Dybala shines in Champions form as Roma draw with Dortmund; Malen behind schedule

Roma drew 2–2 with Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park in their final pre-season fixture before the Serie A campaign begins. Paulo Dybala opened the scoring in the 4th minute, then set up Bryan Cristante for a second-half header five minutes later, but goals from Ryerson and Guirassy at the 12th and 28th minutes brought Dortmund level. Gasperini fielded a strong starting XI featuring the familiar defensive trio of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso, with Mile Svilar in goal. Bryan Cristante and Neil El Aynaoui controlled midfield, while Matías Soulé and Dybala supported Donyell Malen up front. Lorenzo Pellegrini, Niccolò Pisilli and Wesley were absent, the latter sidelined by a mild ankle sprain. The match showcased Roma's physical improvement over the summer, though defensive vulnerabilities remain. Dybala played with notable sharpness, while Gasperini offered frequent tactical instruction to Soulé, urging him to widen play. Roma's pre-season campaign closes in Germany, with the squad returning to Trigoria on Wednesday morning to resume preparations for the opening league fixture against Fiorentina. The match against Fabio Grosso's side arrives in seven days at the Stadio Olimpico, marking Roma's first competitive test and their return to Champions League football under Gasperini, now in his second season in charge.

Andy Diaz, the Cuban triple jumper competing for Italy, leapt 18.15m on Saturday evening in Birmingham to claim the European Athletics Championships gold medal and move fourth on the all-time list. The jump falls 14 centimetres short of Jonathan Edwards's world record of 18.29m, set in 1995. Diaz, 30, said in the mixed zone: "Sto arrivando, Jonathan. Se prima dubitavi, ora non dubiti più" (I'm coming, Jonathan. If you doubted before, you don't now). He acknowledged his technique differs from Edwards: "Quello che faceva Edwards era bellissimo. Non si vedeva allo stacco, era lineare nel suo movimento quasi unico e senza perdere velocità. Io rimbalzo troppo, troppo da cubano" (What Edwards did was beautiful. You couldn't see the takeoff, his movement was linear, almost unique, without losing speed. I bounce too much, too Cuban). Diaz has built a new life in Italy since gaining citizenship, working with coach Fabrizio Donato, whom he first met at the 2018 indoor world championships in Birmingham. He won bronze at the Paris Olympics, a European indoor title, two world indoor gold medals, and now this European outdoor gold. Diaz was promised a showdown with rival Pichardo at the Lausanne meeting on August 21. The athlete and his mother and grandmother run a fishery in Rome; it is closed for holidays until August 28. He plans to pursue victories at the Lausanne meeting and the Diamond League finals, though he noted that triple jump inexplicably does not feature in the Ultimate Championship in Budapest that will close the season.

Nahuel Molina made a strong impression in his first appearance for Roma, featuring for over half an hour in a 2–2 friendly against Borussia Dortmund. The Argentine full-back, who joined from Atlético Madrid for 13 million euros plus 4 million in add-ons, demonstrated his attacking thrust, intensity, ball control, and defensive aggression. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini identified him as the right player to elevate Roma's play on the flanks and bring additional international experience ahead of the club's return to the Champions League. Molina's solid performance at Dortmund surprised some Atlético supporters, many of whom had welcomed his departure after inconsistent form in recent seasons. The display prompted reactions on social media, with some observers drawing comparisons to legendary full-back Cafu and questioning why Molina had not performed at this level for Atlético. One fan wrote: "He left Atlético and became Cafu." Another asked: "Now he plays well?" A third joked: "It's clear that Madrid's water did him no good." The comments reflected a mix of irony and mild regret among the Spanish club's fanbase.

Rodrigo Mora, a 2007-born Portuguese talent, has built his reputation at Porto primarily as a central attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where he has played 52 of his 80 official matches for the club. Since his senior debut against Bodø/Glimt in September 2024—a 21-minute cameo off the bench—he has emerged as a versatile attacker capable of playing multiple roles. Gasperini and Roma are monitoring the playmaker as a potential solution for the left-sided attacking role, ideally positioned in support of Malen and alongside either Dybala or Soulé. While Mora's best work has come in the number 10 position, he has also accumulated experience on the wing, with 13 appearances as a winger—5 on the right and 8 on the left—during which he has scored 6 goals. He has additionally featured 5 times as a midfielder with 2 goals and 6 times as a second striker with 1 goal. Mora's profile extends beyond tactical flexibility. Made his competitive debut at 15 for Porto's B team, he is described as slight in build but technically gifted, capable of moments of rare footballing beauty regularly highlighted across social media. Though naturally suited to the playmaker's role, his work ethic and adaptability suggest he will not resist a different assignment if required. Gasperini has already signalled his preference. The coming weeks will clarify the Portuguese gem's next move.

