Dybala and Lukaku: the perfect partnership that barely played together

Roma line up at Napoli this afternoon in a Serie A eighth-round clash at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, with the turnstiles opening at 15:30. Gian Piero Gasperini's side are without Svilar, Koné, Dybala and Pellegrini, but Cristante returns to the starting XI and Malen is back in the attack after serving a suspension. Devyne Rensch is the surprise pick in the Roma line-up. Roma's confirmed starting XI is Gollini; Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Rensch, De Roon, Pisilli, Wesley; Cristante; Soulé, Malen, set up in a 3-4-1-2. Massimiliano Allegri's Napoli line up in a 4-3-3: Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rafa Marin, Badiashile, Olivera; Anguissa, De Bruyne, McTominay; Politano, Hojlund, Lang. Napoli's attack is built around Hojlund, supported by Politano and Lang. The Roma bench contains Vasquez, De Marzi, Lulli, Koulierakis, Molina, Balerdi, Ghilardi, Di Nunzio, Mora, Castro and Camara. The Napoli bench features Contini, Beukema, Marianucci, Spinazzola, Gilmour, Lobotka, Vergara, Giovane and Lucca. Colombo of Como is the referee, assisted by Bindoni-Rossi M. and Rossi, with Sacchi J.L. as fourth official. Aureliano is the VAR, with Meraviglia as the assistant VAR. The absences of Svilar, Koné, Dybala and Pellegrini are the main concerns for Gasperini, who has used the selection to pair Cristante further forward and give Soulé and Malen the attacking roles alongside him. Two of the club's most important players are missing from the match-day squad, making the Maradona fixture a test of the depth in the Roma squad.

Roma line up for their Serie A Matchday 8 trip to Napoli's Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, with Bryan Cristante starting from the first minute alongside Matías Soulé. Gian Piero Gasperini's side face Napoli, coached by Massimiliano Allegri, in a live-blogged fixture that is one of the big games of the round. Roma arrive after a Champions League win but have injury problems in the attacking midfield zone, with Lorenzo Pellegrini and Paulo Dybala both ruled out. The club are chasing points to keep pace with the top of the Serie A table, making a result at the Maradona important in the race for the leading positions. The official line-ups confirmed Cristante in the starting XI with Soulé, a sign of how Gasperini has reshaped his options without two of his key attacking players. Romanews.eu is providing live coverage with real-time updates throughout the match.

Roma's Primavera side came from two goals down to salvage at least a point against Genoa at the Tre Fontane, a result coach Scala said should give the young squad confidence. Scala, head coach of the Roma Primavera side, wanted to highlight the group's spirit, choosing to focus on the positives after a very intense match. The match was one of two faces, with Roma once again falling behind before showing the ability to turn the game around. Scala gave his assessment to the club's official channels. He said: "We started well and could have gone ahead in the first few minutes on two occasions. Then came an ingenuity from a set piece, not only in the action that led to their goal, where we were too passive, but also in the request for a medical check, which was not necessary. The team certainly has in its DNA the ability to come back into games and never give up. But we must not need to go behind before we bring the right competitive fire that allows us to recover. We also need to get back to taking the lead and managing the result." Asked how the team can grow in this area, Scala said: "We have to keep working on the mental side and have a little patience. Today we were facing a side with five 2007-born players and one 2006, while we had many 2009s whom we are gradually bringing in, and the lack of a certain experience at these levels is paid for. It is part of our journey, we have said it from day one, and we take what comes." Roma had a large number of absentees, with injured, called-up and suspended players. Asked whether next week will allow better preparation, Scala said: "The prospect is of a better week to work, and that is positive. There are never any excuses of any kind. The absences put us in a position to give other young players a chance and showcase them, so they are an opportunity. Some of those who had played little at the start, in my opinion, did very well today, such as Ballarin or Giammattei, who came on and changed the match for us. The squad is long, we wear an important shirt, and we must prove in every match that we are stronger than the opponent." On the mood in the dressing room, Scala said: "The atmosphere at half-time was boiling, because I made myself heard, and quite a lot. I think the boys have understood that they must give more, because we have a great responsibility. They are certainly disappointed, not so much by how the first half went, but at finding themselves behind and not taking home the three points we probably deserved." Scala also acknowledged the team's attacking output: "We are collecting little compared with what we produce. It happens often. Today we hit a crossbar and a post, and their goalkeeper made a couple of important saves. We are building a lot, and this happens because in the few days we can work together we get to pass on certain concepts that are starting to show. However, we must avoid always going behind and then being forced to come back into matches."

