Gasperini names his Roma XI for Champions League clash with Slovan Bratislava

Roma sporting director Tony D'Amico spoke to journalists before the club's Champions League League Phase third matchday game against Slovan Bratislava at the Stadio Olimpico, saying the squad is good enough to compete. On Endrick, he said January is a long way off and that the club is focused on itself for now. D'Amico was asked how the team had experienced the seven minutes against Real Madrid that Roma endured in their previous Champions League match. He said: "7 minuti particolari, senza respirare" – seven particular minutes, without breathing – but added that football is like this and the Champions League is a difficult competition. He pointed to the 80 spectacular minutes the team had played, adding that in all matches the club analyses every aspect and that in that game the negative aspect was the points. "Abbiamo vissuto una grande serata" – we had a great evening. Roma have already restarted their league campaign, with a win over Genoa featuring many young players. D'Amico described it as a nice evening and said the club was curious too. He praised head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, saying he is a master on this matter regardless of the players' age, and that if he has valid players at his disposal he always gets the maximum. The Genoa game came three days after the Real Madrid match, and D'Amico said the young players had been good and the club was truly happy. "Sappiamo che possiamo contare su una discreta rosa" – we know we can count on a decent squad. Asked whether Roma would try again for Endrick, D'Amico said: "Gennaio è molto lontano" – January is very far away. "Ora ci concentriamo su noi stessi, poi a gennaio metteremo il nostro massimo per mettere a disposizione del mister delle risorse" – now we are concentrating on ourselves, then in January we will do our utmost to make resources available to the coach.

Slovan Bratislava coach Yaya Touré has spoken ahead of Roma's Champions League third-matchday fixture against Slovan Bratislava at the Stadio Olimpico, saying he has fond memories of the stadium. Touré, who played in the Olimpico as a player, said returning there is always special, recalling a "special final against United that we managed to win" when he was on the pitch for Barcelona against Manchester United. Touré said: "Yes, I was on the pitch. It is always nice to return here, I have wonderful memories, a special final against United that we managed to win. Today is a different match, as a coach, and I am curious too to see how it goes." Asked whether both sides were looking for their first win, Touré said: "We have respect for Roma, we know it will be difficult. In the last match against Real they were unlucky, and I think they should have won that game. Now they will have to repeat that against us, and we will see whether we can bring the result home." The match is part of the third matchday of the Champions League league phase. Roma's Champions League campaign for 2026-27 is taking place alongside their Serie A commitments, and this fixture gives the Giallorossi a chance to build momentum in Europe's premier club competition.

Slovan Bratislava are looking to spoil Roma's night, with both sides still chasing their first win in this season's Champions League. Slovan's coach Yaya Touré spoke to Sky Sport shortly before kick-off, reflecting on his return to the stadium where he won the Champions League with Barcelona. Touré said: "I was on the pitch, it is always a pleasure and I am happy. I have wonderful memories, it was a special evening and a special final against United. We managed to win, but today is a different match and as a coach. We will see how my team plays, I am curious too." Asked what he expected from the Roma game, he said: "We have enormous respect for Roma, it is a very big club. We know it will be difficult. Against Real Madrid they were unlucky, they deserved to win and instead the game was decided in the last 10 minutes. It was a disappointment for them, but we know they will want to react. We will try to test them and we will see if we can take the result home."

Gian Piero Gasperini has named his squad for Roma's Champions League league-phase match against Slovan Bratislava, the third matchday of the 2026-27 competition. Bryan Cristante is back in the group. The defenders selected are Rensch, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi. The midfielders named are Cristante, Pellegrini, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Mora.

Bryan Cristante is back in the Roma squad for Thursday's home clash with Slovan Bratislava, Gian Piero Gasperini's team news boost on the eve of the Champions League League Phase third matchday. The midfielder had missed the last few matches with physical problems, and his return gives Gasperini an important alternative in a department already without the injured Manu Koné. The call-up also includes Di Nunzio, who has been added to the group at a time when the emergency is forcing Gasperini to widen his rotations. Paulo Dybala remains out, sidelined by a lesion revealed by the latest tests, along with Koné. Cristante's return is therefore the main development ahead of tonight's fixture at the Olimpico, with Gasperini regaining an important option at the most delicate moment of the midfield crisis. The full squad list is as follows. Goalkeepers: Vasquez, De Marzi, Gollini. Defenders: Rensch, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli, Ghilardi. Midfielders: Cristante, Pellegrini, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio, Mora. Forwards: Castro, Malen, Soulé.