Roma will resume training on Wednesday 19 August, with Wesley and Pisilli both undergoing assessment ahead of the opening Serie A fixture against Fiorentina on Monday 25 August. Wesley is nursing an ankle problem that will be evaluated at the resumption to determine whether he is fit for the season's first match. Pisilli will be checked on the same day, though there is confidence both players will be available for the trip to the Viola. For the Fiorentina opener, Roma are unlikely to welcome significant new arrivals into the starting XI. Molina is expected to start against Fiorentina, while Koné requires assessment. Soulé will operate on the left wing with Dybala on the right, though Pellegrini is not yet available for selection. Around 60,000 supporters are expected at the Olimpico for the match.

Roma drew 2–2 with Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park in their final pre-season fixture before the Serie A campaign begins. Paulo Dybala opened the scoring in the 4th minute, then set up Bryan Cristante for a second-half header five minutes later, but goals from Ryerson and Guirassy at the 12th and 28th minutes brought Dortmund level. Gasperini fielded a strong starting XI featuring the familiar defensive trio of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso, with Mile Svilar in goal. Bryan Cristante and Neil El Aynaoui controlled midfield, while Matías Soulé and Dybala supported Donyell Malen up front. Lorenzo Pellegrini, Niccolò Pisilli and Wesley were absent, the latter sidelined by a mild ankle sprain. The match showcased Roma's physical improvement over the summer, though defensive vulnerabilities remain. Dybala played with notable sharpness, while Gasperini offered frequent tactical instruction to Soulé, urging him to widen play. Roma's pre-season campaign closes in Germany, with the squad returning to Trigoria on Wednesday morning to resume preparations for the opening league fixture against Fiorentina. The match against Fabio Grosso's side arrives in seven days at the Stadio Olimpico, marking Roma's first competitive test and their return to Champions League football under Gasperini, now in his second season in charge.

Rodrigo Mora, a 2007-born Portuguese talent, has built his reputation at Porto primarily as a central attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where he has played 52 of his 80 official matches for the club. Since his senior debut against Bodø/Glimt in September 2024—a 21-minute cameo off the bench—he has emerged as a versatile attacker capable of playing multiple roles. Gasperini and Roma are monitoring the playmaker as a potential solution for the left-sided attacking role, ideally positioned in support of Malen and alongside either Dybala or Soulé. While Mora's best work has come in the number 10 position, he has also accumulated experience on the wing, with 13 appearances as a winger—5 on the right and 8 on the left—during which he has scored 6 goals. He has additionally featured 5 times as a midfielder with 2 goals and 6 times as a second striker with 1 goal. Mora's profile extends beyond tactical flexibility. Made his competitive debut at 15 for Porto's B team, he is described as slight in build but technically gifted, capable of moments of rare footballing beauty regularly highlighted across social media. Though naturally suited to the playmaker's role, his work ethic and adaptability suggest he will not resist a different assignment if required. Gasperini has already signalled his preference. The coming weeks will clarify the Portuguese gem's next move.

Roma drew 2–2 with Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park in their final pre-season fixture before the Serie A campaign begins. Paulo Dybala opened the scoring in the 4th minute, then set up Bryan Cristante for a second-half header five minutes later, but goals from Ryerson and Guirassy at the 12th and 28th minutes brought Dortmund level. Gasperini fielded a strong starting XI featuring the familiar defensive trio of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso, with Mile Svilar in goal. Bryan Cristante and Neil El Aynaoui controlled midfield, while Matías Soulé and Dybala supported Donyell Malen up front. Lorenzo Pellegrini, Niccolò Pisilli and Wesley were absent, the latter sidelined by a mild ankle sprain. The match showcased Roma's physical improvement over the summer, though defensive vulnerabilities remain. Dybala played with notable sharpness, while Gasperini offered frequent tactical instruction to Soulé, urging him to widen play. Roma's pre-season campaign closes in Germany, with the squad returning to Trigoria on Wednesday morning to resume preparations for the opening league fixture against Fiorentina. The match against Fabio Grosso's side arrives in seven days at the Stadio Olimpico, marking Roma's first competitive test and their return to Champions League football under Gasperini, now in his second season in charge.

Roma will host Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico on Monday, 24 August at 20:45 for the opening day of the Serie A season. Gasperini's Roma will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation: Svilar in goal; Mancini, Ndicka, and Hermoso in defence; Molina, El Aynaoui, Cristante, and Wesley across midfield; Dybala and Soulé in attacking support; and Malen leading the line. Fiorentina will deploy a 4-3-3 system under Grosso, featuring De Gea in goal, with Joao Mario, Viery, Dragusin, and Valdepenas in defence, Ndour, Oulai, and Atta in midfield, and Mastantuono, Kean, and Gudmundsson in attack. Tickets for the match remain on sale through the Roma website. The fixture will be broadcast live on Dazn. Fans can also follow live text coverage on ilromanista.eu or listen to radio commentary on radioromanista.it.