Gasperini's Roma shine despite Inter stalemate; Koné delivers masterclass while Wesley faces injury

Roma and Inter finished level in their recent meeting, and reader Michele from Oman illustrated the match through a cartoon for Romanews, capturing the unusual rhythm of the fixture. Manu Koné put Roma ahead in the opening minutes and doubled the lead around 30 minutes later. Inter's response came in the second half: Lautaro Martinez pulled one back early on, then found the equaliser roughly 30 minutes after that. The cartoon initially takes an optimistic view of the draw before reconstructing the sequence of goals, drawing a pointed conclusion: "They copied us! And whoever copies is short of ideas!" Inter had essentially replicated Roma's first-half scoring pattern during their own second-half comeback.

Manu Koné scored twice against Inter on 20 September 2026, silencing a long-standing criticism that he lacked a cutting edge in the final third. The French midfielder's double, which sent the Stadio Olimpico into raptures and left Inter's defence in disarray, came as a direct result of a tactical adjustment by head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The system—Cristante positioned deep to handle defensive cover while Koné pushed higher—gave the midfielder the freedom to attack continuously and arrive near the opposition area with regularity. By shifting Bryan Cristante into a shadow role on Inter's most advanced players, Gasperini effectively added an attacker to Roma's shape without extra personnel. Cristante's assignment was to track whoever led Inter's charge, whether Jones or Lautaro; his effort freed Koné from defensive duties and allowed the midfielder to climb into dangerous positions. The tactical masterstroke worked precisely as designed. Roma discovered numerical superiority in central areas where Inter least expected it, and Koné was central to that dominance throughout the opening period. His two finishes were clinical insertions into the box, completed with the precision of a player operating without defensive shackles. The plan gradually unravelled after Lautaro's introduction and Koné's departure, dimming the magic that had seized the match early on. Yet the concept—and more importantly, the two goals scored by the French midfielder—remained, proof that Gasperini's study of the opposition and willingness to reshape his midfield balance had yielded tangible dividends at a crucial juncture.

Roma Primavera won 1–0 away at Milan's PUMA House of Football, with Mattia Guaglianone scoring the decisive goal. The visitors, managed by Mattia Scala, ended a run of two consecutive draws against Lecce and Como and returned to winning ways in the league. The match remained competitive and balanced through the first half, with Roma able to match Milan's intensity. The contest shifted decisively after the interval when Milan was reduced to ten men early in the second half, allowing the giallorossi to progressively assert control. Guaglianone, a class of 2010 player and one of the most promising talents in Roma's academy, delivered the moment that secured three crucial points. Playing at an age bracket below his own, he has already demonstrated his capacity to influence matches at senior youth level—he had previously scored in Youth League against Fenerbahce—and this performance adds further evidence of his development. Roma did not manage to extend their lead but managed the advantage competently and weathered Milan's attempts to draw level. Milan's situation deteriorated when Nolli received a second red card in added time, leaving the Rossoneri to finish the encounter with only nine players on the pitch. Roma secured another important milestone: their first clean sheet of the campaign, having conceded at least one goal in each of their opening four matches. The result lifted the giallorossi to 11 points after five rounds of Primavera 1, maintaining their unbeaten record in the division. The victory came on a difficult away ground against a direct rival, and Scala's squad demonstrated maturity as well as technical quality in their performance.

Bryan Cristante has withdrawn from Italy's UEFA Nations League camp at Coverciano due to lower-back pain sustained in Roma's Serie A match against Inter. National team coach Roberto Mancini has called up Samuele Ricci as his replacement for the opening four fixtures. Wesley is also unavailable for Brazil's upcoming matches after suffering a right-thigh muscle complaint and will stay at Roma's training ground during the international break, where the medical staff will monitor his recovery ahead of the league's restart. Vanderson takes his place in the squad. Santiago Castro, who remained on the bench throughout Roma's 90-minute encounter with Inter, has used the recovery day granted by Gasperini to undertake individual conditioning work at home, including weights and athletic exercises. Castro is now set to depart for Argentina's national team alongside Leonardo Balerdi and Matías Soulé for friendlies against Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin. Radio Radio analyst Stefano Agresti offered his assessment of Roma's performance: "If you win 2–0 in the first half, there's definitely a bitter taste left. Gasperini can be satisfied because Roma played very well, dominated against the best team in Serie A. The Giallorossi were already at their fifth substitution exhausted, because they spent a lot in the first half. There was superficiality on the goal."

Bryan Cristante has been ruled out of Italy's upcoming international fixtures after sustaining a muscle fatigue injury in Roma's match against Inter on 19 September. The Italy national team has called up Samuele Ricci of Como as his replacement. The national federation confirmed in a statement: "Following the league match against Inter played yesterday, Roma's midfielder Bryan Cristante is unavailable due to a physical problem and will be unable to respond to the call-up. The Ct Roberto Mancini has consequently arranged the call-up of Como midfielder Samuele Ricci, who will join the group in the coming hours." Cristante joins Wesley among Roma players sidelined during the international break. The midfielder will remain in Rome during the break and undergo instrumental examinations in the coming hours to assess the extent of the injury.

Roma's wing positions are now secure. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini no longer faces the tactical problem that troubled him last season: the absence of a quick, technical player on the opposite flank from Wesley. Last year, with Wesley as one of Serie A's strongest defenders on one side, Gasperini had to adapt by repositioning Zeki Çelik elsewhere. That constraint has lifted. Emanuele Lulli, young and rapid, is already providing assurances and proves ready for this campaign. But Roma have also landed another signing that drew less attention yet showed its value yesterday: Nahuel Molina. The Argentine is rising in fitness; the residual effects of the World Cup are passing. In the match against Inter, he was perfect. He contained Diouf, supported the attack, and was decisive in the final third with an assist for Manu Koné's first-half goal. Molina's skillset is there; consistency is the next step. He does not yet have 90 minutes in his legs, but the flanks now have valid masters. Wesley leads them, followed by the former Udinese player and Lulli. Gasperini can rely on all three without losing quality. The improvement from last season is enormous. The Piedmont-born coach plays through the flanks, favouring attacking football with pushing players who can contribute in front of goal. Now he has them on both sides. Molina is a top-level player. Lulli will be. The flanks have an owner on each side, and Gasperini can only be pleased.