Roma host Slovan Bratislava tonight at 21:00 at the Stadio Olimpico in the third matchday of the Champions League league phase, and Bryan Cristante is back in Gian Piero Gasperini's squad. The midfielder had been out of the last few matches with a knee problem. His return gives Roma an extra option in midfield during a period of closely spaced fixtures. The match comes after Roma's defeat to Real Madrid, and Gasperini's side are looking to collect important points on their European campaign. Paulo Dybala is not in the squad. Gasperini confirmed at the eve-of-match press conference that the Argentine has a small muscle tear, and his recovery will take another couple of weeks. Manu Koné is also absent and does not feature in the list of players available for the European fixture. Mile Svilar is missing with a foot injury. The full squad list names Rensch, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi in defence. The midfield selection is Cristante, Pellegrini, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Mora. Alessandro Di Nunzio is a young midfielder from the youth sector, and he was also called up for the league match against Genoa. Pierluigi Gollini, Devis Vásquez and De Marzi are the goalkeepers. In attack, Gasperini can call on Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro to lead the line. More than 60,000 fans are expected at the Olimpico for the game.

Roma host Slovan Bratislava at the Stadio Olimpico in the Champions League at 21:00, looking to bounce back after a dramatic defeat to Real Madrid. Gian Piero Gasperini's side have followed that loss with a win over Genoa in Serie A, and the Slovak side, coached by Yaya Touré, are considered a more approachable opponent. Roma line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation: Gollini; Ghilardi, Balerdi, Hermoso; Molina, de Roon, Pisilli, Wesley; Mora, Pellegrini; Malen. Balerdi is in the starting XI, and there is a contest between Lulli and Molina for a place in the side. Slovan Bratislava set up in a 4-2-1-3... formation as a 4-2-3-1: Takac; Blackman, Bajric, Markovic, Sandro Cruz; Pokorny, Gajdos; Barseghyan, Ibrahim, Suleman Camara; Marcelli. Hermoso opened the scoring for Roma in the 21st minute and Molina doubled the lead in the 39th minute. Barseghyan was booked for Slovan Bratislava in the 18th minute. On the bench for Roma are De Marzi, Koulierakis, Mancini, Ndicka, Rensch, Lulli, Di Nunzio, Cristante, Soulé and Castro. Slovan Bratislava's substitutes are Popovic, Kozlowski, Wimmer, Hofstadter, Yirajang, Mustafic, Tomanek, Maros, Samkhou Camara, Martinez, Ihnatenko and Matsouka.

Former Roma midfielder Federico Viviani has spoken exclusively to Retesport, reflecting on his debut against Slovan Bratislava and expressing regret that Luis Enrique did not remain at the club. Viviani made his debut against Slovan Bratislava on 18 August 2011, and it was his first start for Roma at the Stadio Olimpico, in front of more than 60,000 spectators. Having come through the club's youth sector, he described the night as indescribable on a personal level. Viviani said the Roma of 2026-27 is showing it is a very good team after 10 matches, though he noted the season is still long. Asked about the Slovan Bratislava match, he recalled that Roma had many chances that went unconverted, and that the evening was strange, with supporters rightly expecting more. He said the emotion of his personal milestone was swept away by what happened on the pitch afterwards. On Luis Enrique, Viviani said he had been able to speak with former team-mates and that the coach was, in his view, years ahead in managing the group and in his working methods. "For me it was a great experience, he had ways of training and setting the team out that were cutting-edge," he said. He added: "Unfortunately we know how it went... That project was not carried forward, partly by his own choice... Francesco and Daniele, who were great champions, tried to dissuade him, but Luis Enrique did not change his mind. He came out of it drained, as it was his first experience with a first team." Viviani spoke warmly of Gianluca Mancini's teammate Daniele Ghilardi's fellow academy product Daniele Lulli, noting that Lulli shares Viviani's agent and that the club brought him up from childhood. He said: "It always gives great pleasure to see young players come through the youth sector and find continuity in the first team: it is every young player's dream to play for the team they grew up with." He added that scoring his first Serie A goal at the Olimpico must have been a great reward for Lulli. Asked about regrets, Viviani said the only thing that disappointed him was Luis Enrique's departure, because he would have kept him at the club. He said the coach also stood in the way of a possible move for Viviani in January. "The only regret is this: had he stayed, I would have had the chance to work with him, continuing to grow on and off the pitch. He helped me enormously, it was a fundamental experience. I will always be bound to Luis Enrique for the opportunities he gave me." On his future, Viviani said he has started a coaching course and hopes everything goes well. He said the hardest part after retiring is understanding which path is right for you. On Daniele De Rossi, he said: "He was a fundamental part of my growth, above all on a human level and in how he behaved with team-mates. He is an exceptional person as well as a fantastic player. Not one person who knows him could say a bad word about him. I hope he becomes a great coach because he deserves it."

