Dybala watches Champions League final on holiday in Argentina, hungry for European football with Roma

Roma face Inter in a Serie A title clash that will pit Donyell Malen's exceptional attacking form against Lautaro Martínez, the league's standout striker in recent seasons. Malen has scored 20 goals in 19 matches, a rate that has outpaced Martínez's average, while the Argentine arrives at the Olimpico on the back of a brace against Napoli. The two forwards represent contrasting styles united by the same hunger, with Gasperini's Roma and Inter's defence set to face off in what amounts to a battle between the league's two most potent attacks. Roma and Inter sit among Serie A's elite for goal production, and the statistics underline their dominance. Roma have scored 12 goals, posting a goal differential of plus 11, while Inter have 11 but have conceded six. The data on average pitch position reveals Roma's aggressive setup: they lead Serie A with a mean position of 55.8 metres, ahead of Inter at 54.6. Roma also register 21.3 shots per match—7.8 on target, 10.3 off target, and 3.3 blocked before reaching the goalkeeper—a volume Roma have sustained at an elite level. For Gasperini, these numbers break the records of his nine-year tenure at Atalanta; his highest shot average there came in the 2019-20 season, when Atalanta finished third in Serie A and reached the Champions League quarter-finals with 18.7 shots per match (7.1 on target) and 98 goals across the campaign. On the injury front, Evan N'Dicka and Wesley returned to full group training yesterday after setbacks, while Mario Hermoso completed separate work with a minor ankle contusion—nothing of concern. Selection battles remain open on the right flank, where Emanuele Lulli holds an advantage over Nahuel Molina, and at centre-back, where Leonardo Balerdi is challenging Evan N'Dicka for a place.

Roberto Mancini's second era as Italy coach will begin with a squad built around young talent, with three players already earmarked for early call-ups. Mancini is prioritising players from different backgrounds eligible for the national team to build a long-term project. One prospect is a 20-year-old Roma academy graduate currently on loan at Cagliari for the season. Born to Swiss-Italian parents in Winterthur, he represented Switzerland throughout his youth career but switched to Italy for his senior international career. He has already made six appearances for Cagliari and scored one goal, becoming a mainstay in their midfield as the club has begun the season in strong form. A 19-year-old Treviso-born Italy youth international at Milan has impressed coach Ruben Amorim, featuring in every game thus far with two goals in four outings as a wide No. 10 in Amorim's 3-4-2-1 system. Amorim believes he is ready for the Italy call-up—high praise given his track record with youngsters—and he is already part of the national setup. The third prospect is a 22-year-old midfielder born in Treviglio who moved to Sporting from Venezia this summer and has become a mainstay in their midfield with seven appearances, including one in the Champions League. Mancini has monitored him closely and recently flew to Lisbon to watch him play in person. An Italy U21 senior cap for the international is very much on the cards.

Niccolò Pisilli is putting together a strong start to the season and could make another appearance in Roma's upcoming match against Inter, potentially in a different role. The midfielder has impressed with his work rate, physical commitment and attacking participation—precisely what Gasperini demands from a player capable of executing both phases with intelligence and decisiveness. In midfield, Koné is expected to return to the starting lineup alongside Cristante, with de Roon ready to come off the bench. However, to counter Inter's 3-5-2 formation under Chivu, Gasperini may deploy Pisilli as a trequartista behind Dybala and Malen. At Trigoria today the squad was complete in training, with one notable exception: Mario Hermoso. The Spanish defender is sidelined by a mild ankle contusion but the injury is not considered serious, and he is expected to recover without significant issues. Wesley and Evan N'Dicka both returned positive updates from the session, signalling they are available for selection.

Luigi Di Biagio, a midfielder who played for both Roma and Inter, has backed Roma to emerge as title contenders this season ahead of Saturday's match between the clubs. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Di Biagio said the fixture would be a spectacle but is too early to decide the Scudetto race. "Inter has the obligation to win it for the squad they have and for their history over recent years. Roma, instead, is there for a path of growth and is a very pleasant surprise," he said. He added that Roma could challenge for the title this season just as he predicted they would surprise in the Champions League last year. Di Biagio praised how Gasperini has shaped Roma's squad, saying the club has signed players suited to his demands without making mistakes. He highlighted the transformation brought by Donyell Malen, describing how the forward has changed Roma's entire attacking structure. When asked whether enthusiasm could be a double-edged sword, Di Biagio rejected the notion: "No, a one-edged sword only… It is only something positive. I will keep enthusiasm my whole life." Asked to compare Malen with Inter's Lautaro Martínez, Di Biagio said: "Malen almost runs a department by himself, he is the sun and everyone else moves around him: Dybala, Soulé, the wingers, the midfielders. He attacks depth and in the final thirty metres becomes incredibly decisive. Lautaro, especially with Thuram, does a different job: he turns more."

