Di Biagio: Malen is the sun Roma revolves around; Lautaro plays a different role

Roma routed Udinese with four goals in the first half, and Gasperini's side have now gone 17 matches unbeaten, a run built on 28 goals in their first 10 matches, a new club record that surpassed the 26 scored in 1960/61 and 2016/17. The win capped a stretch in which Roma have been almost unstoppable, while Udinese's coach Runjaic, whose position is increasingly under threat, saw his side heavily beaten. In the second half Roma eased off, conceded two goals, but closed the game out in stoppage time, leaving the match never really in doubt. The unbeaten run is the second club record the article highlights. Roma's last defeat was the 5-2 loss to Inter at San Siro on 5 April. Since then they have won 14 Serie A matches and drawn 3, collecting 45 points from a possible 51, an average of around 2.65 points per match in that period. The run has already secured qualification for the Champions League and opened the possibility of aiming even higher. It has surpassed the 15-match unbeaten sequence of Mazzone in 1994 and the 16 of Garcia in 2014-15. The next target is the 19-match mark set by Ranieri two seasons ago, matching the continuous run across two seasons between Liedholm and Eriksson in 1984 and the Andreazzoli-Garcia run in 2013. The podium places, at 24 under Capello in 2001-02, 25 under Ranieri in 2009-10 and 30 under Liedholm in 1980-81, look far harder to reach. The improvement over last season is clear. Gasperini has 24 points from this point compared with 21 a year ago, the best start of the Friedkin era. Goals have nearly tripled: by 31 October 2025 Roma had scored 13 across Serie A and the Europa League, while today they have 36. The task is also harder, as Roma have already faced Real Madrid in the Champions League, along with Napoli, Inter and Como in the league. Last year, the only top side they had faced by 31 October was Chivu's team.

Cristante has been named the best Roma player by Italian newspapers, rated 7.79, with the Corriere dello Sport calling his performance "sontuoso ben oltre il gol e l'assist" (superb well beyond the goal and assist). Behind him, Soulé (7.29) was praised for being consistently creative and dangerous, while Malen (7.21) and Ghilardi (7.07) also earned high marks, with Ghilardi celebrating his first Serie A goal. Ndicka and Mora both received 7.00. In an evening without any genuine failures, the lowest ratings went to Gollini and Pisilli (6.07), followed by Molina and Castro (6.21). Referee Maresca received an overall positive verdict, rated 6.00, helped by a match that Roma steered early. Gazzetta, Corriere dello Sport and Messaggero all praised him, while Il Romanista, giving him 5.5, was the only outlet to criticise his performance. The most debated moment came late in the match, when Kabasele and Castro made contact. Gazzetta and Corriere dello Sport judged the touch too light to award a penalty. Il Romanista disagreed, calling the contact "abbastanza chiaro" (fairly clear) and criticising the decision to let play continue. The ratings reflect a broadly positive picture for Roma, with the press singling out midfield and attacking contributions alongside the defensive display of Ghilardi and Ndicka. The debate over the late Kabasele-Castro incident has become the main point of discussion for the referee's performance, with the newspapers split on whether a spot-kick should have been given. The piece is a rolling round-up of short Roma news items, notes and reports published on Sunday 1 November 2026 under the Giallorossi.net flash banner.

