Gasperini chases 300th Serie A win as Roma face Inter: 'They are stronger, we need great clarity'

Former Roma and Inter player Amantino Mancini has assessed Sunday's top-of-the-table clash between the two sides, saying the match will be finely balanced. Roma sit level on points with Inter after winning their first four Serie A matches, and Mancini believes both teams are genuine contenders. "The Roma are living through a wonderful moment, with four victories in the first four matchdays, and are joint top with Inter. It will be a very balanced challenge, 50-50," he told TuttoSport ahead of the 18:00 kickoff at the Olimpico. Mancini highlighted Roma's improvement compared to last season, crediting both the quality of new signings and greater mental consistency. "Roma has grown a lot in terms of technical quality, also thanks to the acquisitions made on the market. I also see greater continuity from a mental standpoint," he said. On Roma's title credentials, he added: "They have the qualities and the chances to be protagonists. Now though it will be important to find continuity and maintain this performance over time." Asked about the individual battle between Roma's Donyell Malen and Inter's Lautaro Martínez, Mancini praised both but gave the edge to the Inter forward. "It is a good challenge because they are two strong players, both physically and technically. Malen is a player of great value, but Lautaro seems a bit more consistent to me."

Roma Femminile will contest the Women's Cup final against Juventus at the Stadio Torquato Brescianini in Viareggio at 18:00 on Saturday 19 September, the same day the men's team faces Inter at the Olimpico in a title race clash. The competition concludes less than a week before the start of the league season, pitting two heavyweights of Italian women's football head-to-head in a rematch of last year's final, which Juventus won. Piovani's side arrive in strong form after routing Sassuolo 7–1 in the semi-final. Giugliano and her teammates will look to overturn last season's defeat and claim the trophy this time.

Roma and Inter meet on Saturday 19 September 2026 in a Serie A fixture billed as the competition's flagship match, with both sides unbeaten and on maximum points so far this season. The match takes place at the Olimpico before the international break. Gasperini has announced that all his squad members are available for selection, but is monitoring the fitness of Wesley and Evan N'Dicka, suggesting Leonardo Balerdi will start in defence. Inter will be without Calhanoglu and Stones, with Akanji and Zielinski set to replace them. Both teams will pay tribute to Sandro Mazzola before kick-off. The Inter and Italy legend died at 83 during the night.