De Rossi returns to the Olimpico, but the homecoming is bittersweet

Roma face Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico on 17 October at 20:45, with former Roma manager Daniele De Rossi in charge of the visitors. The fixture comes immediately after Roma's Champions League outing against Real Madrid, and represents a significant test for both sides. Genoa arrive buoyed by their first Serie A victory of the season, a 2–1 defeat of Fiorentina in their last match, in which Milutin Osmajic scored and provided an assist. That win broke a ten-match winless run stretching back to the end of the 2025–26 season and lifted Genoa clear of the relegation zone; across their last five league games they have recorded one win, one draw and three defeats. De Rossi's return to the Olimpico carries symbolic weight. The Genoa manager built his entire playing career at Roma, making 616 official appearances and scoring 63 goals—the second-highest appearance tally in the club's history behind Francesco Totti alone. He managed Roma's first team between January and September 2024, overseeing 30 matches before his dismissal, and this will be his second visit back as Genoa's coach. In last season's Serie A meetings between the clubs, Roma won 3–1 at home on 29 December 2025, with Matías Soulé, Manu Koné and Evan Ferguson among the scorers, before Genoa took the return 2–1 at the Ferraris on 8 March 2026, a result that remains their last victory over Roma. Roma have not lost at home to Genoa for 23 consecutive Serie A matches, a run stretching back to 17 January 1990. Osmajic has emerged as Genoa's principal attacking threat, scoring three goals in five Serie A appearances for the club. De Rossi is expected to deploy a 4–4–1–1 formation, with Junior Messias operating behind Osmajic and Stephan El Shaarawy on the left wing—another former Roma player. The midfield will centre on Morten Frendrup for intensity and ball recovery, alongside Hamed Traorè for build-up play. Genoa's last two consecutive Serie A victories over Roma came in 2011; De Rossi's side will hope to extend their momentum after a turbulent start to the season. Roma, managed by Gian Piero Gasperini, will be looking to restore their dominance at home. Genoa have won only once in their last five games and remain fragile defensively—the foundation on which Gasperini will build his approach to contain De Rossi's compact, counter-attacking setup.

Gian Piero Gasperini has demanded energy, courage and an immediate victory as Roma prepare to face Genoa on the back of a 3–4 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League. Speaking at his pre-match press conference, the Roma head coach made clear his intention to shield the group and chart a swift course back to winning ways, acknowledging the emotional toll of the heavy loss but insisting the objective is to continue playing with courage and freedom rather than chase the Champions League or the Scudetto. The squad faces a significant injury crisis. Manu Koné is sidelined with a muscle injury, Paulo Dybala is recovering from fatigue, and five other key players are unavailable, forcing Gasperini to draw on Roma's youth academy. The squad of outfield players has been reduced to sixteen, prompting the head coach to send a message to the club: modern football demands at least twenty players of similar calibre to withstand the pace of cup competition. Santiago Castro, Rodrigo Mora and other academy graduates are ready to turn the difficult moment into a chance for their futures. Gasperini highlighted Roma's ability to compete with anyone—evidenced by recent matches against Inter, Como and Real Madrid—but stressed the need to eliminate the lapses in concentration that have cost them. He also noted Genoa's greater tactical organisation compared to Real Madrid's approach.

Roma host Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico at 20:45 in Serie A Matchday 7, looking to bounce back from a 3–4 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini plans to field a youthful lineup, handing starting places to Emanuele Lulli, Niccolò Pisilli, Rodrigo Mora and Santiago Castro as Roma aim to recover from that difficult European night. The tactical approach represents a deliberate shift towards freshness and intensity. Gasperini has chosen to deploy the young squad members to inject energy and courage into the team following the disappointment in Europe. All four are expected to feature prominently in the club's bid to maintain momentum in the domestic campaign. Five major Italian outlets have predicted broadly similar 3–4–2–1 formations. La Gazzetta's forecast includes Gollini in goal; a defence of Hermoso, N'Dicka and Ghilardi; Lulli, Pisilli, De Roon and Wesley across the midfield; and Soulé and Mora supporting Castro in attack. Corriere della Sport and Il Romanista predict Balerdi in place of Ghilardi in defence. Il Messaggero reverses the positioning of Balerdi and Hermoso on the back line. Il Tempo and Romanews.eu both include Mancini in the defensive unit instead of Ghilardi or Balerdi, with Hermoso retained. All predictions maintain Soulé, Mora and Castro in the attacking positions.

