Castro and Koulierakis impress Gasperini in first Roma outings

AS Roma are increasingly determined to make Leonardo Balerdi's loan from Marseille permanent, and the club's stance has not changed despite his costly error at Old Trafford. A missed ball gave Cunha the opening for Manchester United's 2-2 equaliser. According to Fabrizio Romano, Roma are fully satisfied with the Argentina defender's performances, and he is happy in the capital. The intention, barring surprises, is to turn the loan into a permanent deal for a fee that should range between €11 million and €14 million, depending on the number of appearances of at least 45 minutes over the season. The mechanism reportedly sets the buy-back fee at €14 million if Balerdi plays at least 55% of matches, falling to €11 million if his share of appearances is between 40% and 55%. Romano also revealed that Inter had sounded out Balerdi last summer but did not pursue contacts with Marseille. Juventus had also considered the Argentine on several occasions between 2024 and 2025 without making their interest concrete. In the end, Roma came out on top, having found in the 1999-born defender a player particularly suited to Gian Piero Gasperini's style of football. His pace, aggression and personality allowed him to win the coach's trust quickly, culminating in a splendid brace against Napoli. The slip that led to Manchester United's comeback remains a heavy stain on an otherwise very high-level performance up to that point. Roma's assessment, however, does not change because of a single mistake. Balerdi has convinced both Gasperini and the club's management, and his future appears set to remain in giallorosso. Roma's plan is to keep the defender for the long term, with the difference between the two buy-back thresholds not expected to alter that commitment.

Roma lost 3-2 at Manchester United's Old Trafford in a group-stage match. Rodrigo Mora was one of the Giallorossi's standout players, producing an excellent first half and providing an assist for Soulé before being replaced by Pisilli at the start of the second half. After the final whistle, Mora spoke to TNT Sports Brasil about his relationship with Wesley in the dressing room. He was asked whether he and his team-mate talk often, language considered, and what he thinks of Wesley as a player. Mora said the two of them share a common interest in Brazil and Brazilian football, which they both follow closely, and that the shared language helps them a great deal. Mora said: "Yes, I think today Wesley played another great match. He is a great player and he will reach the highest levels of football. We talk mostly about Brazil and Brazilian football, which we both follow. The language, of course, helps us a lot. He has given me a great hand in this welcome to Roma and I am really grateful to him for that."

Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini has left uncertainty over the return of goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini, who has a back problem, ahead of Saturday's match against Sassuolo. Asked about his return, Gasperini replied: "Non lo so, vediamo" ("I don't know, we'll see"). The injury that kept Gollini out of the game against Manchester United could also affect the next fixture. Yesterday Devis Vásquez took his place in goal, making his first appearance in the Roma shirt. His performance is hard to judge. He made no serious mistakes, and his only fault came on Cunha's goal that made it 3-2. He also saved Fernandes's penalty, but the referee denied him the chance to enter Roma's history books. Vásquez could now be asked to play again on Saturday, with Gollini still uncertain and Mile Svilar also in the picture. The game against Sassuolo is on Saturday. Gasperini's cautious comments leave the starting goalkeeper choice open, and Vásquez's debut performance means he is in line for another start if Gollini is not fit.

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.