Gian Piero Gasperini has named his squad for Roma's Champions League league-phase match against Slovan Bratislava, the third matchday of the 2026-27 competition. Bryan Cristante is back in the group. The defenders selected are Rensch, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi. The midfielders named are Cristante, Pellegrini, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Mora.

Roma host Slovan Bratislava at the Stadio Olimpico in their third League Phase match of the Champions League, and the defence has been overhauled, with Daniele Ghilardi and Leonardo Balerdi starting from the first minute. Gian Piero Gasperini is preparing his players for a must-win night. He said: "We need to win to keep our chances of going through alive." Roma have never beaten the Slovakian side. The match is a chance to bounce back quickly. Less than a week ago, Roma were dominating Real Madrid, coached by José Mourinho, at the Olimpico before the Spanish side took over. Roma let an advantage slip away in just seven minutes. Fans want a response, and the Olimpico is set to light up again in the pursuit of the Champions League. A win would confirm the team's excellent form. The match is refereed by the Swiss official Schärer. Gasperini's side are looking to rewrite the record against the Slovakian club, and a victory would keep their European hopes firmly alive. Roma fans can follow the live text coverage of the match.

Roma lead Slovan Bratislava 2-0 at half-time in their third League Phase match of the Champions League at the Stadio Olimpico. Aaron Hermoso's header in the 21st minute opened the scoring, and Molina doubled the lead in the 38th minute, reacting first to a rebound from Takác after a Malen shot. Gian Piero Gasperini's side are seeking their first European win of the season, having taken one point from their opening two games, a draw at Fenerbahçe and a 4-3 defeat to Real Madrid after a chaotic match. Slovan Bratislava, coached by Yaya Touré, have made a poor start to the competition. They lost 6-1 to Paris Saint-Germain and 3-0 to Stuttgart. Over 60,000 Roma supporters were expected at the Olimpico, and the stadium gates were open two hours before the match. Roma lined up in a 3-4-2-1 formation: Gollini; Ghilardi, Balerdi, Hermoso; Molina, Pisilli, De Roon, Wesley; Mora, Pellegrini; Malen. Malen returned after serving a league suspension. Slovan Bratislava (4-2-3-1) fielded Takác; Blackman, Bajric, Markovic, Cruz; Pokorný, Ibrahim, Gajdos; Barseghyan, Marcelli, Suleiman Camara. The referee is Sandro Schärer of Switzerland, assisted by Stéphane De Almeida and Jonas Erni, with Anojen Kanagasingam as fourth official, Fedayi San as VAR and Tomasz Kwiatkowski as assistant VAR. Roma dominated the opening 45 minutes and were on the attack from the first whistle. Pellegrini's free kick was crossed onto the far post, where Ghilardi won the header and flicked the ball on for Hermoso, who headed into the net in the 21st minute. Earlier, Pellegrini had hit a right-footed effort from the edge of the box that Takác saved diving low, and he later sent a right-footed shot from a right-wing cross that failed to hit the target. Barseghyan was booked for simulation in the 20th minute. In the 32nd minute, Wesley burst forward at speed and played a fine ball across to the far post, where Molina arrived at pace but could not keep his effort down, and it bounced over the bar. Molina then scored in the 38th minute, reacting first to Takác's rebound after Malen's right-footed shot. The half ended with Roma well on top and the gap between the sides evident. The second half is still to come, with Roma looking to turn their control into a first European win this season.

Former Roma midfielder Angelo Di Livio, speaking to Retesport a few hours before Roma's match against Slovan Bratislava, said the team must play with intelligence and without rushing, as they did against Genoa, which he called the model performance for today. He said there is only one result that matters, and that Bryan Cristante is back tonight, with Gasperini having guaranteed him around twenty minutes, which will be a test for Napoli. Di Livio said the win over Genoa was less attractive because many players had little playing time. He called it an important game and said De Rossi's side did not have a single shot on target in the second half. On Matías Soulé, he said he liked the flashes of quality against Genoa but that the forward had long spells of inactivity. He named Emanuele Lulli as the best player on the pitch against Genoa. On Paulo Dybala, Di Livio was blunt: "Non ci puoi fare affidamento, gioca 4-5 partite e poi rimane fuori." On Lulli, he urged caution, saying the defender could potentially become a star but should be allowed to grow calmly. He noted that against Genoa Lulli won back a lost ball, earned a corner, and showed grit and a fighting spirit. On Daniele Ghilardi, Di Livio said that when trained and prepared well he also has the legs to play as a fifth defender.