·27 September 2026·45d ago

Como and Real Madrid: two tests of Roma's ambition under Gasperini

Roma face back-to-back fixtures on their return from the international break that will reveal much about their credentials as a major club. The standout occasion is a Champions League home match against Real Madrid on 14 October — a reunion heavy with history. José Mourinho returns to the Olimpico, where he spent two and a half seasons and where Roma supporters are primed to salute him properly, though Gasperini's bench will hold no warm pleasantries. The fixture carries particular weight because Roma can approach it without fear: Real Madrid have struggled through the early campaign, including against Inter despite the Bernabéu result, and will arrive in Rome without key players including Konaté, Valverde, and possibly Mbappé, who is recovering from a tendon injury to his knee sustained with France.

A dominant first-half display against Inter has delivered confidence and clarity to a squad that has identified gaps in their game — notably goals conceded early in the second half — but retains the hunger to return among Europe's elite. Gasperini has already shown in little more than a year that his football can carry a whole city, and Roma know these two matches will test their maturity against world-class opposition. The coach will not afford to slip.

Gasperini's own words on Daniele De Rossi's arrival underscore the tension between different eras: "At Roma De Rossi put football first — before that people sought results through other things," he said, a pointed reference to Mourinho's tenure. Roma's ambition in the Champions League phase and their need to defend the first-half coherence they showed against Inter will define whether this squad belongs among the continent's best.

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Testo Originale / Source Text

“Una stagione non si decide certo in due partite, a maggior ragione se si tratta ancora di metà ottobre. Ma la Roma al rientro dalla sosta giocherà due match che potranno già dire molto sulle ambizioni di una squadra che ha già dimostrato di essere pronta per diventare grande. Un primo tempo…”

Read the full article in Italian at Forza Roma.

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