Referee Jesús Gil Manzano has been heavily criticised by Italy's main sports dailies for his handling of Roma's 3-2 defeat to Manchester United, with the penalty awarded to the English side and the non-sending-off of Harry Maguire the most contested decisions. La Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport both gave the Spanish referee a 4 out of 10, while Il Romanista went as low as 3. The decisive moment came in the 55th minute, when Cunha went down in the box after very light contact from Mancini. Gil Manzano pointed to the spot as Roma protested. La Gazzetta called the penalty very generous, while Corriere dello Sport described it as a "rigorino" (a soft penalty). Il Romanista was even harsher, arguing that the United forward exaggerated his fall considerably. Vasquez initially saved Bruno Fernandes's effort, but the penalty was ordered retaken because Cristante had entered the area early and intervened on the rebound. That decision was correct under the rules. Fernandes scored at the second attempt, reopening the match and sparking the English comeback. The criticism of the officiating does not end there. In the closing stages Harry Maguire was booked for a slap on Castro, but shortly afterwards he committed another foul on the Argentine forward which, according to the three newspapers' slow-motion reviews, should have earned a second yellow card. Gil Manzano let play continue, sparing the English defender a dismissal. La Gazzetta also flagged a possible penalty for United for a late challenge by Wesley in the second half. There was no doubt, however, about the first-half penalty awarded to Roma for a handball by Heaven on Soulé's shot. The referee's performance weighed heavily on the match, although it does not erase Roma's responsibility for their collapse in the second half. The penalty gave confidence to a United side in serious difficulty, while Gasperini's team were unable to regain control of the game.

Roma lost 3-2 at Old Trafford in Manchester, having led by two goals before being pegged back, a result that makes qualification for the Champions League knockout phase harder. Italian newspapers were unanimous in praising the first half as very high level, but the second half was markedly less bright, and a much-disputed penalty awarded to the hosts added to Roma's frustration. The papers' player ratings were widely critical of Balerdi, who received a 4.5 from La Gazzetta dello Sport, a 4 from Corriere dello Sport and La Repubblica, and a 5 from Il Messaggero. Soulé was the standout performer, rated 7.5 by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere dello Sport and La Repubblica, and 7 by Il Messaggero and Corriere della Sera. Mora also earned strong marks, with a 7 from Corriere dello Sport and La Repubblica. Pisilli was judged harshly, rated 5 by La Gazzetta dello Sport, 4.5 by Corriere dello Sport, La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera, and 5 by Il Messaggero and Il Tempo. Gasperini was given a 5.5 by La Gazzetta dello Sport and La Repubblica, a 5 by Corriere dello Sport and Corriere della Sera, and a 6 by Il Messaggero and Il Tempo. Vásquez received 5.5 from Il Messaggero and 6 from La Repubblica, Il Tempo and Romanews.eu. Cristante earned 6.5 from La Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere della Sera, and Wesley was rated 6.5 by Corriere dello Sport and Il Tempo. Malen was rated 7 by La Repubblica, with Castro's late cameo marked between 5 and 6 across the papers.

Roma head to Old Trafford to face Manchester United, coached by Carrick, in the fourth matchday of the Champions League league phase, with Gasperini forced into a change in goal. Pierluigi Gollini has withdrawn at the last hour, so Devis Vásquez starts. Leonardo Balerdi comes in at centre-back instead of Evan N'Dicka, and Devyne Rensch is the right wing-back. Nahuel Molina and Emanuele Lulli are on the bench. The midfield and attack are unchanged, with Rodrigo Mora starting from the first minute. Manchester United line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Lammens in goal, Yoro, Maguire, Heaven and Dalot in defence, Mainoo and Baleba in midfield, Cunha, Fernandes and Diallo behind Mbeumo. Roma play a 3-4-2-1, with Vásquez; Mancini, Balerdi and Hermoso at the back; Rensch, Cristante, de Roon and Wesley in midfield; Soulé and Mora in support of Malen up front. United's bench includes Darlow, Heaton, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Mount, Tielemans, Santos, Lacey, Fletcher, Amass and Zirkzee. Roma's bench features De Marzi, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Pisilli, Ghilardi, Molina, Lulli, Di Nunzio and Castro.