Roma have scored 28 goals in their first ten matches of the 2026-27 season, a club record, after a 5-3 win at Udinese. The tally surpasses the previous record of 26 goals, set in 1960/61 and 2016/17, and the goals have come from a wide spread of players rather than relying on Donyell Malen, although he is leading the side. Under Gian Piero Gasperini, Roma have become a side that is always dangerous and always able to finish, with many matches won by at least four goals across Serie A and the Champions League. Roma have scored with 14 different players so far: Malen, Niccolò Pisilli, Manu Koné, Matías Soulé, Mario Hermoso, Emanuele Lulli, Rodrigo Mora, Bryan Cristante, Marten de Roon, Santiago Castro, Nahuel Molina and Leonardo Balerdi. Evan N'Dicka and Daniele Ghilardi also scored against Udinese and join that list. The results are reflected in the table: 24 points from ten matches, the club's best start since 2013. Last season Roma had 21 points at this stage, and two seasons ago they had just 13. To find similar numbers, you have to go back to 2022, when Mourinho reached 22 points. The Udinese victory was not simply a big win but proof of a team that scores with a consistency never seen before at the club. The 28 goals in the opening ten rounds represent a milestone the club had never reached, and the tally was built across Serie A and the Champions League alike.

Cristante has been named the best Roma player by Italian newspapers, rated 7.79, with the Corriere dello Sport calling his performance "sontuoso ben oltre il gol e l'assist" (superb well beyond the goal and assist). Behind him, Soulé (7.29) was praised for being consistently creative and dangerous, while Malen (7.21) and Ghilardi (7.07) also earned high marks, with Ghilardi celebrating his first Serie A goal. Ndicka and Mora both received 7.00. In an evening without any genuine failures, the lowest ratings went to Gollini and Pisilli (6.07), followed by Molina and Castro (6.21). Referee Maresca received an overall positive verdict, rated 6.00, helped by a match that Roma steered early. Gazzetta, Corriere dello Sport and Messaggero all praised him, while Il Romanista, giving him 5.5, was the only outlet to criticise his performance. The most debated moment came late in the match, when Kabasele and Castro made contact. Gazzetta and Corriere dello Sport judged the touch too light to award a penalty. Il Romanista disagreed, calling the contact "abbastanza chiaro" (fairly clear) and criticising the decision to let play continue. The ratings reflect a broadly positive picture for Roma, with the press singling out midfield and attacking contributions alongside the defensive display of Ghilardi and Ndicka. The debate over the late Kabasele-Castro incident has become the main point of discussion for the referee's performance, with the newspapers split on whether a spot-kick should have been given. The piece is a rolling round-up of short Roma news items, notes and reports published on Sunday 1 November 2026 under the Giallorossi.net flash banner.

