Di Livio says Roma must play with intelligence like against Genoa, and warns Dybala cannot be relied upon

Slovan Bratislava are looking to spoil Roma's night, with both sides still chasing their first win in this season's Champions League. Slovan's coach Yaya Touré spoke to Sky Sport shortly before kick-off, reflecting on his return to the stadium where he won the Champions League with Barcelona. Touré said: "I was on the pitch, it is always a pleasure and I am happy. I have wonderful memories, it was a special evening and a special final against United. We managed to win, but today is a different match and as a coach. We will see how my team plays, I am curious too." Asked what he expected from the Roma game, he said: "We have enormous respect for Roma, it is a very big club. We know it will be difficult. Against Real Madrid they were unlucky, they deserved to win and instead the game was decided in the last 10 minutes. It was a disappointment for them, but we know they will want to react. We will try to test them and we will see if we can take the result home."

Francesco Totti was at the Stadio Olimpico again for Roma's home Champions League game against Slovan Bratislava, a week after attending the match against Real Madrid. The former Roma captain had promised head coach Gian Piero Gasperini that he would return, and he kept his word. Before entering the stadium, Totti had a long conversation with Paulo Dybala, who is injured and unavailable for tonight's match. He then greeted and embraced Donyell Malen, who will start from the first minute and lead the attack. Behind Malen, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Rodrigo Mora will play in midfield. This is Roma's second Champions League game, and their second at home. Totti's return to Trigoria is not currently on the table, but he wants to enjoy the magic of the Champions League.

Roma return to Champions League action at the Stadio Olimpico against Slovan Bratislava, after a 2-0 win over Genoa in Serie A that restored their league form. Gian Piero Gasperini's side needed points in the Champions League to climb the league-phase standings. The Giallorossi got a result from their second-string players against Genoa, with Castro scoring a spectacular goal to unlock the game. Roma opened their European campaign with a draw against Fenerbahce in Turkey, and then suffered the sting of a comeback by Real Madrid in front of their own fans. Slovan Bratislava are considered a side well within Roma's reach, but one that can hide dangers. Roma's Champions League fixture against Slovan Bratislava is being played at the Olimpico. Fans can follow the match on Sky and Prime, with official line-ups, kickoff time and the current league-phase table all included in pre-match coverage.

Roma head to Bratislava for their third Champions League match looking for a first win of the campaign, after a draw with Fenerbahce and a defeat to Real Madrid. Gian Piero Gasperini has left Evan N'Dicka and Gianluca Mancini out of the starting line-up, with Daniele Ghilardi and Leonardo Balerdi starting in defence. Donyell Malen leads the attack, with Rodrigo Mora and Lorenzo Pellegrini behind him. Roma line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation: Pierluigi Gollini in goal; Ghilardi, Balerdi and Mario Hermoso in the back three; Nahuel Molina, Marten de Roon, Niccolò Pisilli and Wesley in midfield; Mora and Pellegrini in the attacking pair; and Malen up front. On the bench are Giorgio De Marzi, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Mancini, N'Dicka, Devyne Rensch, Emanuele Lulli, Di Nunzio, Bryan Cristante, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro. Slovan Bratislava, coached by Yaya Touré, set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Takac starts in goal, protected by Blackman, Bajric, Markovic and Sandro Cruz. Pokorny and Gajdos form the double pivot, with Barseghyan, Ibrahim and Suleman Camara behind Marcelli.

Roma host Slovan Bratislava at the Stadio Olimpico in the Champions League at 21:00, looking to bounce back after a dramatic defeat to Real Madrid. Gian Piero Gasperini's side have followed that loss with a win over Genoa in Serie A, and the Slovak side, coached by Yaya Touré, are considered a more approachable opponent. Roma line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation: Gollini; Ghilardi, Balerdi, Hermoso; Molina, de Roon, Pisilli, Wesley; Mora, Pellegrini; Malen. Balerdi is in the starting XI, and there is a contest between Lulli and Molina for a place in the side. Slovan Bratislava set up in a 4-2-1-3... formation as a 4-2-3-1: Takac; Blackman, Bajric, Markovic, Sandro Cruz; Pokorny, Gajdos; Barseghyan, Ibrahim, Suleman Camara; Marcelli. Hermoso opened the scoring for Roma in the 21st minute and Molina doubled the lead in the 39th minute. Barseghyan was booked for Slovan Bratislava in the 18th minute. On the bench for Roma are De Marzi, Koulierakis, Mancini, Ndicka, Rensch, Lulli, Di Nunzio, Cristante, Soulé and Castro. Slovan Bratislava's substitutes are Popovic, Kozlowski, Wimmer, Hofstadter, Yirajang, Mustafic, Tomanek, Maros, Samkhou Camara, Martinez, Ihnatenko and Matsouka.

