France beats Morocco 2–0 in World Cup semi-final as Koné stars for Les Bleus

Roma return from international duty with most players available for Sunday's trip to Como, the first of two fixtures that will test Gasperini's squad before Real Madrid arrive at the Olimpico four days later. Manu Koné and Rodrigo Mora returned yesterday, while Leonardo Balerdi, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro rejoin today after their commitments with Argentina's national team. Bryan Cristante remains sidelined by a knee ligament problem, opening the door for Marten de Roon to make his Roma debut from the start alongside Koné in midfield. The selection puzzle centres on the third attacking option alongside Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala. Lorenzo Pellegrini, fully recovered after a long absence, is favoured by some outlets after training throughout the break at Trigoria. Others back Soulé despite his late return from Argentina, while Rodrigo Mora retains a genuine chance after being the most used Roma player during the international window, clocking 225 minutes and scoring an overhead kick for Portugal Under 21. Gasperini has three very different solutions competing for one shirt, with Real Madrid's proximity potentially influencing Sunday's starting lineup. Malen and Wesley have both cleared their respective injury problems and are expected to feature against Como without concern. The Brazilian should return as a starter on the flank, though a contest remains between Nahuel Molina and Emanuele Lulli for the opposite side. In defence, Evan N'Dicka appears to have a slight edge over Balerdi, having resumed regular training at Trigoria while Balerdi only returns today. Malen has scored six goals in the first five matches and carries a significant objective into the resumption: approaching the 36-goal records of Higuain and Immobile. He scored 20 Serie A goals in 2026 alone—more than any other player—and had found the net at the Sinigaglia last season before Como's comeback. Dybala has seized the break to work without interruption, transforming physically and delivering greater consistency: 497 minutes played, four assists and three goals created so far, though his own goal drought stretches back to 18 January. The technical duel between Dybala and Como's Nico Paz will be one of the match's most compelling threads. Gasperini and Como manager Cesc Fabregas represent opposite generations and contrasting approaches to attacking football. Fabregas seeks to control rhythm and possession; Gasperini favours intensity, pressure and direct play. They have nearly thirty years between them, stand respectively as Serie A's youngest and oldest managers, and have won two matches each in four previous meetings. Their recent encounters have produced friction—Gasperini objected to Fabregas's use of the goalkeeper in Como's build-up, while Fabregas criticised Gasperini's failure to greet him after one fixture. Sunday's fixture, arriving at only the sixth matchday, already carries weight in gauging both teams' ambitions.

Roma face Como on Sunday in a contest that will turn less on who controls the ball than on who converts dominance into genuine scoring chances. Both sides rank among Serie A's strongest for offensive output in the opening five matchdays, standing alongside Inter for shots, accuracy and Expected Goals. Roma lead the league with 219 touches in the opposition area; Como sit close behind at 209. The difference emerges at the moment of shooting. Roma average 0.13 Expected Goals per shot—among the best marks in Serie A—while Como manage only 0.08 xG per attempt, among the lowest. Coach Fabregas has repeatedly moved Como into attacking positions; head coach Gasperini succeeds more often in placing Roma in the right conditions to score. The match at the Sinigaglia will be shaped by how each side accelerates. Como have completed 100 sequences of at least ten passes and lead for constructed attacks with 30; they have also produced 15 direct attacks, exactly matching Roma's total. Roma rank third for long sequences with 87 and maintain a faster pace of advance than Como. This will not be simple possession against the counter-attack, but two teams that want to dominate and choose different moments to quicken. The true battle may unfold well before the penalty area. Roma excel at converting pressing into an attacking weapon: they average 5.8 recoveries per match on the opposition flank and have created 17 shots from high turnovers—more than any other Serie A side. Against a Como side that builds extensively from the back, this is almost an invitation to the duelling Gasperini prefers. The risk runs both ways. Fabregas has already shown, even using Subbuteo at the Festival dello Sport, how he aims to breach Roma's press. When Roma's front line is bypassed, man-to-man marking can suddenly leave Como space; it is the price of attacking so high—either you regain the ball or you must race towards your own goal. Bryan Cristante's absence will shift the midfield dynamic. Marten de Roon will almost certainly replace him, but the side's automatisms for building and pressing will inevitably change. Alongside de Roon, Manu Koné will carry vital responsibility in transforming a recovery into an attack before Como regroup. Roma have also maintained one remarkable defensive record: they are the only Serie A side not to have conceded a shot following their own error during the build-out phase. On Sunday that detail will be far from secondary, because Como will try to execute exactly what Gasperini demands of his players—disrupt the first touch and convert the opponent's mistake into the best chance of the match. Como–Roma may be decided not by possession but by something far subtler: not who enters the final twenty metres more often, but who does so in better shape. Como have produced significant volume; Roma have generated chances of higher quality. In the contest between Fabregas and Gasperini, one side may hold the ball longer. But the outcome will likely depend on the few seconds separating a turnover from a shot.

