Gasperini confident Roma can compete with anyone in Champions League; Pellegrini ruled out for Fenerbahçe

Gian Piero Gasperini will hold his usual eve-of-match press conference tomorrow at 13:30 ahead of Roma's Serie A ninth-round clash with Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday evening. The coach is expected to address the team's condition, the threats posed by the opponents and the recovery progress of injured players Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala, with Dybala potentially back in the matchday squad. The build-up follows a dramatic 3-3 draw away at Napoli, in which Roma twice rescued a point after falling behind. Having drawn level twice, the Giallorossi now turn their attention straight to the home fixture against Cagliari, a game that carries significant weight as the team looks to build on that resilient display. Gasperini's briefing will give supporters a first official update on the squad's fitness ahead of the midweek fixture. Dybala's possible return would be a boost for Roma's attack, while the availability of Svilar and Koné will also be closely watched as the coach finalises his selection for the match at the Olimpico.

Gian Piero Gasperini will face the media on Tuesday at 13.30 ahead of Roma's home match against Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico. The head coach is returning to press conferences after missing the one held on the eve of the trip to Maradona, where Roma drew with Napoli. Roma are back in action straight after that draw with Napoli, and the Cagliari fixture comes quickly. Paulo Dybala is in good spirits after training partially with the group today. Manu Koné, Mile Svilar and Lorenzo Pellegrini are ruled out. Rodrigo Mora could be handed a place in the starting line-up, expected to play behind Donyell Malen in a partnership with Matías Soulé.

Journalist Maurizio Pistocchi has called for the Federal Prosecutor's Office to open an investigation into Massimiliano Allegri after the Napoli-Roma match, claiming the Napoli coach's remarks are very serious and suggest a sporting offence committed by third parties to favour Roma. In a social media post, Pistocchi wrote: "The statements by Allegri reported after the Napoli-Roma post-match press conference are very serious: he suggests a sporting offence, committed by third parties to favour Roma? He will answer before the Federal Prosecutor's Office, which will obviously have to open an investigation." The remarks came after a fiery end to the match, which was marked by protests and a jacket that Allegri removed and nearly threw. According to Pistocchi, Allegri was not fully clear-headed after the game, as he admitted himself in his post-match comments. Off the record, in the press room, Allegri let slip an unfortunate line: "Last year they put the Champions League in their pocket. Always them..." Pistocchi concluded: "Whatever happens, it is a terrible look." He added that the episode reflects poorly on Allegri, both in sporting terms and on the pitch, a stain the Napoli coach will carry with him.

Gian Piero Gasperini will face the media on Tuesday at 13.30 ahead of Roma's home match against Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico. The head coach is returning to press conferences after missing the one held on the eve of the trip to Maradona, where Roma drew with Napoli. Roma are back in action straight after that draw with Napoli, and the Cagliari fixture comes quickly. Paulo Dybala is in good spirits after training partially with the group today. Manu Koné, Mile Svilar and Lorenzo Pellegrini are ruled out. Rodrigo Mora could be handed a place in the starting line-up, expected to play behind Donyell Malen in a partnership with Matías Soulé.

Roma secured a draw at Napoli's Stadio Diego Armando, the Maradona, thanks to a comeback driven by their Argentine players. All three of Roma's goals came from Argentines: Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi, who scored a brilliant brace. Gasperini has had little success against Allegri, and the head-to-head record offered little hope before kick-off, with the two most experienced coaches in Serie A facing each other. Gasperini avoided defeat through his substitutions, the team's response and the fierce determination of the Argentines. Roma remain unbeaten in Serie A. Balerdi came on in the second half alongside Castro and Molina to add fresh impetus. Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini were both injured and missing. Roma struggled early on to press with their usual aggression in midfield, and in the first half a magnificent bicycle kick from Anguissa upset the coach's tactical plans. At the start of the second half, the familiar dip in intensity allowed Napoli to double their lead quickly, and Roma also showed too many errors in build-up play. Without Dybala, Pellegrini, Koné and Svilar, the side lacked dynamism and creativity. Soulé was the only one regularly looking for Malen, who was often far from the area and struggled through the tight lines of the Napoli defence. Guido D'Ubaldo noted that this squad needs a few more players and a longer bench to provide constant alternatives, particularly in attack. Despite the difficulties, and a Napoli side that were struggling in the league but remained tough opponents, the response after the break was that of a great team. Roma scored two goals in four minutes, and then Balerdi struck the decisive goal two minutes from time. The draw, coming after results against Inter and Como, keeps Roma firmly close to the top of the table. It shows that, with the anger and quality of the Argentines, the path the club has taken is the right one.