Gian Piero Gasperini has named his squad for Roma's Champions League league-phase match against Slovan Bratislava, the third matchday of the 2026-27 competition. Bryan Cristante is back in the group. The defenders selected are Rensch, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi. The midfielders named are Cristante, Pellegrini, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Mora.

Roma head to Bratislava for their third Champions League match looking for a first win of the campaign, after a draw with Fenerbahce and a defeat to Real Madrid. Gian Piero Gasperini has left Evan N'Dicka and Gianluca Mancini out of the starting line-up, with Daniele Ghilardi and Leonardo Balerdi starting in defence. Donyell Malen leads the attack, with Rodrigo Mora and Lorenzo Pellegrini behind him. Roma line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation: Pierluigi Gollini in goal; Ghilardi, Balerdi and Mario Hermoso in the back three; Nahuel Molina, Marten de Roon, Niccolò Pisilli and Wesley in midfield; Mora and Pellegrini in the attacking pair; and Malen up front. On the bench are Giorgio De Marzi, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Mancini, N'Dicka, Devyne Rensch, Emanuele Lulli, Di Nunzio, Bryan Cristante, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro. Slovan Bratislava, coached by Yaya Touré, set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Takac starts in goal, protected by Blackman, Bajric, Markovic and Sandro Cruz. Pokorny and Gajdos form the double pivot, with Barseghyan, Ibrahim and Suleman Camara behind Marcelli.

Tommaso Turci, journalist and pitchside reporter for DAZN, spoke exclusively to Retesport and praised Roma's progress under Gian Piero Gasperini, with particular praise for Stephan El Shaarawy's teammate Matías Soulé and new-look midfielder Marten de Roon. Turci said Soulé is "making giant steps forward" and described him as becoming a leader and a player for a top team. Turci said Roma look organised and improving but that they are still at the beginning of the season. He stressed that consistency will make the difference, and that the Roma side will become credible for the top of the table once squad players with limited minutes add value, as happened against Genoa and again in the most recent match. He said that the season before gave this group awareness, and that Roma are showing they can stay near the top of the table, though how long that will last remains to be seen. On Inter, Turci said that once they reach full speed they will pull away from the rest by 10-15 points. On Gasperini's reaction to Lulli's goal, Turci said the coach was moved to see the young scorer celebrating in a clumsy way, often looking at the referee to confirm his first goal was valid. Gasperini, who has now recorded 300 wins, congratulated him and then immediately gave the team instructions, even though the goal strongly pointed the match in Roma's favour. Turci praised Soulé's quality in the build-up to that goal, saying it was not just technique but also personality, and that the forward is now physically well and aligned with Gasperini's ideas. Asked which newcomer had impressed him most, Turci said: "De Roon, even though we all knew he would be functional to Gasperini's way of playing. Seeing how he has fitted into the group and the dressing room has made me understand that he is a top player." On the coaching staff, Turci said they are perfectly aligned with Gasperini, naming Raimondi and Gritti, and that Gasperini consults everyone while each member looks after the details during matches. He added: "All the top coaches have a great staff, and he is no exception."

