Dybala leads Roma's return to Champions League glory

Roma scouts were among those watching Porto against PSV Eindhoven at the Estádio do Dragão in the Champions League, as the club keeps working ahead of the January transfer window to strengthen Gian Piero Gasperini's squad. Sporting director D'Amico is looking for talent to complete the attack and the wide areas, where a left-sided midfield winger is still missing. Scouts from Everton, Manchester United, Brentford and Nottingham Forest were also present, according to English outlet Sport Witness. Many talents featured for PSV as well as for Porto, who are coached by Farioli. Among the possible targets Roma are monitoring is Sven Mijnans, an attacking midfielder born in 2000 who had already been followed in the summer. Also on the list is Bajraktarević, a Bosnian left-sided winger born in 2005. Roma will keep working on these ideas in the coming weeks, as a side that has made a top start still needs reinforcements. Porto's young standouts also drew attention. Oscar Pietuszewski, a right-footed winger born in 2008, is very young. Alberto Costa, a 23-year-old full-back, was close to joining Roma in January 2025.

Roma's defence has been named in the Sofascore Team of the Week for the latest Champions League round, with Mario Hermoso, Leonardo Balerdi and Daniele Ghilardi all selected and dominating the back line of the ideal side. The trio's performance earned the recognition after they kept a clean sheet against Slovan Bratislava, the club's first clean sheet in Europe this season, and gave nothing away to Yaya Touré's side. The spotlight on the defence comes as Roma prepare for a big match against Napoli, with the squad continuing its work at Trigoria. The back line has been one of the strengths of the start to the campaign, conceding just three goals in the first seven Serie A matches. The Italian report adds that the award reflects the solid form of a unit that has been central to Roma's strong start, with the three defenders combining for a shutout that underlined the club's improved resilience at the back. Roma are next in action against Napoli, with the squad focused on maintaining that defensive record.

Roma's central defenders Hermoso, Balerdi and Ghilardi have been named in Sofascore's Team of the Week for the latest Champions League round, after a performance that kept Slovan Bratislava out completely. The three Roma defenders gave away nothing to the side coached by Yaya Touré. Roma have conceded only three goals in their first seven Serie A matches, a record built on a back line that is growing more solid despite the absence of several players who were fundamental in recent years. The arrivals of Balerdi and Koulierakis, and the continued development of Ghilardi, have given Gasperini the option to rest two first-team regulars, Ndicka and Mancini. Sofascore's selection was described as deserved. The Team of the Week's defence, drawn from the best side in the League Phase, was dominated by Gasperini's Roma backline. The selection also includes attackers Doué, Nico Paz, Foden and Ngumoha from the wider group of top clubs in the competition.

Former coach Andrea Stramaccioni has praised Donyell Malen, likening the Dutch forward's movement to that of Andriy Shevchenko, as Roma prepare to face Napoli at the Maradona. Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, Stramaccioni also highlighted the way Gian Piero Gasperini's side defends by attacking. Roma's form has been strong, with a clear identity, a productive attack and an effective defensive phase. Stramaccioni said: "It is impressive, ever more in tune with the verticality of Roma's final pass. His half-moon of movement away from his marker, the first controlled touch oriented forward, and the speed with which he does it remind me, with the appropriate comparisons, of the movements Andriy Shevchenko liked to make." He then turned to the team as a whole: "Roma have scored with 11 different players, and Dybala, Mancini, Wesley and Pellegrini are still missing. But the out-of-possession phase stands out more: Gasperini's side 'defends by attacking' while controlling the ball. It is the best defence in Serie A (and two of the three goals conceded came against Inter) and has the best goal difference in the league." On the Napoli fixture, Stramaccioni said: "He is too experienced, he knows that at Napoli the level of difficulty is very high. He will find a side 'wounded', which cannot afford to lose again and will play to the death in front of their very hot crowd. And Gasp knows this well. He will prepare a high-intensity match, taking time and space away from Napoli's build-up, meaning limiting Lobotka and De Bruyne. And trying to exploit the vertical spaces that may open up." He also pointed to a potential weakness. "Roma have conceded little when defending in a set shape, but have suffered from second balls from dead-ball situations: look at Inter and Real Madrid. On the other side, isolating the attackers one-on-one in open space and forcing Allegri's wide players to chase Wesley and company can cause Napoli problems." On squad depth, Stramaccioni said: "Without injuries I would have said Napoli, although they are a little short in midfield. But now, with Roma missing key players, I see them as similar. Roma's real advantage is a year of work with Gasperini: more certainty and enthusiasm." Finally, he assessed the ambitions of both clubs. "Napoli are a great potential in search of certainty, continuity and solidity. Roma are a group full of enthusiasm who have plenty of certainty, but to stay up there they must win matches like this one."

Manu Koné is getting closer to a return to action for Roma, with his recovery progressing well ahead of the club's trip to Napoli. The midfielder has been sidelined since the Champions League match against Real Madrid on 14 October, when he suffered a muscle injury. He was found to have a first-degree tear of the right hamstring. Roma are short on numbers for the difficult trip to the Maradona, and Gian Piero Gasperini's side are also dealing with a squad reduced to the bare minimum. In the infirmary, there is also encouraging news about Paulo Dybala, who is pushing to speed up his own timetable and is aiming to return already on Tuesday against Cagliari. Koné is expected to be available again between the Champions League match against Manchester United on 3 November and the Serie A fixture against Sassuolo the following weekend. That timeline points to his return coming at the start of November, when Roma face a demanding run of fixtures. Il Messaggero reports in today's edition that Koné is increasingly close to a comeback, and the French midfielder's return is now a step away. Roma will be hoping that the 3 November Champions League tie against Manchester United and the Sassuolo game give Gasperini a fully fit midfielder to call on once again.

Roma will rely on Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora to supply creativity in the attacking third for the big match at the Maradona against Napoli, with Paulo Dybala still sidelined. Soulé has already scored two goals and provided an assist so far this season. Mora, a 19-year-old Portuguese midfielder who arrived for a significant investment, has shown flashes of quality interspersed with some quieter spells, and this fixture represents his first real test of maturity. Their main job will be to play in Donyell Malen, who returns from suspension and remains, in the words of the report, the true talisman of Gasperini's Roma. The Dutch forward goes back to the stadium where, a year ago, he scored a memorable double. Gasperini hopes to have Bryan Cristante available from the start. If he is fit, Cristante could partner Marten de Roon in midfield, allowing Niccolò Pisilli to push forward into the attacking third alongside Soulé. At the back, the starting trio of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso is set to reform. On the flanks, Wesley is confirmed at left-back, while Emanuele Lulli is the favourite to start ahead of Nahuel Molina on the right. The absence of Dybala and the return of Malen give Gasperini a clear shape to work with, but the match will also show how far Soulé and Mora can carry the attacking load on the road to one of the toughest venues in Serie A.