Bologna 0–2 Roma: Photo Gallery

Manu Koné impressed for France in yesterday's 1–0 Nations League victory over Turkey, playing as a central midfielder in Zinedine Zidane's 4-3-3 formation alongside Rabiot and Cherki—a position outside his usual remit. The Roma midfielder delivered a strong performance that caught the attention of France's new head coach. Koné continues to be a key figure both at Roma and for the French national team. His ability to adapt tactically and maintain balance in an unfamiliar position has made him a valuable asset for club and country. Zidane commented on the display after the match: "Manu is not used to playing in that position, I wanted to see this side of him and he was very good in terms of balance." The midfielder's versatility and quality in execution have proven decisive performances for both the Giallorossi and France.

Roma's international contingent made an impact during the first round of matches across their respective national teams. Rodrigo Mora, representing Portugal's Under-21 side, delivered an assist and created multiple chances in a 90-minute display against Bulgaria that drew praise. Manu Koné continued his strong form for France, deployed as a defensive midfielder against Turkey in a different role than his usual positioning, yet still ranked first for successful dribbles and maintained his stellar start to the season. Koné has now established himself as a cornerstone of the French setup under Zinedine Zidane. Roma sent 12 players on international duty during this break, giving head coach Gian Piero Gasperini a chance to recharge ahead of a strong start to the 2026-27 campaign while maintaining focus on rhythm and fitness. Rodrigo's performance underlined the club's expectations following a €50 million investment, with his growth trajectory in a Roma shirt becoming increasingly significant. The break comes at a critical juncture, balancing necessary rest with the imperative to sustain momentum after the club's impressive opening. Gianluca Mancini's display for Italy proved disappointing, marked by an error leading to Belgium's opening goal and imprecision in the first half, though he improved after the break and came close to scoring. Daniele Ghilardi was not selected for Italy and awaits his national team debut. Konstantinos Koulierakis remained unused on the bench in Greece's match against Serbia. Evan N'Dicka returned to action with Ivory Coast, delivering a solid performance in their victory against Ghana. The three Roma players on Argentina duty—Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi—face a friendly against Bolivia in four days, followed by Argentina's tribute match to Lionel Messi, a fixture where Nahuel Molina and Paulo Dybala are hoped to appear, though Roma has yet to confirm their release.

Italy's new era under Roberto Mancini began with a defeat at the Stadio Olimpico, Belgium winning 2-0 in the opening Nations League fixture on 25 September. Mika Godts opened the scoring in the first half after a pass from De Bruyne, with Dodi Lukebakio adding a second in the 69th minute from a De Ketelaere assist. Italy struggled to find rhythm and continuity in their play, creating meaningful chances only late in the first half through a Cambiaghi attempt. The home crowd booed when the final whistle sounded. From a Roma perspective, Gianluca Mancini started at centre-back for the Azzurri. Alessandro Romano, an academy product, made his senior international debut from the opening minute but endured a difficult outing, his error leading directly to Belgium's opening goal. Romano was replaced in the 65th minute by Frattesi. Daniele Ghilardi, on his first senior call-up, was not included in the 23-player squad for the match. Mancini returns to the Italy bench aiming to launch a fresh cycle following recent disappointments for the national team. Italy face little time to recover from the result: they travel to Turkey for the second group-stage match on 28 September.