Dybala pays tribute to Roma with 'Walking On A Dream' post

Roma's Champions League League Phase fixture list is now set. The Giallorossi begin away to Fenerbahçe in Turkey before hosting Real Madrid in their second match. Matchday three brings a reunion with Slovan Bratislava, a throwback to their 2011 encounter. The schedule presents two testing away fixtures in succession: Roma travel to face Manchester, followed by a trip to Paris Saint-Germain. The full run of eight League Phase matches will determine Roma's path through the competition as they bid to progress from one of Europe's most demanding groups.

UEFA has confirmed the full league-phase schedule for Roma's 2026–27 Champions League campaign, with all eight opponents and fixture dates now set. Gian Piero Gasperini's side will begin their European return on Thursday 10 September in Turkey against Fenerbahçe, kicking off at 18:45. The first match at the Olimpico will be one of the season's headline fixtures: Roma against Real Madrid on 14 October at 21:00, marking José Mourinho's return to the stadium as an opponent. After the Real fixture, Roma will play at home against Slovan Bratislava on 20 October before travelling to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on 3 November. The run continues with an away trip to Paris Saint-Germain, managed by Luis Enrique, on 25 November. Roma's final match of 2026 comes on 8 December, hosting Sporting CP at the Olimpico. The league phase resumes in January with AEK Athens away on 19 January, followed by the final group match hosting Lille on 27 January 2027.

Roma will discover the fixture dates and kick-off times for the Champions League league-phase campaign today, with matches running from 8–10 September through 27 January. The club will host Real Madrid, Sporting Lisbona, Lille and Slovan Bratislava at the Olimpico. This marks Roma's return to the competition for the first time in over seven years after finishing third in Serie A last season. Ticket allocation will be severely limited: 40,000 supporters have already secured the European cup subscription package, leaving fewer than 20,000 seats available across other sections, with prices expected to be prohibitively expensive. UEFA will announce the fixture schedule today; Roma will publish ticket sale terms in the coming days. Season ticket holders for Serie A will have first refusal through the PNR system for friends and family.

Roma's Serie A trip to Torino has been moved to accommodate the club's Champions League campaign. The match, originally scheduled for Sunday 13 September at 12.30, will now take place on Monday 14 September at 18.30. The change follows Roma's Champions League fixture on Thursday 10 September, when they travel to Istanbul to face Fenerbahce at 18.45. The rescheduling gives Dybala and his teammates an extra day of rest after their return from Turkey on Friday before facing Torino. The fixture against Atalanta at the Olimpico remains unchanged, scheduled for Saturday 5 September at 20.45.

Bryan Cristante was the standout performer in midfield as Roma opened their season with a dominant 4–0 win over Fiorentina at the Olimpico on Monday, playing a decisive role in stabilising the team's shape while an attacking force of Paulo Dybala, Donyell Malen and Rodrigo Mora created havoc in the final third. Gasperini deployed a 3–4–1–2 formation, and Cristante's 90 minutes of tactical control were awarded an 8.4 rating by Sofascore. He attempted 83 passes with 88 per cent accuracy, including a 91 per cent success rate in the opposing half, while collecting 8 ball recoveries—more than any other player on the pitch. Defensively, he won 6 of 7 aerial duels and 5 of 7 ground duels, made 4 tackles (2 won), 2 interceptions and 4 defensive clearances. Cristante's ability to drop between the centre-backs, clean up loose balls and restart play with composure allows Roma to push their attacking players forward into dangerous areas. He has been a fixture under every head coach since arriving at the club—Di Francesco, Ranieri, José Mourinho, Paulo Fonseca, Daniele De Rossi and Júrić among them—proving his value transcends tactical philosophy or midfield partners. The 29-year-old has now made 365 official appearances for Roma, entering the club's top 10 all-time list and surpassing Masetti. After the victory, Cristante told Sky Sport: "I am honoured, and I hope to make as many appearances as possible and to continue like this." Roma's next fixture is a trip to Lecce.

Roma will learn the full league-phase schedule for the UEFA Champions League on 29 August, with the phase running from 8–10 September through 27 January. Real Madrid, Sporting, Lille and Slovan Bratislava will visit the Olimpico, while Roma travel to face PSG, Manchester United, Fenerbahçe and AEK Athens. The club has already sold 40,000 cup subscriptions, with the Curva Sud and Distinti Sud sections sold out. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini appears set to keep the starting eleven largely intact following Roma's convincing opening display against Fiorentina, fielding it again away at Lecce on Via del Mare. Rodrigo Mora is on course to start alongside Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen in attack, with a battle between Giorgio De Marzi and Nahuel Molina for the right-back position. Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, Mario Hermoso, Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné are expected to retain their places. Defence headaches persist: Devyne Rensch will miss the Lecce trip due to a left-flexor problem and continues treatment, while Lorenzo Pellegrini continues his recovery work on an individual programme.