Tommaso Turci, journalist and pitch-side reporter for DAZN, spoke exclusively to Retesport and singled out Matías Soulé for praise, saying the Argentine is "making giant strides forward." Turci said Soulé is becoming a leader and a player for a top team, adding that the goal he set up for Lulli showed more than technique, with plenty of personality in the move. He also said Soulé is physically fit and in line with Gasperini's ideas. Turci described Roma as organised and improving, but said the club is still at the beginning of the season. He argued that consistency will make the difference, and that Roma will only become a credible challenger for the top of the table when the players who have seen less game time add value, as happened against Genoa and in the latest match. He said that when the squad responds in that way, it shows the team will have a campaign of a certain standing. On Inter, Turci said Roma are showing they can stay near the top of the table, though how long this can last remains to be seen, and he said Inter, once fully up to speed, would pull clear of the others by 10-15 points. On the new arrivals, Turci said Marten de Roon impressed him, although everyone knew he would suit Gasperini's style of play. He said watching how De Roon fitted into the group and the dressing room convinced him he is a top player. Turci also praised the coaching staff, saying they are fully aligned with Gasperini, from Raimondi to Gritti. He said Gasperini consults everyone and that each member of staff looks after the details during matches, adding that all top coaches have a strong staff and that Gasperini is no different. Turci also described how Gasperini reacted after Lulli's goal: the coach was visibly moved, congratulated the scorer, and immediately gave his team instructions, even though the goal had strongly shaped the match. Turci noted that Gasperini had just reached 300 wins.

Francesco Totti was at the Stadio Olimpico again for Roma's home Champions League game against Slovan Bratislava, a week after attending the match against Real Madrid. The former Roma captain had promised head coach Gian Piero Gasperini that he would return, and he kept his word. Before entering the stadium, Totti had a long conversation with Paulo Dybala, who is injured and unavailable for tonight's match. He then greeted and embraced Donyell Malen, who will start from the first minute and lead the attack. Behind Malen, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Rodrigo Mora will play in midfield. This is Roma's second Champions League game, and their second at home. Totti's return to Trigoria is not currently on the table, but he wants to enjoy the magic of the Champions League.

Former Roma striker Antonio Cassano has criticised the quality of Serie A and singled out Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen in his latest appearance on Viva el Futbol. Cassano said: "With this Serie A, if I lose two kilos and play in flip-flops I make the difference. And if Nicola Ventola and I played up front together, we would do better than everyone else." He went on to back his own talent, saying: "I was a phenomenon. I played with ten kilos of excess weight, I didn't train, I decided what I wanted to do with my life." Cassano also turned his attention to two current Roma forwards. He said: "Dybala goes to a cylinder and falls over, Malen after eight years on the bench between Dortmund and Aston Villa is the top scorer." The comments are likely to stir debate among Roma supporters, given the contrast Cassano drew between the two attackers. José Mourinho was among the sharpest targets of his criticism, a week after his Real Madrid side beat Gasperini's Roma 4-3 at the Olimpico. Cassano said: "He is finished, he is washed up. He should stop coaching. It has been like this for more than ten years." On the Portuguese's style of play, he added: "A team of phenomena and he makes them play in an unworthy way, outside all logic. I would be ashamed in his place." He continued: "Old football, old football, without ideas. All he has left is the chatter." Cassano also suggested that Mourinho's continued prominence at the top of international football is helped by his relationship with agent Jorge Mendes: "He has the luck of having the best agent in the world, who if he wants will find him a place even on the Moon." In contrast, Cassano praised Gian Piero Gasperini, distinguishing the Roma head coach's work from that of the managers he criticised. The praise fits with his repeated call for proactive, attacking football.

Bryan Cristante is back in the Roma squad for Thursday's home clash with Slovan Bratislava, Gian Piero Gasperini's team news boost on the eve of the Champions League League Phase third matchday. The midfielder had missed the last few matches with physical problems, and his return gives Gasperini an important alternative in a department already without the injured Manu Koné. The call-up also includes Di Nunzio, who has been added to the group at a time when the emergency is forcing Gasperini to widen his rotations. Paulo Dybala remains out, sidelined by a lesion revealed by the latest tests, along with Koné. Cristante's return is therefore the main development ahead of tonight's fixture at the Olimpico, with Gasperini regaining an important option at the most delicate moment of the midfield crisis. The full squad list is as follows. Goalkeepers: Vasquez, De Marzi, Gollini. Defenders: Rensch, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli, Ghilardi. Midfielders: Cristante, Pellegrini, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio, Mora. Forwards: Castro, Malen, Soulé.