Ghilardi starts first Champions League match and vows to keep raising his level

Roma return to action on Saturday with a big match at the Maradona against Napoli, kicking off at 18:00, refereed by Colombo. The official's record against Roma is positive: five wins, five draws and one defeat in their previous meetings. Last season's defeat, however, was marked by controversy. Roma lost 2-1 to Genoa, then coached by De Rossi, and a penalty was not given for a handball by Malinovskyi on Koné's shot. The defeat to Genoa came in a season when refereeing decisions drew heavy debate, and Roma's fans will be keen to see whether the officials can avoid a repeat of that row. Aureliano is the VAR and Meraviglia will serve as the assistant video referee for the fixture. The Italian report sets out the officiating line-up in full, with Colombo in charge on the pitch, supported by Aureliano at the VAR screen and Meraviglia as the AVAR. The match is a Saturday fixture, with the 18:00 kickoff confirmed.

Roma's Stadio Olimpico recorded an attendance of 64,399 for the Champions League match against Slovan Bratislava, the highest figure of all the matches played on Tuesday in the competition. The data was highlighted by Football Meets Data, a profile specialising in football statistics, which compared attendances at stadiums hosting the Champions League matchday. The Olimpico finished top of the list, ahead of venues staging high-profile fixtures such as the Parc des Princes for PSG-Barcelona and Anfield for Liverpool-Villarreal. The figure confirms the weight of the Olimpico factor on European nights and the bond between Gasperini's side and its supporters. The result is another sign of the Roma fanbase's commitment, a turnout that once again turns the Olimpico into one of the warmest and best-attended stadiums in Europe.

Roma responded to their Champions League struggles with a comfortable 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava at the Stadio Olimpico in the third matchday of the League Phase. Gian Piero Gasperini's side also made a statement in terms of goal difference. The fixture revived a meeting between the two clubs from 15 years ago. The result comes as Italian clubs in the competition have struggled overall. Napoli, coached by Allegri, also responded, winning 4-3 at the Maradona against Bodo/Glimt, who pushed the Neapolitans all the way to the final whistle. Inter and Como are set to play later tonight, and their results will complete the picture for Italian sides in Europe's top competition. The article sets out the full standings for the Italian clubs in the League Phase after the third matchday, with Roma's margin of victory now a useful asset in the table.

Roma's pundits on Rome's radio stations were largely positive about the club's recent results, but they were divided over Mora and the January market. Roberto Pruzzo, speaking on Radio Radio, said: 'Mora is absolutely not ready for this stage, and Roma must sign Lookman. Do a six-month loan.' He also said Castro does not play when Malen is fit and that Mora did not take advantage of his chance, adding that a striker is needed in January. Mario Corsi of Tele Radio Stereo was more worried: 'I said Mora had to play to get used to his teammates, but there is a Mora problem. Do you remember Bojan Krkic? I would not want him to suffer the same fate.' Corsi said Mora was an embarrassment in front of goal, had shot at a photographer and had got everything wrong on Sunday, including his passing. The debate followed a run of matches after the heavy defeat to Real Madrid. Mario Mattioli of Radio Radio said Roma were fortunate to face Genoa and Slovan Bratislava afterwards, as they could restore their mental focus, and that Roma had taken full advantage. He described Slovan as a side who do not belong in the Champions League, suggesting they were better suited to the Europa League or Conference League. Fabio Petruzzi of Rete Sport argued that Roma make their opponents look weak: 'Genoa were weak, Slovan are weak, they are all weak... even Real Madrid were weak until ten minutes from the end. I would start saying Roma are strong.' Alessio Nardo of Tele Radio Stereo said he could hardly recall a smaller side worse than Slovan Bratislava, adding that they could not keep the ball for more than three seconds. David Rossi of Rete Sport praised the defence under Gian Piero Gasperini: 'What impresses me is that the defenders have improved most with Gasperini. Ghilardi started two matches, against Lecce and against Slovan, and I remember him more for what he does in attack than in defence. Ghilardi is a starter now. Hermoso, we did not know who to pin it on, and now he is a leader. Balerdi arrived while Marseille fans were celebrating, and here he is dominant. N'Dicka has improved a lot... Roma have a back line that I believe is the strongest in Italy.' Gianluca Piacentini of Rete Sport noted that Roma had rotated five starters in defence over the last two matches while conceding no goals. He said the comparison between Malen and Castro and Ferguson and Dovbyk was harsh. Pes argued that Gasperini had not overused Pellegrini, who had started two matches, and said Pellegrini was prone to injury, which he had always been. Pellegrini is now 30, Pes said, and the problems are getting worse. Checco Oddo Casano said Roma should consider the futures of Dybala and Pellegrini in June, after seeing how many matches they had played. The radio hosts agreed that a striker is needed, and Pruzzo said he would name the player to be signed in January. Piero Torri of Manà Manà Sport said he was supporting Manchester United against Como that evening, because a defeat for the English side would leave Roma with a final chance. He also said Roma had regrets about Fenerbahce and Real Madrid, where a result was possible, and warned that Roma could arrive at the third-last match ranked behind others in the table.

