Cruciani: 'I fear Roma will win the title'

Radio commentary on Roma ahead of their Champions League campaign suggests Mario Hermoso will accompany head coach Gian Piero Gasperini at the pre-match press conference, with pundit Matteo Cirulli expecting Nahuel Molina and Matías Soulé to start. Stefano Impallomeni told Radio Romanista that Roma possess the quality to compete at the highest level in Europe. "Roma can compete in Champions," he said. "They have a recognisable and identifiable style of play. We should expect something even more beautiful from this squad. Intensity is the foundation of this Champions League and I'm sure Roma will settle well there. Application must be total—you can't find loopholes. You need intensity but also understanding of the match's moments." Impallomeni believes the team have both the tactical identity and the mental approach required to perform in the competition.

José Mourinho has identified Roma as the sole Italian side capable of challenging Inter's dominance after his Real Madrid beat Inter 2–1 on the opening day of the Champions League. Speaking in the post-match press conference at the Bernabéu, Mourinho offered substantial praise for both clubs, positioning the Nerazzurri as Italy's standout force while reserving a notable compliment for the Giallorossi. "Inter is a top team and by far the best team in Italy. I only see Roma with the legs to be able to stay close to them," Mourinho said. He elaborated on Inter's credentials: "It is a team that is dominating in Italy and has played two Champions League finals in the last four or five years. It has an extraordinary squad, the ambition to win the Champions League, and a very good coach who creates empathy with the players. It is a perfect team to do great things." The comments represent a significant endorsement of Roma as Italy's second force, with Mourinho viewing them as the only formidable Italian outfit positioned to mount a sustained challenge to the league leaders. Mourinho will face his former club Roma in European competition, a prospect he addressed with evident emotion. "I cannot hide it: with Roma in Rome is the first time I am returning. I will be emotional before and after, but not during," he told Sky Sport after the match.

Radio pundits across Rome's airwaves offered their verdicts on Gasperini's Roma ahead of the new season. The debate centred on Francesco Totti's absence from the club's plans, with Ugo Trani claiming the former captain was let down by both the national team and Roma itself. Trani defended Totti's character and noted that Gasperini alone had given his approval to a return: "Gasperini was also the only one to go to dinner with him and, as he has stressed, is a free man: he does what he wants, without anyone being able to tell him what to do." Francesco Balzani observed that Totti appeared hurt by how things unfolded at Roma, having waited for a call that never came. Looking ahead to the squad's composition, Balzani predicted Paulo Dybala and Manu Koné would start in Turkey, with Rodrigo Mora also featuring behind Dybala and Donyell Malen. Roberto Pruzzo praised the bond between squad and coach: "The team and manager have formed a working group that functions very well, this is a positive signal. This year Gasperini also has quality substitutes; now we'll see what happens with congested fixture schedules." Nando Orsi took the boldest stance on Roma's ambitions this season: "Gasperini knows how to manage multiple competitions. Roma will fight for the Scudetto; it is a squad that can take advantage of stumbles by Inter and Napoli. The Champions League is a fine reality, but the objective must be to win the league."