Roma face Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico on 17 October at 20:45, with former Roma manager Daniele De Rossi in charge of the visitors. The fixture comes immediately after Roma's Champions League outing against Real Madrid, and represents a significant test for both sides. Genoa arrive buoyed by their first Serie A victory of the season, a 2–1 defeat of Fiorentina in their last match, in which Milutin Osmajic scored and provided an assist. That win broke a ten-match winless run stretching back to the end of the 2025–26 season and lifted Genoa clear of the relegation zone; across their last five league games they have recorded one win, one draw and three defeats. De Rossi's return to the Olimpico carries symbolic weight. The Genoa manager built his entire playing career at Roma, making 616 official appearances and scoring 63 goals—the second-highest appearance tally in the club's history behind Francesco Totti alone. He managed Roma's first team between January and September 2024, overseeing 30 matches before his dismissal, and this will be his second visit back as Genoa's coach. In last season's Serie A meetings between the clubs, Roma won 3–1 at home on 29 December 2025, with Matías Soulé, Manu Koné and Evan Ferguson among the scorers, before Genoa took the return 2–1 at the Ferraris on 8 March 2026, a result that remains their last victory over Roma. Roma have not lost at home to Genoa for 23 consecutive Serie A matches, a run stretching back to 17 January 1990. Osmajic has emerged as Genoa's principal attacking threat, scoring three goals in five Serie A appearances for the club. De Rossi is expected to deploy a 4–4–1–1 formation, with Junior Messias operating behind Osmajic and Stephan El Shaarawy on the left wing—another former Roma player. The midfield will centre on Morten Frendrup for intensity and ball recovery, alongside Hamed Traorè for build-up play. Genoa's last two consecutive Serie A victories over Roma came in 2011; De Rossi's side will hope to extend their momentum after a turbulent start to the season. Roma, managed by Gian Piero Gasperini, will be looking to restore their dominance at home. Genoa have won only once in their last five games and remain fragile defensively—the foundation on which Gasperini will build his approach to contain De Rossi's compact, counter-attacking setup.

Roma host Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday 17 October at 20:45 in Serie A's seventh round, looking to recover after a 4–3 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid this week. The Giallorossi led 3–1 until the 83rd minute before the Spanish side staged a dramatic comeback. In league play, Roma are unbeaten on 14 points from six matches and sit third, having won four games and drawn with Inter and Como. Genoa arrive 18th on four points but travel to Rome buoyed by their first Serie A victory of the season, a 2–1 win over Fiorentina. The fixture carries special significance as Genoa are managed by Daniele De Rossi, who faces the club he served as both a player and later as coach. Roma face a severe injury crisis ahead of the match. Manu Koné suffered a first-degree biceps femoris strain in tests today and will be absent for several weeks, with recovery targeted before the next international break. Paulo Dybala is also unavailable—not through injury, but due to calf fatigue that has prompted Gasperini's medical staff to avoid taking risks against Genoa. Mile Svilar and Bryan Cristante remain sidelined, with Cristante still completing recovery from a knee problem and available for the following Serie A match against Napoli. Donyell Malen is suspended following his dismissal against Como. Pierluigi Gollini will continue in goal, with Leonardo Balerdi pushing Mario Hermoso for a place in the three-person defence alongside Gianluca Mancini and Evan N'Dicka. On the right wing, Emanuele Lulli and Nahuel Molina are competing for selection, while Wesley will operate on the left. Marten de Roon and Niccolò Pisilli are expected to start in midfield. Gasperini confirmed that Santiago Castro will start up front, with Rodrigo Mora and Matías Soulé favoured as options behind him on current indications, though Lorenzo Pellegrini is available in the attacking midfield role. Genoa will largely field the team that beat Fiorentina. Justin Bijlow starts in goal, with Otoa competing with Marcandalli to complete the back four alongside Jens Petter Østigard and Devis Vásquez. Ola Aina and Morten Frendrup operate as full-backs, with Morten Frendrup and Hamed Traorè in central midfield. Junior Messias will provide creative support, and Stephan El Shaarawy is expected to start after featuring prominently in the Fiorentina victory. Milutin Osmajić leads the Grifone attack, having scored in that recent win and currently Genoa's leading league goalscorer this season. The match will be broadcast on DAZN and Sky Sport Uno, Sky Sport Calcio, Sky Sport 251 and Sky Sport 4K, with streaming available on DAZN, Sky Go and NOW. Maurizio Compagnoni will provide commentary for Sky with Massimo Gobbi as summariser. Bookmakers heavily favour Roma despite the absences. Odds on a Giallorossi victory range from 1.47 to 1.48, a draw from 4.35 to 4.60, and a Genoa win from 6.20 to 7.00. A 2–0 Roma victory is among the most likely correct scorelines, offered at 6.75 by Bwin and 7.50 by Sisal. Roma have gone unbeaten in 39 of their last 40 home Serie A matches against Genoa.

Daniele De Rossi and Stephan El Shaarawy will face each other at the Olimpico tonight as opponents, but their connection runs far deeper than a single league match. The two formed their bond over ten years ago when they were teammates at Trigoria, and that thread has never been broken despite their paths diverging across China, Argentina and new ventures. Tonight they will meet with De Rossi on Genoa's bench and El Shaarawy on the pitch, yet no ninety minutes of football can erase a lifetime of affection, respect and genuine complicité. For El Shaarawy, the reunion carries particular weight. This summer he turned down lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia and the United States to join Genoa, a choice rooted in his heart rather than commercial logic. He had chosen to remain in Roma's colours despite those external opportunities, and when De Rossi was managing the club last season, El Shaarawy witnessed his ex-captain attempt to shield and mediate for him in the dressing room during the most difficult moments. The bond between them survived even when the paths diverged once more. Their story is one of sincere gestures and promises kept. El Shaarawy holds onto a video on his phone that De Rossi had shown the world on the day the former captain said goodbye to football—an intimate moment that Roma's supporters have never forgotten. Tonight the Olimpico will welcome them both with the warmth reserved for favoured sons. For ninety minutes they will be adversaries, but nothing can break what has been built over more than a decade.