Roma and Inter meet in a match that has gripped the capital for days, with both clubs sitting top of the table after perfect starts to the season. The fixture carries the weight of a title decider, a far cry from the era fifteen years ago when these two sides regularly contested the Scudetto, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa. The Stadio Olimpico's capacity of roughly 70,000 will prove inadequate: 65,500 tickets have already been sold within 48 hours of kickoff, with the visiting section also set to overflow. The ground is all but sold out. Another full house is scarcely news in the Friedkin era. Over 80 all-outs have been recorded since the American family took control of the giallorossi, establishing a pattern of exceptional attendance. The fixture will showcase Roma's champions—Dybala and Malen among them—against Inter counterparts including Lautaro and Dimarco. Both sides carry uncomfortable history: Gasperini left poor memories in Milan, while Chivu, who will face the club where he played, remains a flashpoint after gesturing defiantly towards the curve during a previous Roma–Inter meeting, a act his former supporters have never forgiven. Daniele Aloisi, writing in Il Messaggero, notes that a stadium holding 150,000 would be necessary to meet demand for an encounter of this magnitude, underlining how completely this rivalry has captured public attention across the city.

Luigi Di Biagio, the former Roma and Inter midfielder who now coaches Saudi Arabia Under 23, has given his verdict on Saturday's Roma–Inter fixture at the Olimpico, stressing that despite the quality on display it will not decide the Scudetto. "Sarà uno spettacolo, ma è presto per immaginarsi qualcosa di definitivo: questa sfida non deciderà lo scudetto," he said. "L'Inter ha l'obbligo di vincerlo per la squadra che ha e per la storia degli ultimi anni. La Roma, invece, è lì per un percorso di crescita ed è una piacevolissima sorpresa: merita tutto per quello che sta facendo." Di Biagio believes Roma have undergone a fundamental shift under Gasperini's direction. "La Roma ha comprato giocatori funzionali alle sue richieste e direi che non ne ha sbagliato mezzo. Quanto sia stato fondamentale Malen è quasi scontato dirlo, ma è cambiata tutta la Roma. È cambiato proprio il motore," he explained. He highlighted the transformation in Paulo Dybala's performances: "Prendete Dybala, che gioca con una continuità che in passato non aveva. È anche merito del metodo Gasperini: sono convinto che più ti alleni forte e più stai bene. Oggi i giocatori della Roma hanno un altro ritmo e un'altra mentalità: vanno all'attacco e cercano sempre di vincere." Di Biagio acknowledged that Inter remain favourites but warned: "L'Inter, numericamente e per i cambi che ha, è ancora più avanti, ma Gasp può darle molto fastidio." On the midfield battle, Di Biagio praised Roma's structure: "La Roma con Cristante ha trovato un mediano che accompagna la costruzione; lui e Koné vanno spesso verso la linea dei difensori e permettono agli esterni di alzarsi. È lo svuotamento del centrocampo tipico di Gasp, una bellezza da studiare." He assessed the goalkeeping situation, noting that while Svilar offers certainty, Inter's Martinez deserves defence: "Se Svilar è una certezza della Roma, anche Martinez è un portiere interessante e moderno." On the forwards, he ranked both as decisive: "Malen fa quasi reparto da solo, è lui solo e tutti gli altri si muovono attorno a lui... Attacca la profondità e negli ultimi trenta metri diventa incredibilmente decisivo. Lautaro... gira di più, viene incontro, gioca anche lontano dalla porta e poi si butta dentro. Sono decisivi entrambi, qui il livello è altissimo." Di Biagio expressed belief that Roma's enthusiasm in the city is entirely positive. "No, a un taglio solo… È soltanto qualcosa di positivo. Mi tengo tutta la vita l'entusiasmo," he said, adding that the critical test for Roma will come in managing both Serie A and Champions League: "Bisognerà capire come la Roma reagirà quando dovrà gestire insieme campionato e Champions, questo passaggio sarà decisivo."