Greenwood to challenge Gasperini as Turkish press predicts Roma destruction

Gian Piero Gasperini has announced his squad for Roma's Champions League return at Fenerbahçe on 10 September at 18:45. Lorenzo Pellegrini is the only absentee from the travelling party to Istanbul but is expected to be available for Roma's Serie A match against Torino on Monday. Otherwise Gasperini has the full group at his disposal, including Devyne Rensch, and can select from: Goalkeepers Mile Svilar, Giorgio De Marzi and Pierluigi Gollini. Defenders Devyne Rensch, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Evan N'Dicka, Nahuel Molina, Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Wesley, Emanuele Lulli and Daniele Ghilardi. Midfielders Bryan Cristante, Marten de Roon, Manu Koné, Niccolò Pisilli and Rodrigo Mora. Forwards Santiago Castro, Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala.

AS Roma flew to Turkey on 9 September 2026 for their opening match of the Champions League group stage. The squad gathered at Fiumicino airport in the morning and boarded a direct flight to Istanbul, where they will face Fenerbahce on 10 September in the first round of the tournament. Around forty supporters, mostly young fans, waited outside Terminal 5 to send off the team led by head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The players stopped before boarding to sign autographs on official shirts and pose for photographs with the crowd. Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen drew the loudest acclaim from supporters, signing items and taking pictures before passing through security checks.

Radio commentary on Roma ahead of their Champions League campaign suggests Mario Hermoso will accompany head coach Gian Piero Gasperini at the pre-match press conference, with pundit Matteo Cirulli expecting Nahuel Molina and Matías Soulé to start. Stefano Impallomeni told Radio Romanista that Roma possess the quality to compete at the highest level in Europe. "Roma can compete in Champions," he said. "They have a recognisable and identifiable style of play. We should expect something even more beautiful from this squad. Intensity is the foundation of this Champions League and I'm sure Roma will settle well there. Application must be total—you can't find loopholes. You need intensity but also understanding of the match's moments." Impallomeni believes the team have both the tactical identity and the mental approach required to perform in the competition.

Gian Piero Gasperini has announced his squad for Roma's Champions League return at Fenerbahçe on 10 September at 18:45. Lorenzo Pellegrini is the only absentee from the travelling party to Istanbul but is expected to be available for Roma's Serie A match against Torino on Monday. Otherwise Gasperini has the full group at his disposal, including Devyne Rensch, and can select from: Goalkeepers Mile Svilar, Giorgio De Marzi and Pierluigi Gollini. Defenders Devyne Rensch, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Evan N'Dicka, Nahuel Molina, Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Wesley, Emanuele Lulli and Daniele Ghilardi. Midfielders Bryan Cristante, Marten de Roon, Manu Koné, Niccolò Pisilli and Rodrigo Mora. Forwards Santiago Castro, Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala.

AS Roma flew to Turkey on 9 September 2026 for their opening match of the Champions League group stage. The squad gathered at Fiumicino airport in the morning and boarded a direct flight to Istanbul, where they will face Fenerbahce on 10 September in the first round of the tournament. Around forty supporters, mostly young fans, waited outside Terminal 5 to send off the team led by head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The players stopped before boarding to sign autographs on official shirts and pose for photographs with the crowd. Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen drew the loudest acclaim from supporters, signing items and taking pictures before passing through security checks.

Roma will line up against Fenerbahce on 10 September using the tactical system Gian Piero Gasperini has favoured since pre-season: a central playmaker operating behind two mobile strikers, rather than two wide attacking midfielders. The formation is designed specifically to disrupt Fenerbahce's build-up play. Ismail Kartal's side typically deploy a 4-2-3-1, which leaves a deep-lying regulator vulnerable in the opening phase; Roma aim to press that regulator and rapidly flood the opposition half once possession is won. This approach proved effective against Fiorentina, Lecce, and Atalanta in the early league matches. The key tactical uncertainty centres on who plays as the central playmaker. Rodrigo Mora naturally favours the role, receiving the ball inside the pitch and immediately seeking a vertical pass. Matías Soulé, deployed from the same position, tends to drift right where he finds his preferred angles and space. However, after scoring decisively against Atalanta, the Argentine appears to have gained ground and could start ahead of the Portuguese midfielder. Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen are expected to lead the attack; Gasperini has made clear he will not "preserve" Dybala when he is fit, and Dybala is keen to return to Champions League football after a five-year absence. Malen has started the season strongly as a primary attacking reference. On the flanks, Roma are likely to employ the successful approach used against Atalanta: overloading the right to draw pressure and freeing space on the left, where Bryan Cristante launches switches to Wesley. Wesley will be asked to push high and operate almost as an extra attacker during periods of possession in the opposition half. Nahuel Molina's candidacy for the right-back slot has grown after a positive appearance against Atalanta; his international experience may see him preferred to Emanuele Lulli in the starting eleven, though Lulli has delivered solid performances. Leonardo Balerdi, who impressed on Saturday, is in contention at centre-back, though Evan N'Dicka remains the favourite. The expected base formation will see Mile Svilar in goal, Gianluca Mancini, N'Dicka, and Konstantinos Koulierakis in defence, with Molina and Wesley as full-backs, Cristante and Manu Koné in midfield, and either Soulé or Mora supporting Dybala and Malen. Gasperini intends minimal rotation and continuity in identity: high pressure, aggressive spatial occupation, and numerous players advancing into the opposition half.