Gasperini warns Roma against complacency as Champions League rotation continues

Gian Piero Gasperini and Massimiliano Allegri shared a light-hearted exchange on Sky Sport after both sides won their Champions League matches, setting up Napoli against Roma. Roma beat Slovan Bratislava 4-0, while Napoli beat Bodø/Glimt 4-3. The fixture is at the Maradona on Saturday. The pair's on-air banter was a playful preview of the weekend's clash. Gasperini opened by telling Allegri, "Ciao Max, arrivo arrivo. Ci vediamo sabato" ("Hi Max, I'm coming, I'm coming. See you Saturday"). Allegri replied that both teams had won and were arriving in good spirits, adding: "Non avevate nemmeno bisogno, noi un po' di più di voi" ("You didn't even need to, we needed it a bit more than you"). Gasperini had the final word, laughing as he said: "Adesso basta però, non esageriamo" ("That's enough now, let's not overdo it"). The exchange was a lighthearted moment as both coaches looked ahead to Saturday's Serie A encounter at the Maradona, with Roma arriving on a strong European result.

Niccolò Pisilli has described his time as captain as a great honour, saying every minute he played wearing the armband was an honour, with many players absent and the responsibility falling to him. Pisilli is a Roma academy product who has been at the club since the youth ranks, and he is now leading the side. Asked what has changed for him and the team, Pisilli said: "We are growing a lot. Last year we had to absorb the concepts well. This year we start with one more year behind us and we know what is asked of us. I put myself at the disposal of the team and the coach. When there is defending to do I defend, and when there is attacking to do I attack." Florenzi put it to him that he carries on the tradition of Roman and Roma captains, and offered him his compliments. Pisilli replied: "Thank you very much."

Daniele Ghilardi spoke to reporters after Roma's 3-0 win...

Lorenzo Pellegrini was forced off after 49 minutes of Roma's 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava, having suffered a muscle problem in his right thigh. He will undergo instrumental tests tomorrow to determine the full extent of the injury and his recovery time. Gasperini announced in his post-match press conference that Pellegrini's recovery is expected to take around 20 days. The midfielder's injury adds a new name to Roma's injury list. There is better news elsewhere in the squad: Bryan Cristante is back available and could be in the squad for Saturday's trip to Napoli. Paulo Dybala, however, will take a few more days to return. The result in Bratislava was a convincing 4-0 win for the Giallorossi, and the focus now shifts to the test results that will set Pellegrini's timeline.

Roma head to Bratislava for their third Champions League match looking for a first win of the campaign, after a draw with Fenerbahce and a defeat to Real Madrid. Gian Piero Gasperini has left Evan N'Dicka and Gianluca Mancini out of the starting line-up, with Daniele Ghilardi and Leonardo Balerdi starting in defence. Donyell Malen leads the attack, with Rodrigo Mora and Lorenzo Pellegrini behind him. Roma line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation: Pierluigi Gollini in goal; Ghilardi, Balerdi and Mario Hermoso in the back three; Nahuel Molina, Marten de Roon, Niccolò Pisilli and Wesley in midfield; Mora and Pellegrini in the attacking pair; and Malen up front. On the bench are Giorgio De Marzi, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Mancini, N'Dicka, Devyne Rensch, Emanuele Lulli, Di Nunzio, Bryan Cristante, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro. Slovan Bratislava, coached by Yaya Touré, set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Takac starts in goal, protected by Blackman, Bajric, Markovic and Sandro Cruz. Pokorny and Gajdos form the double pivot, with Barseghyan, Ibrahim and Suleman Camara behind Marcelli.

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.

Roma defender Daniele Ghilardi said his Champions League debut was a huge emotional moment and that the squad also wants to win against Napoli. Ghilardi said: "Tanta emozione per l'esordio in Champions. Vogliamo vincere anche col Napoli", which translates as: "A lot of emotion for the Champions League debut. We want to win against Napoli too." The comments follow Roma's 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava, which the Italian coverage rated in player ratings that picked out Ghilardi and Hermoso, with Malen also singled out. Roma's Champions League campaign has begun with that result, and the club now turns its attention to Napoli. Elsewhere in the club's news, Gian Piero Gasperini said of team selection: "Chi gioca deve essere all'altezza della Roma. Spero di riavere presto Dybala, davanti siamo pochi", meaning those who play must be up to the standard of Roma, and he hopes to have Dybala back soon as the attack is thin. Lorenzo Pellegrini has a muscle injury, and Gasperini said: "Nulla di grave, ma rischia di stare out 20 giorni", meaning it is nothing serious but he could be out for 20 days. Niccolò Pisilli said wearing the Roma captain's armband is an honour and that he has grown a lot under Gasperini.

Roma recorded their first four-goal haul of the Champions League season, routing Slovan Bratislava, who never got into the game. Hermoso opened the scoring, before Molina, Pisilli and Malen, from the penalty spot, completed the rout. The player ratings praised the whole side for being in good form and entering the match with the right mindset. The defence was the standout area. Ghilardi started strongly and got forward often, leaving the Gollini's penalty area regularly, and he won a fortunate deflection to set up Hermoso. Ghilardi also had a goal disallowed for an active offside by Castro, which the ratings described as a pity given how well he had played. Balerdi was rated calm, elegant and attentive, covering large areas of the pitch. Hermoso, rated 7.5, was described as the most accurate passer in the first half with a 90% pass accuracy, and he went on to score the opener with a header from a free kick. Wesley was rated 7, with the ratings saying he left a trail of scorched grass down his flank and that Slovan players barely saw him. Pellegrini was rated 6.5 but had to ask to be substituted, and the ratings expressed hope the problem was nothing serious. Mora, rated 6, struck the advertising boards near the net and was unlucky when his effort was ruled out for offside, while the ratings noted he had been running hard from both flanks. Gollini, rated 6, had little to do beyond a couple of catches. The ratings for Gasperini's side included several verdicts on the individual performances. Pisilli, who scored wearing the captain's armband, said: "Un sogno" ("A dream"). Molina, rated 6.5, pounced on a poor rebound from Takac to make it 2-0 and was applauded for sprinting to win a late corner. Malen, rated 7.5, was involved in the build-up to Molina's goal and Pisilli's, and finished the rout from the spot. Soulé, who came on for Pellegrini in the 51st minute, was rated 6.5 for an immediate steal in the box that set up Malen. Castro, who replaced Malen in the 58th minute, was rated 6. Gasperini was quoted in the ratings on Mora, saying he "deve strutturarsi" ("needs to find his structure"). The ratings noted Gasperini had a short squad again and rotated it, asking his players to focus on every detail, and that the side needed to score as many goals as possible, which he addressed with his usual rotations. Koulierakis replaced Hermoso in the 77th minute, and Mancini came on for De Roon at the same time.

Lorenzo Pellegrini was forced off after 49 minutes of Roma's 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava, having suffered a muscle problem in his right thigh. He will undergo instrumental tests tomorrow to determine the full extent of the injury and his recovery time. Gasperini announced in his post-match press conference that Pellegrini's recovery is expected to take around 20 days. The midfielder's injury adds a new name to Roma's injury list. There is better news elsewhere in the squad: Bryan Cristante is back available and could be in the squad for Saturday's trip to Napoli. Paulo Dybala, however, will take a few more days to return. The result in Bratislava was a convincing 4-0 win for the Giallorossi, and the focus now shifts to the test results that will set Pellegrini's timeline.