Roma face Como on Sunday at 12:30 in Serie A matchday 6, with head coach Gasperini having to choose between three players for a single starting spot. Matías Soulé, Rodrigo Mora and Lorenzo Pellegrini are competing for the role, forcing the manager to make a key decision ahead of the fixture. Pellegrini has not played since 10 April 2026, when Roma beat Pisa 3-0. His last goal came a week earlier in Roma's 5-2 defeat at Inter. Soulé, the Argentine winger, started the three matches immediately before the international break—against Fenerbahce, Torino and Inter—but his fitness is uncertain following his journey back from Argentina after taking part in Lionel Messi's final appearance for the national team. Mora, meanwhile, has made limited impact recently, managing only 49 minutes across the last three games after impressing in his earlier displays against Fiorentina and Lecce, where he scored his first Roma goal. The poll posed to supporters asks the key question: should Pellegrini start the match at the Sinigaglia?

Roma's loanees made their mark during the international break, with Mohamed Seck delivering a commanding defensive display, Luigi Cherubini scoring for Italy's Under-21s, and Neil El Aynaoui clocking over 240 minutes for Morocco across three matches. Seck, a 2007-born defender, started the full 90 minutes in Foggia's 2-0 victory at Cosenza, keeping a clean sheet and earning praise from local media. The Corriere della Calabria awarded him 6.5, while Foggiacalciomania highlighted an almost flawless performance. He picked up a yellow card in the 28th minute but remained unaffected. Radoslaw Zelezny continued his fine form between the sticks for Perugia, playing all 90 minutes in a 3-1 derby win over Gubbio; he conceded little that was preventable and earned a 6.5 rating for his security in possession and distribution. Federico Nardin also impressed at Pescara, completing the full match in a 1-0 win at Livorno achieved by a late Sardo goal, and has now been called up to Italy's Under-19 squad for friendlies against Scotland on 10 and 13 October. Cherubini made the most impact during the break. After coming off the bench in the 79th minute of Italy U21's 1-0 win in Armenia, he was introduced again at the same stage against Poland on 4 October and scored just seven minutes later to seal a 6-2 victory and confirm Italy's direct qualification to the Under-21 European Championship final tournament. El Aynaoui started all three of Morocco's matches—a 2-0 win over Gabon (90 minutes), a 2-0 victory against Lesotho (67 minutes), and a 1-1 draw with Mali on 4 October (full 90)—demonstrating his standing with the national team. Anass Salah-Eddine also featured for Morocco, starting the full 90 minutes at left-back in the Mali friendly. Marash Kumbulla entered Albania's 3-0 Nations League win over San Marino at half-time and played the full second half. Artem Dovbyk, on loan at Bologna, skipped his Ukraine convocation to continue recovering from a muscular problem affecting his hamstring and has already resumed full training with the Bolognese squad ahead of the league's resumption.

Roma have made a strong start to the 2026-27 season with 13 points from five matches, matching Inter and Lazio at the top of Serie A but ahead on goal difference. A second-half goal by Lautaro in a direct clash with Inter prevented a perfect record, but the squad's overall level remains high. The arrival of summer players has been central to the club's early form. Nahuel Molina is still building fitness but establishing himself in the team, while Rodrigo Mora has made an immediate impact with a goal already on his account. Leonardo Balerdi has already won over the supporters and claimed a starting berth, and Konstantinos Koulierakis, Marten de Roon and Santiago Castro are all expected to become important resources as the fixture list intensifies through October and November, though some have yet to feature heavily. The squad recruitment was balanced by significant outgoings managed by director Tony D'Amico, which allowed Roma to fund their incomings. With the first international break now reached, a review of Roma's players still on loan across Europe becomes timely. Neil El Aynaoui and other loan-out players carry combined recall obligations of €95 million, making their performances and development over the coming months a matter of considerable financial consequence for the club.

