14 September, defeating Torino 2-0 with goals from Donyell Malen and Niccolò Pisilli in injury time. The away side controlled the match throughout, with Mile Svilar making crucial saves and the defence operating as a cohesive unit in the absence of injured defender Evan N'Dicka. Leonardo Balerdi emerged as the standout performer, producing a display of considerable authority and winning almost every contested duel. His ball recovery prevented what could have been a difficult passage late in the contest. Gianluca Mancini returned to form after recent underwhelming displays, his pressing intensity yielding the ball recovery that led to Roma's opening goal. The structure was solid: Bryan Cristante played with experience in midfield, leaving the creative burden to Paulo Dybala, who dribbled, created and provided service as expected before tiring in the second half. Malen's goal came after a run of two matches without scoring, with his movement in the opposition box consistently threatening. Pisilli's late finish sealed the outcome and relieved pressure in the closing stages. Substitutions proved effective: Marten de Roon entered at the hour mark and demonstrated his value by recovering several important possessions, while Santiago Castro came on to add attacking energy—though only partially succeeding as Roma's overall intensity dipped. Nahuel Molina, deployed on the left in the absence of Wesley, convinced despite some wayward crosses, offering dangerous crossing opportunities. Matías Soulé lacked precision in key moments, whilst Mario Hermoso and Emanuele Lulli showed solidity at the back. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini earned a 7.5 rating for orchestrating a deserved victory through control of possession and match tempo, demonstrating confidence in rotating the squad with successful results.

Roma made it four consecutive Serie A victories without conceding a goal as Donyell Malen's first-half strike and a late Niccolò Pisilli finish secured a 2–0 win at Torino on 14 September 2026. Mile Svilar recorded his third clean sheet in four matches, with Pisilli adding the second goal in deep stoppage time. The result kept Roma on a perfect record of 12 points from four matches with an aggregate score of 12–1. The run marks only the fifth time in the club's history that Roma have started a Serie A campaign with four straight wins, matching 1952–53, 1960–61, 2013–14 and 2014–15. The 1960–61 season stands out as the only previous era before Gasperini in which Roma scored more than ten goals across those four fixtures, recording 14. Roma have now extended their consecutive league wins to nine overall, spanning five matches from the end of last season and the four so far this term. Only twice in club history have Roma recorded longer winning streaks: eleven wins from December 2005 to February 2006, and eleven from May to October 2013. Malen has scored six goals in his first four Serie A matches this season, making him the third player in Roma's history to reach that figure in the opening four games alongside Pedro Manfredini (seven in 1960–61) and Francesco Totti (six in 2001–02). The Dutch forward has also been involved in at least one goal in each of his last five away league matches, registering seven goals and one assist across that run. Gasperini again demonstrated bold selection by withdrawing Malen despite the scoreline remaining in the balance, reinforcing his confidence in the attacking unit. Gasperini deployed Dybala and Matías Soulé in support of Malen, a partnership that originated eight months earlier at Turin and has become a core feature. In midfield, Pisilli partnered Bryan Cristante, producing what the article describes as a dominant display capped by his clinical finish despite cramping. Leonardo Balerdi earned particular praise for a commanding defensive performance, with Gasperini drawing comparison to the great Franco Baresi. Roma host Inter in the next Serie A round, bringing an early test of their title credentials.

Gian Piero Gasperini hailed Leonardo Balerdi as 'a strong, very strong defender' after Roma's 2-0 victory over Torino, drawing a comparison to the legendary Franco Baresi while acknowledging he could not place Balerdi in that company. In his post-match press conference, Gasperini described Balerdi as 'a modern defender, physically strong and quick', praising his recovery capabilities and overall interpretation of the role. Gasperini emphasised the importance of rotating his squad and bringing on fresh attacking talent. With Roma playing their third match in eight days, he explained his decision to substitute Donyell Malen despite the winger's fine form alongside Paulo Dybala. "We must grow the squad as much as possible," Gasperini said. "If attackers play 90 minutes all the time they are not in condition to play. If you manage to spare them 20–30 minutes, they can then handle more matches in the week. There is also the need to develop players who must follow in the footsteps of champions like Dybala and Malen. They must take the example not only technically but also in temperament, in the will to do things, to be protagonists. If we can do this, the squad becomes stronger." Gasperini credited both Roma's quality play in the first half and their resilience in the second. "We had a very good first half even if in terms of quality in the final 16–20 metres we could have done better," he said. "Then there is the opponent who can change the cards on the table. We had to live also on temperament, perhaps being less beautiful but always concrete. In the end we also doubled the score at the end. This is a fundamental aspect." Looking ahead to Inter, Gasperini said: "Inter is the reference team for our league, considered the strongest. Although Como is close. For us it is an occasion to measure ourselves. Last year we took a heavy defeat from them but from there was born the true Roma. Not only in results but also in mentality. In the away match it was a more fought game where perhaps we deserved something more."