Roma line up at Napoli this afternoon in a Serie A eighth-round clash at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, with the turnstiles opening at 15:30. Gian Piero Gasperini's side are without Svilar, Koné, Dybala and Pellegrini, but Cristante returns to the starting XI and Malen is back in the attack after serving a suspension. Devyne Rensch is the surprise pick in the Roma line-up. Roma's confirmed starting XI is Gollini; Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Rensch, De Roon, Pisilli, Wesley; Cristante; Soulé, Malen, set up in a 3-4-1-2. Massimiliano Allegri's Napoli line up in a 4-3-3: Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rafa Marin, Badiashile, Olivera; Anguissa, De Bruyne, McTominay; Politano, Hojlund, Lang. Napoli's attack is built around Hojlund, supported by Politano and Lang. The Roma bench contains Vasquez, De Marzi, Lulli, Koulierakis, Molina, Balerdi, Ghilardi, Di Nunzio, Mora, Castro and Camara. The Napoli bench features Contini, Beukema, Marianucci, Spinazzola, Gilmour, Lobotka, Vergara, Giovane and Lucca. Colombo of Como is the referee, assisted by Bindoni-Rossi M. and Rossi, with Sacchi J.L. as fourth official. Aureliano is the VAR, with Meraviglia as the assistant VAR. The absences of Svilar, Koné, Dybala and Pellegrini are the main concerns for Gasperini, who has used the selection to pair Cristante further forward and give Soulé and Malen the attacking roles alongside him. Two of the club's most important players are missing from the match-day squad, making the Maradona fixture a test of the depth in the Roma squad.

Roma line up for their Serie A Matchday 8 trip to Napoli's Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, with Bryan Cristante starting from the first minute alongside Matías Soulé. Gian Piero Gasperini's side face Napoli, coached by Massimiliano Allegri, in a live-blogged fixture that is one of the big games of the round. Roma arrive after a Champions League win but have injury problems in the attacking midfield zone, with Lorenzo Pellegrini and Paulo Dybala both ruled out. The club are chasing points to keep pace with the top of the Serie A table, making a result at the Maradona important in the race for the leading positions. The official line-ups confirmed Cristante in the starting XI with Soulé, a sign of how Gasperini has reshaped his options without two of his key attacking players. Romanews.eu is providing live coverage with real-time updates throughout the match.

Gasperini's Roma face Massimiliano Allegri's Napoli in Serie A's eighth round this afternoon at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Kickoff is at 18:00, with the turnstiles open from 15:30. Roma travel without Svilar, Koné, Dybala and Pellegrini. Gasperini does have Cristante available again, and Malen is back in the starting frame after serving a one-match suspension. Cristante is the favourite to start in a more advanced role ahead of Mora. Napoli are expected to rely on Højlund, supported by Politano and Lang. In Roma's expected line-up, Lulli is favoured over Molina on the right flank. Cristante is set to play further forward, with Soulé and Malen completing the attack. The choice over Cristante's role is the main open question before the team sheets are released. Napoli (4-3-3): Milinkovic-Savic; Di Lorenzo, Badiashile, Rafa Marin, Olivera; Anguissa, De Bruyne, McTominay; Politano, Højlund, Lang. Substitutes: Meret, Contini, Beukema, Marianucci, Rrahmani, Spinazzola, Gilmour, Lobotka, Vergara, Giovane, Lucca. Coach: Massimiliano Allegri. Roma (3-4-1-2): Gollini; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Lulli, De Roon, Pisilli, Wesley; Cristante; Soulé, Malen. Substitutes: Vasquez, De Marzi, Rensch, Koulierakis, Molina, Balerdi, Ghilardi, Di Nunzio, Mora, Castro, Camara. Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini. The referee is Colombo of Como, with assistants Bindoni and Rossi M. Fourth official: Sacchi J.L. VAR: Aureliano. Assistant VAR: Meraviglia.