Italiano hails Castro's goal against Genoa as 'a champion's move'

Gian Piero Gasperini has named a 22-man squad for Roma's trip to Udinese on Saturday 31 October at 18:00 at the Bluenergy Stadium, in Serie A matchday 10. Paulo Dybala will miss the match, as the coach had already indicated, while young players Di Nunzio and Camara are included. The goalkeepers are Vasquez, De Marzi and Gollini. The defenders are Rensch, Koulierakis, Ndicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi. The midfielders are Cristante, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Mora, and the forwards are Castro, Malen, Soulé and Camara. The kit colours have also been confirmed. Roma will play in their traditional red first shirt, while the goalkeeper will wear yellow. The Giallorossi players on the bench will wear blue bibs. The match in Friuli is Roma's last league fixture before the European trip against Manchester United, scheduled for 3 November. Former Roma and Udinese midfielder Stefano Desideri spoke to Romanews on the eve of the match, analysing Roma's current form and their prospects for the rest of the season. Desideri does not fully share the criticism linked to fatigue after the win over Cagliari. He said: "With all the rotations and the adjustments, Roma have held up more than well," recalling the many closely spaced matches and injuries. He also praised Cristante, whom he considers "more and more of a leader" and a reference point for the younger players, and De Roon, whose impact he described as "impressive". In the table, Desideri places Roma and Inter ahead of their rivals, while acknowledging the surprising results of Lazio and the work of Como, who could remain at a high level until the end. On Udinese, he admits he did not expect such a difficult start: "They must pull themselves out by any means" to avoid getting drawn into the relegation battle. Looking ahead to the winter window, Desideri said he does not expect big deals: "I don't believe much in it." Nonetheless, he feels Gasperini's side could need "another midfielder" and "a winger", provided there are concrete and convenient opportunities. Roma are also weighing possible reinforcements for the winter window. Among the names linked with the club is Lisandro Martínez, the Argentine defender at Manchester United, whose contract expires on 30 June. According to the Spanish newspaper AS, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid have set their sights on the player. In Italy, Inter and Como are reportedly also evaluating the centre-back's profile, alongside Roma, to strengthen their defensive department.

Roma's probable starting line-up for their away trip to Udinese has been revealed, with Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora forming the attacking partnership and Daniele Ghilardi positioned behind them. The match is at the Bluenergy Stadium, and it comes before Roma return to Champions League action at Old Trafford against Manchester United. The fixture is the latest in a demanding run for the Giallorossi, who face a delicate test in Friday's...

Roma's Primavera side scored twice away at Inter in a Primavera 1 ninth-round fixture, with Basile giving them the lead in the 33rd minute and Arena doubling it in the 59th. The Friday early kickoff at 18:00 at the league leaders was the Primavera 1 match of the week. Roma come into the game fifth in the table with 13 points, five behind Inter, who top the standings. They were held 2-2 at home by Genoa last Saturday. Coach Mattia Scala set Roma up in a 3-5-2, with Marchetti and Cama on the flanks and Paratici and Arena paired up front. Inter lined up in a 4-3-3 under Emiliano Bigica, with Breda booked for the home side. Roma's starting XI was Kilvinger; Bonifazi, Terlizzi, Basile; Marchetti, Giammattei, Ballarin, Cama; Maccaroni, Paratici, Arena. Terlizzi was replaced by Paul in the 69th minute, Giammattei by Arduini in the 66th, Paratici by Romero Corredera in the 69th, Ballarin by Forni in the 80th and Maccaroni by Loreti in the 80th. Basile and Terlizzi were also booked for Roma, as was Cama. Goals: 33' Basile (R), 59' Arena (R).

The four Argentines in the Roma squad — Leonardo Balerdi, Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Nahuel Molina — were pictured playing cards on the flight that took the team to Udine, where Roma face Runjaic's side tomorrow with a 6pm kick-off. The group played on a personalised table bearing the Argentina national team crest and the shirt numbers of all five of the group's players, including the No. 21 of Paulo Dybala, who will not be available for the match tomorrow either. The photo published by the club has already gone viral on social media. The Argentine contingent at the club has grown considerably in the latest summer transfer window, and the image highlights the close bond within the group as Roma prepare for the trip to the Friuli. The snapshot captures the mix of smiles, concentration and friendly rivalry that marks the group's time together on the road, with the cards game the highlight of the journey.

Gian Piero Gasperini has named a 22-man squad for Roma's trip to Udinese on Saturday 31 October at 18:00 at the Bluenergy Stadium, in Serie A matchday 10. Paulo Dybala will miss the match, as the coach had already indicated, while young players Di Nunzio and Camara are included. The goalkeepers are Vasquez, De Marzi and Gollini. The defenders are Rensch, Koulierakis, Ndicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi. The midfielders are Cristante, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Mora, and the forwards are Castro, Malen, Soulé and Camara. The kit colours have also been confirmed. Roma will play in their traditional red first shirt, while the goalkeeper will wear yellow. The Giallorossi players on the bench will wear blue bibs. The match in Friuli is Roma's last league fixture before the European trip against Manchester United, scheduled for 3 November. Former Roma and Udinese midfielder Stefano Desideri spoke to Romanews on the eve of the match, analysing Roma's current form and their prospects for the rest of the season. Desideri does not fully share the criticism linked to fatigue after the win over Cagliari. He said: "With all the rotations and the adjustments, Roma have held up more than well," recalling the many closely spaced matches and injuries. He also praised Cristante, whom he considers "more and more of a leader" and a reference point for the younger players, and De Roon, whose impact he described as "impressive". In the table, Desideri places Roma and Inter ahead of their rivals, while acknowledging the surprising results of Lazio and the work of Como, who could remain at a high level until the end. On Udinese, he admits he did not expect such a difficult start: "They must pull themselves out by any means" to avoid getting drawn into the relegation battle. Looking ahead to the winter window, Desideri said he does not expect big deals: "I don't believe much in it." Nonetheless, he feels Gasperini's side could need "another midfielder" and "a winger", provided there are concrete and convenient opportunities. Roma are also weighing possible reinforcements for the winter window. Among the names linked with the club is Lisandro Martínez, the Argentine defender at Manchester United, whose contract expires on 30 June. According to the Spanish newspaper AS, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid have set their sights on the player. In Italy, Inter and Como are reportedly also evaluating the centre-back's profile, alongside Roma, to strengthen their defensive department.

Vincenzo Italiano, now coach of Besiktas, has praised Santiago Castro's chipped goal against Genoa, calling it a moment of true class. Italiano coached Castro for two years at Bologna and has always believed in his potential. Speaking to Sky Calcio Unplugged, the former Bologna boss said Castro has that kind of quality in his locker. He recalled that during training at Bologna, the Argentine regularly came up with moves of that sort, the kind of play expected from an attacker who has often found the net at important moments inside the box. Castro's Genoa goal is a reminder of that ability, and it has drawn attention to a forward who now plays for Roma. Italiano's full verdict: "Santi has those kinds of moves in him. In training, in those two years at Bologna, he came up with plays of the kind only an Argentinian player would, a player who has often managed to score important goals inside the area. He scored a really great goal, a move that was truly worthy of a champion."