Gian Piero Gasperini has spoken to Dazn ahead of Roma's match against Napoli, praising Bryan Cristante's return as an important boost for the squad. Roma have lost Lorenzo Pellegrini, but Gasperini says Cristante's value to the team is significant. Gasperini described the fixture as a match between sides of quality, adding: "Napoli-Roma is a match between teams of quality. They are two of the best in the league, it is an important game." Cristante is a key return, and the coach explained the reasoning behind his impact on the side. Gasperini said: "Yes, because in that area we have often played with the same men. His value is important. It makes the team more versatile, we can play him in the deeper midfield role. It gives us the chance to have variations." Asked how much the match could shape the season, he said: "It is difficult to say now, but if we win today it is a further step in awareness. It would be a great boost."

Lorenzo Pellegrini has suffered a high-grade, third-degree tear at the distal musculotendinous junction of the semitendinosus in his right thigh, and will be out for at least three months, probably longer. The injury was sustained in the second half against Slovan, and surgery is now being considered. Roma are preparing for Napoli at the Maradona with a serious lack of options. The diagnosis is a terrible one for a footballer, among the worst muscular injuries. The problem lies not in the muscle belly, which heals faster thanks to its rich blood supply, but at the point where the muscle joins the tendon close to the knee. It is the second consecutive operation Pellegrini faces. He signed a one-year contract in the summer, and this is probably his last at the club given the many physical problems of recent years. Last summer he missed the entire pre-season and returned to the pitch just twelve days ago against Como, playing three short spells before the new injury struck. The injury is a blow for Gasperini, who for at least the next three games must also do without Dybala, as well as Koné and Svilar. With the Maradona clash tomorrow, Roma face a full emergency and forced choices. Bryan Cristante could return in the closing stages, provided he is in acceptable condition to start from the first minute after knee inflammation. In a clash between veteran coaches, with Allegri on 325 Serie A wins and Gasperini on 300, there could also be room for some Primavera players such as Di Nunzio and Arena, at least on the bench.

Donyell Malen scored again on Tuesday evening against Slovan Bratislava, converting a penalty in an easy win for Roma. The Dutch forward, known as 'Bobby', has now scored 24 goals in 29 appearances since arriving in January. The article notes that he was the subject of doubts from some fans, who had been hoping for Zirkzee, and others who were frustrated by the failure to sign Raspadori. In Italy, Malen is regarded by many as a top striker, and in Europe he keeps company with players of the calibre of Mbappé, Haaland, Yamal and Raphinha, with Kane considered unreachable at the top. Stefano Carina, writing in Il Messaggero, said that former Italy coach Fabio Capello had described the Bundesliga, where Kane plays, as a league that is "poco allenante" (not very demanding). Malen is also refining other aspects of his game, including dropping deep to meet the ball carrier, cleaning up passes and creating space for team-mates to run into. Against Slovan Bratislava he set up Pellegrini twice, Mora once and Wesley once. With Dybala absent, Malen will need to rebuild his understanding with Soulé, and the weight of the attack rests heavily on his shoulders. Antonio Arena's teammate Santiago Castro can also wait his turn, with Malen described as ready for the challenge.

Referee Andrea Colombo has been appointed to take charge of Napoli against Roma, the eighth-round Serie A fixture set for Saturday 24 October at 18:00 at the Stadio Maradona. The match officials for the round have now been published. Colombo will be assisted by Bindoni and Rossi M., with Sacchi J.L. as fourth official. Aureliano has been named as VAR, with Meraviglia as AVAR. The appointments cover all ten fixtures of Serie A matchday eight, which runs across the weekend from Friday 23 October to Sunday 25 October. The rest of the round's officiating line-up includes Zanotti for Torino v Monza on Friday 23 October at 20:45, Bonacina for Cagliari v Bologna and Di Marco for Como v Sassuolo, both on Saturday 24 October at 15:00, and Arena for Lazio v Parma on Saturday 24 October at 20:45. On Sunday 25 October, Mariani referees Inter v Fiorentina at 12:30, Marinelli takes charge of Atalanta v Frosinone at 15:00, Sozza handles Genoa v Venezia at 15:00, Maresca referees Lecce v Juventus at 18:00, and Marcenaro is in charge of Udinese v Milan at 20:45. For Roma, the Napoli trip is a Saturday evening fixture at the Maradona, and the officiating crew for that match is now confirmed ahead of kick-off.