Roma's goalscoring spread has become a major talking point after Nicolò Molina's goal against Slovan Bratislava made it 11 different scorers in just ten matches. Donyell Malen leads the way with nine goals, while Pisilli, Koné, Soulé and Hermoso have two each. Lulli, Mora, Cristante, De Roon, Castro and Molina have one apiece. In Serie A, counting cup matches too, Roma have scored from more players than Inter, who are stuck on 10. Gian Piero Gasperini's side are the only Italian club in the top bracket of the Sofascore ranking. Paulo Dybala is the notable absentee from the list and is hoping to return before the international break to add his name to the scoresheet. Every outfield player seems to be getting involved. Ghilardi, who could have been the twelfth man on Tuesday, had a goal ruled out for offside against Castro. Mancini, N'Dicka, Balerdi, Wesley, Rensch, Kouliarakis and Pellegrini are all also looking to get on the scoresheet. The key statistic, according to the article, is the number of chances created and Roma's far greater presence in the opposition box compared with last season. Apart from the match at Como, where Roma played with ten men for more than half an hour, the team have scored in every game in Serie A and the Champions League. They have almost always scored at least twice, the exception being the 1-1 draw with Fenerbahce. Across all European leagues, Brighton lead the way with 15 goals from different scorers, followed by Barcelona, Lyon, Brentford and Real Sociedad with 13. Manchester City, Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid and Freiburg have 12, while Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are on 11.

Manu Koné is continuing his recovery and hopes to return to Roma's squad for the match against Sassuolo, which falls just before the international break. The French midfielder is still unavailable, but Gasperini hopes to have him back soon to strengthen the department, according to Il Tempo. Player ratings from the Italian papers rewarded Pisilli and Wesley (7.28), the best performers in the win over Slovan Bratislava. Hermoso and Malen (7.14) also earned high marks, followed by Ghilardi and Pellegrini (7.07). Mora (5.93) received the lowest rating and was the only player below the average mark. Gasperini was also praised, receiving a 7.36 for his management of the game. Donyell Malen continues to drive Roma forward. Against Slovan Bratislava he scored a penalty and provided an assist for Pisilli, following his brace against Real Madrid and his assist for Cristante against Fenerbahce. The Dutchman has risen to 9 goals this season, 6 in the league and 3 in the Champions League. He is the first Roma player to be involved in a goal in each of the first three matches of a single edition of the competition, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. There were moments of tension at the Olimpico during Roma against Slovan Bratislava. In the away section, several Slovak ultras reportedly attacked police officers who had intervened to restore order, even taking some riot shields. Police responded with charges that forced the fans back. Some supporters were reportedly identified, and further measures are not ruled out, according to Corriere della Sera.