Champions League draw today as Roma return to Europe's elite after seven years

Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen produced a devastating partnership in Roma's opening league match against Fiorentina, with the Argentine setting up three assists for three goals from the Dutch forward. The duo combines quality, creativity, strength and a sharp finishing instinct—and both are now ready to operate on Europe's biggest stage as Roma begin their Champions League campaign. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's emphasis on attacking football and deploying five or six forwards per match may have been shaped by his time leading Atalanta in the Champions League. To compete with Europe's elite and maintain a title challenge in Serie A, Roma must prioritize attacking play and field players capable of both scoring and creating goals. Last season Roma struggled to achieve this, partly due to underperformance from existing squad members; this season Gasperini has been explicit about his demands. While Roma's attack may not match the firepower of PSG or Real Madrid, Dybala and Malen elevate the club to parity with most other Champions League opponents. Matías Soulé offers further depth in attack, though he lacks experience in Europe's premier competition. Gasperini's rivals have invested heavily: Real Madrid continues to spend lavishly on forwards, while PSG has recruited Ferran Torres to join their established attacking arsenal. Manchester United also defends competently. Most other Roma opponents sit at or below Roma's level. A match against Fenerbahçe will pose a different challenge. If Gasperini acquires one more forward, Roma will have the championship-calibre attacking partnerships to compete across all competitions.

Roma will discover the dates and times of their Champions League league-phase matches today, with the first fixture between 8–10 September and the final match on 27 January. Real Madrid, Sporting CP, Lille and Slovan Bratislava will visit the Olimpico across the campaign. Ticket availability will be severely limited. Some 40,000 supporters have already taken out cup competition season tickets, leaving fewer than 20,000 seats available across other sections—though prices are expected to be prohibitive. The club will announce sales procedures in the coming days following UEFA's release of the fixture schedule today. Series A season-ticket holders will receive first refusal on tickets through the PNR system for friends and relatives.

Gian Piero Gasperini's offensive philosophy, honed during his time managing Atalanta in the Champions League, is shaping Roma's approach to European competition this season. The coach has made clear that Roma's attack will not match the firepower of PSG and Real Madrid, but intends to compete effectively against the other sides in the competition. Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala are at the required standard and elevate Roma's level, forming a front line capable of standing alongside Europe's strongest. Roma have been building their attacking threat for two years, though last season saw a failure driven chiefly by the underperformance of players already in the squad. This season Gasperini has been explicit about his demands. Matías Soulé adds depth to the attacking pool, though he lacks experience in a major European competition; he possesses the numbers and quality required at this level. The European landscape features Real Madrid continuing heavy investment in attack, while PSG has assembled proven attacking talent including Ferran Torres, and Manchester United defends solidly. The rest of Roma's Champions League opponents sit at or below the Giallorossi's level. According to analysis by Alessandro Angeloni in Il Messaggero, Gasperini's tactical imprint reflects a continuous pursuit of goals and attacking play to compete with Europe's strongest. The upcoming fixture against Fenerbahçe will offer a different challenge. Should Gasperini secure an additional attacking player, Roma would possess the championship-winning attacking pairings needed to compete across all fronts.