Roma routed Udinese at the Bluenergy Stadium, with Ghilardi adding his name to the list of scorers in the eighth match in twenty days, a sign of a side that spreads its goals across the squad. Gasperini's team, lining up in their usual 3-4-2-1, were far too strong for an Udinese side on a sixth consecutive defeat and struggling badly for both results and performance. The win also brings a small record: 28 goals in the first 10 rounds of Serie A, which shifts the focus onto Roma's attack, even though until two matches ago they had boasted the best defence in Europe. Runjaić set his Udinese side up in a 5-3-2, with Ekkelenkamp as the anchor man. Roma controlled the game from the start, with Cristante and De Roon dropping in turn to build alongside Ndicka, the two wing-backs pushing wide, and Wesley and Molina pushing into attack. The left-hand channel of Mora and Wesley, with Hermoso in support, was especially active, and Roma found space mainly out wide. Possession, however, did not initially produce many chances. Roma were slow to move the ball, allowing Udinese's physical approach to disrupt their build-up. Their problem was failing to recognise the need to speed up circulation, playing quick two-touch combinations to cut down the time Udinese had to press and avoiding the physical duels that slowed or muddied the game. Once Roma raised the tempo, they moved the ball from right to left and found Wesley, whose cross reached Cristante at the centre of the box to open the scoring. The first two goals, which settled the match, came from faster ball movement and two deadly runs by Cristante into the box: the first with him as the direct scorer, the second as the provider of an assist for Mora. With both sides lined up in mirror image, switches of play became less useful, making it essential to work well in the areas around the ball, move it quickly and keep avoiding physical duels. Wesley and Malen were still caught out by this, with Kabasele closing them down in a series of tight physical challenges. Roma kept up their pace after going two goals ahead, forced Udinese into errors and hit two posts through mistimed efforts by Soulé and Malen. Malen then made amends, escaping Kabasele to make it 3-0. Ndicka added the fourth with a header that was not especially convincing, at the stadium where he had previously endured a difficult time, with Okoye again looking uncertain, as he had on the first goal. It was 4-0 after 33 minutes of ruthless finishing from a big side against an Udinese team whose league position speaks for itself. Gollini, who has been flawless in Serie A so far, twice stopped sporadic counter-attacks by the hosts before half-time. The second half was important for managing energy ahead of the trip to Manchester. Gasperini made no changes at the restart, avoiding sending the message that the match was over and that it should not be played out in full. Roma continued to move the ball quickly while keeping possession and exploiting the space available. From a corner won by Udinese, the same pattern as in the first half saw Miller given room to shoot from distance after De Roon had moved away to pick up a pointless run inside the box; Ndicka and his team were slow to react to the short rebound from Gollini, and Udinese pulled one back to 1-4. After an hour Chakvetadze and Unay Gómez came on for Davis and Ekkelenkamp. Runjaić stayed with a 3-5-2, to which Gasperini responded by bringing on Pisilli as anchor man in place of Mora and Castro for Malen. Late on came a series of changes: Piotrowski replaced Zaniolo, Mancini and Rensch came on for Wesley and Soulé, with Ghilardi pushing up as fifth man on the right and Molina high ahead of him. In the final minutes a late lapse by Roma from an Udinese corner allowed Palma to reduce the deficit further. Jovanovic and Arizala came on for Karlström and Kamara, giving Runjaić a breather as he watched his side respond, and Koulierakis replaced Hermoso. Ghilardi had the last word, collecting a delightful, soft assist from Castro to fire home his first Serie A goal, the same technical touch with which he had already made his mark in the Champions League.

Roma routed Udinese, and Bryan Cristante was unanimously voted the best player on the pitch by the Italian newspapers after a dominant display under Gian Piero Gasperini. Udinese head coach Runjaic is under growing pressure, with his position on the bench increasingly at risk. Roma's players were almost all praised, with Molina rated among the least impressive of the Giallorossi while the marks for the rest of the team were very high. Cristante was singled out alongside Rodrigo Mora, Ghilardi and N'Dicka as the standout performers. The result was a clear and emphatic win, with Roma taking apart Udinese. The newspapers' ratings showed a broadly positive verdict on the team's performance, with several players reinforcing their claims for regular places in the side. The ratings from the main Italian dailies were as follows. Corriere dello Sport: Gollini 6; Ghilardi 7.5, N'Dicka 7.5, Hermoso 7 (Koulierakis sv); Molina 6, Cristante 8, De Roon 7.5, Wesley 7 (Rensch sv); Soulé 7.5 (Mancini sv), Mora 7.5 (Pisilli 6.5); Malen 7.5 (Castro 6.5). All: Gasperini 7.5. Il Messaggero: Gollini 6; Ghilardi 7, N'Dicka 7, Hermoso 6.5 (Koulierakis sv); Molina 6, Cristante 8, De Roon 6.5, Wesley 6.5 (Rensch sv); Soulé 7 (Mancini 6), Mora 7 (Pisilli 6); Malen 7 (Castro 6). All: Gasperini 7.5. Corriere della Sera: Gollini 6; Ghilardi 7, N'Dicka 7, Hermoso 6.5 (Koulierakis sv); Molina 6, Cristante 8, De Roon 7, Wesley 6.5 (Rensch sv); Soulé 7.5 (Mancini sv), Mora 7 (Pisilli 6); Malen 7 (Castro 6). All: Gasperini 7.5. La Repubblica: Gollini 6; Ghilardi 7, N'Dicka 6.5, Hermoso 6.5 (Koulierakis sv); Molina 6.5, Cristante 7.5, De Roon 6.5, Wesley 6 (Rensch sv); Soulé 7.5 (Mancini sv), Mora 7 (Pisilli 6); Malen 7.5 (Castro 6.5). All: Gasperini 7.5. Tuttosport: Gollini 6; Ghilardi 7, N'Dicka 7, Hermoso 6.5 (Koulierakis sv); Molina 6, Cristante 7.5, De Roon 6.5, Wesley 7 (Rensch sv); Soulé 7 (Mancini 6), Mora 7 (Pisilli 6); Malen 7.5 (Castro 6.5). All: Gasperini 7.