Roma's players on loan across Europe experienced a mixed week of midweek and league fixtures. Neil El Aynaoui performed well for RB Leipzig despite a 2–0 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, completing 31 of 34 passes and winning 8 of 14 duels while receiving a yellow card in the 74th minute. His statistical rating reached 7.2, among Leipzig's best performances. Anass Salah-Eddine made a convincing debut for Panathinaikos in a Greek Cup tie against Kifisia, playing all 90 minutes on the left flank in a 2–0 victory. FotMob rated him 7.3 for a clean display as Panathinaikos dominated with 71 per cent possession in the first half. By contrast, Angeliño's week at Deportivo La Coruña ended disastrously: he was sent off for a challenge on Miguel Sierra in the 59th minute of a midweek fixture against Sevilla—initially given a yellow card before the VAR review led to a direct red—leaving his side to lose 1–0 already down in the scoreline. Statistical ratings gave him just 5.7, and Deportivo manager Hidalgo noted how the expulsion undermined the team's comeback effort. Angeliño subsequently missed the following 1–1 draw against Betis through suspension. Mohamed Seck at Foggia produced sharply contrasting displays within days. Playing 90 minutes in a goalless midweek draw against Savoia, he was identified as Foggia's best performer, winning nearly every duel against opposing attackers. Coach Auteri retained him for the next match against Inter U23, but this time his form dipped noticeably. Foggia lost 2–1, and a careless passing error by Seck enabled the decisive goal from Fumagalli. Foggiacalciomania rated him 5.5, noting good physical condition but a costly mistake. The week illustrated the growth trajectory of a defender aged just 20, with evident talent and physicality that must be coupled with fewer lapses in concentration. Elsewhere, Federico Nardin at Pescara played the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 midweek draw against Gubbio, earning ratings of 6 and 6.9 for personality and reliability despite some refinements needed, but sat out the subsequent 1–0 win at Vado. Filippo Reale completed 90 minutes for Carrarese in a 1–0 home defeat to Benevento, earning 6 and 6.7 ratings for an orderly display, while Luigi Cherubini entered at the 77th minute for Benevento and struck the post with a close chance in the 83rd. Radoslaw Zelezny, Perugia's goalkeeper, conceded five goals across two matches but received ratings of 6 in both a 3–0 home loss to Spezia and a 2–0 away defeat at Grosseto, with no clear responsibility on most goals. Robinio Vaz at Hull City entered off the bench in the 78th minute during a 2–1 loss at Newcastle after more than ten minutes without notable incident, marking his second consecutive Premier League appearance. Marash Kumbulla remained unused at Rayo Vallecano despite being named in squads for a 2–1 win against Espanyol and a 1–1 draw at Osasuna. Jan Ziolkowski has not returned to action for Monza, continuing recovery from plantar fasciitis. Artem Dovbyk spent another week without playing time at Bologna.

Roma's loanees made their mark during the international break, with Mohamed Seck delivering a commanding defensive display, Luigi Cherubini scoring for Italy's Under-21s, and Neil El Aynaoui clocking over 240 minutes for Morocco across three matches. Seck, a 2007-born defender, started the full 90 minutes in Foggia's 2-0 victory at Cosenza, keeping a clean sheet and earning praise from local media. The Corriere della Calabria awarded him 6.5, while Foggiacalciomania highlighted an almost flawless performance. He picked up a yellow card in the 28th minute but remained unaffected. Radoslaw Zelezny continued his fine form between the sticks for Perugia, playing all 90 minutes in a 3-1 derby win over Gubbio; he conceded little that was preventable and earned a 6.5 rating for his security in possession and distribution. Federico Nardin also impressed at Pescara, completing the full match in a 1-0 win at Livorno achieved by a late Sardo goal, and has now been called up to Italy's Under-19 squad for friendlies against Scotland on 10 and 13 October. Cherubini made the most impact during the break. After coming off the bench in the 79th minute of Italy U21's 1-0 win in Armenia, he was introduced again at the same stage against Poland on 4 October and scored just seven minutes later to seal a 6-2 victory and confirm Italy's direct qualification to the Under-21 European Championship final tournament. El Aynaoui started all three of Morocco's matches—a 2-0 win over Gabon (90 minutes), a 2-0 victory against Lesotho (67 minutes), and a 1-1 draw with Mali on 4 October (full 90)—demonstrating his standing with the national team. Anass Salah-Eddine also featured for Morocco, starting the full 90 minutes at left-back in the Mali friendly. Marash Kumbulla entered Albania's 3-0 Nations League win over San Marino at half-time and played the full second half. Artem Dovbyk, on loan at Bologna, skipped his Ukraine convocation to continue recovering from a muscular problem affecting his hamstring and has already resumed full training with the Bolognese squad ahead of the league's resumption.