Leonardo Balerdi scored a brace last night, becoming Roma's 12th different goalscorer of the season in just 11 matches across Serie A and the Champions League. In Europe, with the same number of games played, only Brighton, Brentford and Real Sociedad have scored more. Roma's attacking threat, which was missing throughout 2025, now looks almost limitless and allows them to turn around even awkward evenings like last night's. The article draws a comparison between Gian Piero Gasperini's football and the "Total Football" of Rinus Michels, the Dutch coach who built Ajax and the Netherlands side of Cruyff in the 1970s and 1980s. Against Sassuolo-style defensive walls, Gasperini's side includes defenders in the build-up and in attack. At the moment of Wesley's cross for Roma's 3-3 equaliser, only Castro was in the box alongside the two centre-backs, Ghilardi and Balerdi. Goals from Hermoso, Mancini and N'Dicka are regularly part of this approach. Balerdi said after the match: "It is the first time I have scored a brace. The coach is teaching me to get forward like Mancini and Hermoso do, he gives me this freedom to push on and get closer to the opposition goal." The article admits Roma played a first half below their standard, conceding space, quick counterattacks and showing widespread tiredness in midfield, where they usually win many duels. Yet the team showed courage, changes that lifted the level, and a coach in Gasperini who had been criticised only a little over a week earlier for substitutions compared to those of Mourinho, when Bernardo Silva, Endrick and Arda Guler were left out of the starting line-up. A comeback draw away at Napoli is now seen as a missed opportunity, the article argues, a sign of how Gasperini has changed the club's mentality and built total symbiosis with the environment and the fans.

Leonardo Balerdi earned the top rating in the Italian newspapers after scoring a brace that rescued Roma in their 3-3 draw at the Maradona. Matías Soulé was next best, with his goal starting the comeback and a performance full of quality. Molina also received a solid mark of 6.50. Among the players rated below par, Pisilli had the lowest average at 5.25, followed by Rensch on 5.50 and Hermoso and Malen on 5.58. Gasperini finished with an average of 6.60. The newspapers largely agreed on the key refereeing decisions in the Napoli 3-3 Roma match. Balerdi's first equaliser for the 2-2 was ruled valid, with Castro striking the ball with his face in the build-up. The final 3-3 also stood, as the contact between the Argentine and Beukema was judged too light to justify a penalty. Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport both gave Colombo 6.5, Il Messaggero awarded him a 6, and Il Romanista was harsher with a 5.5. Il Romanista's verdict on Colombo read: "He irritates everyone, but in the end he does not directly affect the result."

Balerdi scored the first brace of his career as Roma fought back to take a point at the Maradona, with the Argentine defender turning into an extra forward once he came on around the hour mark in an attempt to avoid defeat. Balerdi arrived in the final days of the transfer window on loan for €1 million, and he has made an immediate impression with his pace, sense of anticipation and two goals. The performance has been one of the standout moments of Roma's start to the season, and it came at a delicate time for the club. The Argentine is quick to credit the coaching staff for the freedom he has been given. He has been working on timing his runs into the box in the way that Mancini and Hermoso do, and he said he had settled in quickly at the club. Gasperini has also been pleased with the defender's influence, and he said that Balerdi and De Roon had not needed long to fit in, with their contribution being extraordinary. For Roma, the outcome has added depth and attacking options from the back line at a crucial point in the campaign. Balerdi, the former Marseille defender, told DAZN: "The coach is teaching me to get into the box like Mancini and Hermoso do. He gives me the freedom to go forward and get close to the opposition goal. We wanted to win, but at least we're bringing a point home." On his goals, he said: "It's the first time I've scored a brace. I feel really good in this team. They welcomed me in the best way from the first day. It feels like I've been here two or three years, and that has given me the strength to play the way I am." Gasperini said: "He and De Roon didn't take long to settle in, and their contribution has been extraordinary. Balerdi knows football, and he has crazy energy. He's a great reinforcement for us." Balerdi, in the words of the coach's praise, looks like the summer's standout signing so far, an extra starter who has made an immediate difference.