Daniele Ghilardi enjoyed his first Serie A goal in Roma's 4-0 win at Udinese, a result that brought smiles, records and new confidence to Gian Piero Gasperini's side. Ghilardi had earlier seen a goal ruled out for offside against Slovan Bratislava. Speaking after the match with a laugh, he said: "It's my first in A, I struck it with all the strength I had. It was the end of the game, I had cramps in my calves. I was dead, I was stretching and they didn't see me." He also teased team-mate Emanuele Lulli about goal celebrations: "I celebrated better than Emanuele because he wasn't used to it. I scored two in B and one in C. It took more than two seasons to do it in Serie A." The defender, who has moved past his early difficulties, now feels fully integrated into Gasperini's systems and into the central role he has in the team's play. Evan Ndicka also impressed at the back, scoring the decisive fourth goal and winning 100% of his duels, with four recoveries and four clearances. Ndicka said: "I'm happy, but above all for the team and for the three points. In the second half we dropped the tempo a little. When you close the first half 4-0 there is a risk of already thinking about the next games, but that didn't happen. We are all starters and each of us has his own minutes." Roma will not return to Rome straight after the win. The squad held a recovery session at Udinese's training centre, before travelling by coach to Trieste in the afternoon and then flying to England. Roma face Manchester United at Old Trafford in a demanding Champions League fixture. The medical staff have confirmed there will be no quick returns: Svilar, Dybala and Koné will not travel and are aiming to return ahead of the next fixtures before the November break.

Roma have chosen not to return to Rome after their comfortable win over Udinese, staying overnight in Udine ahead of Tuesday evening's Champions League clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford. Il Tempo reports that the squad will hold a recovery session this morning at the Udinese training centre before a bus transfer to Trieste in the afternoon and onward travel to Manchester. The decision is designed to reduce travelling for the Giallorossi, who are back in the Champions League this season. Gian Piero Gasperini's side will effectively operate as a mini-training camp on the eve of the match. Paulo Dybala is set to miss the fixture, although Gasperini is still hoping for a last-minute recovery. The eve-of-match schedule includes a press conference with Gasperini and one player at around 18:20, followed immediately by a final training session, the rifinitura.

Rodrigo Mora has been rewarded with a place in the starting line-up at Udine, four days after he came off the bench to put Roma back ahead against Cagliari, and he repaid the faith by scoring again. Gian Piero Gasperini has handed the Portuguese a first-team shirt, and Mora is responding with goals. Up to this point Mora had produced almost all of his impact from the substitutes' bench. He scored against Lecce, set up Malen against Real Madrid, and scored and assisted against Cagliari. Against Cagliari, Roma had been pegged back to 2-2 in the 81st minute. Mora then headed the new lead and created the move that led to Malen's goal for 4-2, as Marco Juric notes in La Repubblica. The 22-year-old was bought from Porto for 25 million euros, a figure the Italian report describes as currently standing. The switch to the starting XI marks a new phase. Mora is no longer simply a surprise weapon off the bench; he now has to confirm his form. In a squad built to win immediately, with Dybala and Soulé ahead of him in the pecking order, his step up is arguably the most demanding one. Gasperini continues to rely on his strongest players, but he is also widening the group of players he trusts. In short, Mora's start at Udine is both a reward and a test, and the Roma coach is showing that his trust extends beyond his established first-choice players.