Roma travel to Old Trafford tonight for their fourth League Phase match of the Champions League, facing Manchester United under head coach Michael Carrick, with Gian Piero Gasperini's side looking for points after a comprehensive win over Slovan Bratislava. Roma have four points from their first three European matches, while United sit on three points and are going through a very difficult spell. Gollini has been ruled out, and Devis Vásquez will start in goal in his place. The Roma line-up is a 3-4-2-1 formation: Vásquez; Balerdi, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, De Roon, Cristante, Wesley; Soulé, Mora; Malen. Leonardo Balerdi is pushing Mancini for a place in the defence, while Rodrigo Mora is set for a starting spot. On the bench for Roma are De Marzi, Gollini, Koulierakis, Mancini, Ghilardi, Lulli, Rensch, Di Nunzio, Pisilli and Castro. Manchester United line up in a 4-2-3-1: Lammens; Yoro, Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Dalot; Mainoo, Andrey Santos; Mbeumo, Tielemans, Bruno Fernandes; Cunha. Their substitutes are Darlow, Heaton, De Ligt, Mazraoui, Heaven, Amass, Baleba, Mount, Diallo, Zirkzee and Lacey. The referee is Jesús Gil Manzano (Spain), assisted by Guadalupe Porras Ayuso and Diego Barbero, with Juan Martínez Munuera as fourth official. The VAR is Carlos del Cerro Grande, with Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez as assistant VAR.

Former Roma midfielder Aleandro Rosi, speaking to Retesport ahead of Manchester United v Roma, said his own side of the past was stronger than the current squad and backed the Giallorossi to take maximum points at Old Trafford tonight. Rosi recalled a 2-1 Roma win at the Stadio Olimpico, adding that the team was a very strong group and that he still has fond memories of it. He also recalled what followed in Manchester, saying the side did not get ahead of itself, but that two or three important players were lost on the return and something went wrong during the warm-up. Asked whether his Roma was stronger than the current one, Rosi said there was no comparison, pointing to Totti, Vucinic, De Rossi and Pizarro. He said he would only take Svilar over his own goalkeeper, and named Mexes and Juan as the defenders of his era. He added that Roma are now one of the strongest sides in the league and that football has changed. On tonight's game, Rosi said Manchester United have nothing in common with the side Roma faced in his day. "I expect Roma to win tonight and take maximum points: these matches are fascinating, the giallorossi are well trained and they are clinical, so I expect a bold performance." He said he hopes the defeat to Real Madrid has taught this Roma side a lesson, adding that he would never have dropped defenders in that match, but that it should not teach anything to Gasperini. Rosi praised Konstantinos Koulierakis's team-mate Lulli, describing him as an excellent player and a simple lad with engine, speed and technical quality. "He is a quarter of midfield, he is humble, has big margins for improvement and deserves this stage, so I hope he continues like this. The hardest thing is not getting there but staying at those levels." He said he hopes Lulli plays tonight, adding that young players bring energy and carefree attitude, and that playing at Manchester will not be like facing Parma or Genoa in Serie A. He believes Gasperini may start Molina and one between Wesley and Lulli for balance. Rosi also spoke about Alberto Aquilani, whom he said he always supports, hoping he finds the right formula. He said Aquilani is struggling defensively and that Sassuolo must find another balance. Asked about his own future as a coach, Rosi said he remains attached to Perugia: "Maybe I could return as a coach, I live here now. I played six years, let's see what happens."

Former United States forward Michele 'Mike' Grella has criticised Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini after the club's recent comeback defeats, saying the coach's decisions have been poor. Roma lost at home to Manchester United after being overturned from a two-goal lead, and they face Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday in their final match before the November international break. Speaking on CBSSportsGolazo, Grella said: "It's not something new. We've seen it against Manchester United, Real Madrid and Inter, in all these cases with a two-goal lead." He added that Roma play with three centre-backs, so nine centre-backs across the three matches, and that seven of them were substituted. "In a really strong team, probably all nine finish the match, or eight. Putting these three matches together, only two finished the game." Grella said the decisions were poor in terms of management by the coach, and that Roma conceded from corners, where heading and personality count. "But these are game decisions and having the wrong players at the wrong time. Koné isn't there, Ndicka only God knows why he didn't start from the first minute, Dybala isn't there, Malen is substituted, Svilar isn't there, nor Gollini, who was ok despite having played only once in two years. When you add all these things to Gasperini's bad decisions, something like this (the Manchester United comeback, ed.) becomes possible against teams of this level."