Roma's players on loan across Europe experienced a mixed week of midweek and league fixtures. Neil El Aynaoui performed well for RB Leipzig despite a 2–0 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, completing 31 of 34 passes and winning 8 of 14 duels while receiving a yellow card in the 74th minute. His statistical rating reached 7.2, among Leipzig's best performances. Anass Salah-Eddine made a convincing debut for Panathinaikos in a Greek Cup tie against Kifisia, playing all 90 minutes on the left flank in a 2–0 victory. FotMob rated him 7.3 for a clean display as Panathinaikos dominated with 71 per cent possession in the first half. By contrast, Angeliño's week at Deportivo La Coruña ended disastrously: he was sent off for a challenge on Miguel Sierra in the 59th minute of a midweek fixture against Sevilla—initially given a yellow card before the VAR review led to a direct red—leaving his side to lose 1–0 already down in the scoreline. Statistical ratings gave him just 5.7, and Deportivo manager Hidalgo noted how the expulsion undermined the team's comeback effort. Angeliño subsequently missed the following 1–1 draw against Betis through suspension. Mohamed Seck at Foggia produced sharply contrasting displays within days. Playing 90 minutes in a goalless midweek draw against Savoia, he was identified as Foggia's best performer, winning nearly every duel against opposing attackers. Coach Auteri retained him for the next match against Inter U23, but this time his form dipped noticeably. Foggia lost 2–1, and a careless passing error by Seck enabled the decisive goal from Fumagalli. Foggiacalciomania rated him 5.5, noting good physical condition but a costly mistake. The week illustrated the growth trajectory of a defender aged just 20, with evident talent and physicality that must be coupled with fewer lapses in concentration. Elsewhere, Federico Nardin at Pescara played the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 midweek draw against Gubbio, earning ratings of 6 and 6.9 for personality and reliability despite some refinements needed, but sat out the subsequent 1–0 win at Vado. Filippo Reale completed 90 minutes for Carrarese in a 1–0 home defeat to Benevento, earning 6 and 6.7 ratings for an orderly display, while Luigi Cherubini entered at the 77th minute for Benevento and struck the post with a close chance in the 83rd. Radoslaw Zelezny, Perugia's goalkeeper, conceded five goals across two matches but received ratings of 6 in both a 3–0 home loss to Spezia and a 2–0 away defeat at Grosseto, with no clear responsibility on most goals. Robinio Vaz at Hull City entered off the bench in the 78th minute during a 2–1 loss at Newcastle after more than ten minutes without notable incident, marking his second consecutive Premier League appearance. Marash Kumbulla remained unused at Rayo Vallecano despite being named in squads for a 2–1 win against Espanyol and a 1–1 draw at Osasuna. Jan Ziolkowski has not returned to action for Monza, continuing recovery from plantar fasciitis. Artem Dovbyk spent another week without playing time at Bologna.

Roma have made contact with free agent Matteo Darmian as they explore defensive reinforcements during an extended fixture break. The 36-year-old has fielded approaches from smaller clubs during the summer with no result, but would prioritise Roma over potential moves to Parma or Torino. He has also received lucrative proposals to move to Dubai and may not wait long for a decision. The Giallorossi created space after sending Anass Salah-Eddine on loan to Panathinaikos with a €7 million option to buy, despite his solid spell at PSV and a Morocco World Cup call-up. While Roma's wingback options are in reasonable condition—with Emanuele Lulli emerging as an early revelation—Gian Piero Gasperini favours adding experienced players to manage demanding roles. A left-sided defender would be the preference. The former Inter man was not retained by the Nerazzurri after six years and over 200 appearances, starting only nine times in 2025-26 owing to competition and a serious calf injury. Darmian, a Milan academy product, began his career at Palermo before flourishing at Torino. He later moved to Manchester United and returned to Italy through Parma before joining Inter. His veteran status and experience align with Gasperini's preferences, though questions remain about his physical condition after a difficult previous season.