Gasperini effect: Roma eye the title and a break with the past

Former Roma defender Vincent Candela has backed Gian Piero Gasperini's side as genuine Serie A title contenders, naming them as Inter's only realistic threat in the championship race. Speaking on Rai Radio 1's Radio anch'io sport, Candela analysed the direct clash between Roma and Inter, singling out the performances of Paulo Dybala and Manu Koné for particular praise while assessing the wider squad strength at the Stadio Olimpico. Candela said: "Roma and Inter have given us great football, great beauty. They are the two squads playing for the Scudetto. Inter has a broad squad, but with Gasperini they will fight it out to the end. This Roma is a title-winning team; it can give Inter — who are the strongest — problems. Dybala reminds me of the top players from my era. Koné has personality and charisma. I think Roma is the only squad that can battle with Inter. It has a very strong and cohesive group." Candela also turned his attention to the Italian national team, offering a longer-term view of the rebuilding process. He stated: "Italy is a football heritage. I hope it rebuilds its roots, which were lost for a while. Italy has football in its blood. Mancini has the experience. Now it will take some time because we are starting again from the young players."

Roma are establishing themselves as genuine Serie A title contenders under Gasperini, combining attacking invention with defensive discipline. The team's recent performance against Inter highlighted both strengths and weaknesses, marking Roma's first win against Inter in five years. Roma have the second-best attack in the league with 14 goals in five matches—only one fewer than Inter—and share the second-best defence alongside Lazio with 3 goals conceded, just one more than Cagliari. The intensity of Roma's play is generating significant fear among opponents, particularly their aggression and hunger. However, a clear pattern has emerged: the gap between strong first-half performances and second-half drop-offs is still pronounced. Physical issues have complicated Gasperini's substitution choices, though this season Roma have been able to maintain performance levels better when rotating the squad—a marked improvement on last season. A particular concern has emerged: goals conceded early in the second half. Lautaro's goal was the third Roma have shipped at the start of the second period after Ederson and Brown in Champions League football, from four goals conceded in total. Gasperini identified presumptuousness as a possible factor, suggesting the team's intensity in first halves may contribute to lapses. "Gasperini has spoken of presumptuousness, which could exist even unconsciously after such high-intensity first halves, but the light must certainly be turned back on immediately, especially to avoid compromising the good work done in the first part of the matches," noted Lorenzo Pes of Il Tempo.

Roma earned their credentials as genuine contenders with a spirited performance against Inter at the Stadio Olimpico, drawing with the defending Serie A champions and demonstrating that the gap between the two sides is far smaller than Inter's status as favourites to repeat their title might suggest. Under Gasperini's command, Roma have shed the inferiority complex that plagued big matches in previous years, now playing against any opponent with the same approach—three attackers and a relentless will to dominate. The coach has reshaped the squad entirely in little over a year, instilling his ideas into every corner of the team. Roma's opening to the season has been emphatic: four straight league wins before the draw with Inter has yielded 13 points from a possible 15. The foundation Gasperini has built addresses Roma's historic weakness in high-stakes fixtures, where they previously lacked the self-belief to compete. That mentality shift is now visible on the pitch, with the team playing with constant aggression and the backing of their home crowd. The next assignment comes at Como on Sunday 11 October at noon, with the league campaign resuming there. As Roma push forward, Gasperini will need to develop a broader pool of starting-calibre players to manage inevitable squad rotation. The club will also be hoping to recover players including Lorenzo Pellegrini and Rodrigo Mora, described as the jewel arrived in the summer but still to be fully refined. According to Simone Valdarchi in Corriere della Sera, the transformation under the coach has been the defining factor in Roma's early success.