Radio pundits in Rome have been dissecting Roma's defeat to Manchester United, with the recurring criticism centred on the team's collapse after half-time. Several commentators argued that Roma led 2-0 and then let the lead slip, and that the problem is structural rather than a matter of one refereeing decision. Radio Radio's Ferrajolo said the key issue was not the penalty episodes but the pattern: "Roma were a great team in the first half and an unwatchable one in the second. Every time they go ahead they get pegged back. It is normal that you are winning 2-0 and you bring on a midfielder. The side was beautiful in the first half and unwatchable in the second. Since it is not the first time this has happened, we need to understand the problem." He also questioned the referee's handling of the penalty, saying the official was "too precise" when he ordered the spot-kick retaken, and criticised Maguire, whom he described as behaving like a wrestler. Verdenelli of Radio Bruno said the team struggles in big matches but that analysing the game fully was impossible because the referee had "literally distorted" the match with the penalty and a red card that was not shown. Luca Ferri of Radio Bruno said he was not angry about the result and was more concerned with the reasons behind the "blackouts" in the opening 20 minutes of every second half, adding: "There is a lot of work to do, but I am confident about the rest of the league campaign." Torri, speaking to Radio Manà Manà Sport, said the referee had weighed heavily on the result, but argued that Roma had perhaps chosen a low profile given their situation with UEFA. "Can you imagine Mourinho last night? He would have exploded. Roma have a short squad and often the substitutions do not maintain the level of quality. When you play games of this level, which wear you down mentally more than physically, you need the right changes. The absence of Koné and Svilar is devastating." Matera said Roma lost their shape after going 2-0 up by bringing on an extra midfielder, adding: "Roma are not capable of managing it, and Pisilli was running around aimlessly. I don't think it was a physical problem, Roma collapsed mentally." He also said Balerdi had played a great game before making an error that showed something was wrong. Carina of Radio Radio Mattino said: "This Roma in the Champions League is not enough. In Serie A they are overwhelming and can even do without three key players like Svilar, Koné and Dybala. In Europe, unfortunately, it lasts an hour. In these games you cannot concede anything, even against a Manchester side in great difficulty. Roma's flaw was closing the first half with only a two-goal lead." Pruzzo said: "I don't know how United managed to get back into the game. The penalty decision conditioned the course of the match. At 2-1 the difference between a great team and one that still has to grow to compete at the highest level emerged. In Italy you cannot beat teams of your own level, while in Europe you lose to superior ones. The substitutions brought nothing. Indeed, they made the situation worse." Orsi said: "Perhaps it is a question of physical stamina. In Italy the dips are not seen, abroad they hurt you. Gasperini should face some criticism: against Real Madrid three goals from corners, not to mention yesterday and Inter. He is not untouchable, he too makes mistakes." The commentators disagreed on the penalty and the referee, with Agresti saying the spot-kick could have been withheld while agreeing with the retake, and Camelio arguing that Manchester United had been dead before the second goal. Camelio said Lulli was not ready and that Molina, who has more experience, should have been used, while disagreeing that fatigue was the cause because Roma had run. Agresti warned that letting Manchester United back into the game changed everything, saying the match turned around once they returned.

Manu Koné is reportedly close to full recovery from a thigh muscle injury and could return to the bench for Saturday's Serie A trip against Sassuolo, the eleventh round of the season. Il Tempo reports that Gian Piero Gasperini may have one of his key midfield figures available, at least among the substitutes, after Koné missed 20 days with the injury. The focus turns to the weekend immediately after Roma's Champions League defeat to Manchester United, with the disappointment of that result giving way to preparation for the Sassuolo fixture. Koné's possible return would be a welcome boost for Gasperini as Roma look to bounce back in Serie A. The report also states that Paulo Dybala remains in doubt for the match. Further details on the squad's fitness and selection are expected as the week progresses.