Koulierakis hails Roma's Champions League win after the sting of the Real defeat

Niccolò Pisilli scored while wearing the captain's armband in Roma's European win over Slovan Bratislava, echoing Francesco Totti, who scored his first goal as captain against Fiorentina in 1998. It is the third goal of the season for the 2004-born midfielder, who may now get a chance on the trequarti in the next match away to Napoli at the Maradona. Gian Piero Gasperini's side are enjoying a strong spread of goals: eleven different players have scored in the first ten matches, which puts the capitolini ahead of the other Italian clubs, Inter included. Donyell Malen leads the attacking output with nine goals and now faces the trip to Napoli. Roma are also dealing with a complicated injury situation. Marten de Roon has made an important contribution as well. He has accumulated 170 minutes across his last three matches, played in six days, and scored his first Champions League goal. The Dutchman leads the team's midfielders for ball recoveries and attempted clearances, confirming his physical condition is improving.

Roma's 4-0 Champions League win over Slovan Bratislava has inspired a new cartoon from reader Michele dall'Oman, who again used his trademark irony. The drawing features the Romanews.eu mascot ticking items off a Champions League to-do list. The first task is to face Real Madrid with their heads held high, a nod to Gian Piero Gasperini's side and their performance against the Spanish club, despite a 4-3 defeat at the Stadio Olimpico. The second item revisits a long-standing grievance: avenging Roma's elimination from the Europa League by Slovan Bratislava on 25 August 2011. The cartoon treats that unfinished business as a score finally being settled, a revenge Roma fans had been waiting fifteen years for. The cartoon's concluding line ties the two moments together, reflecting the spirit of the drawing as a whole. The punchline reads: "Siamo lenti a fare le 'cose' perché ci piace farle per benino!!!" In English: "We are slow to do 'things' because we like doing them properly!!!" The cartoon builds on Roma's European journey so far, pairing the Real Madrid display with the win over Slovan Bratislava to make a lighthearted point about the club's approach in Europe.

Roma currently sit on 4 points in the Champions League, but simulations have already mapped out their possible European path. Data compiled by Football Meets Data, produced by a supercomputer model, projects Roma finishing 20th in the league phase. That position would be enough to reach the playoffs, which are reserved for teams placed from ninth to 24th. In this scenario, PSV Eindhoven would be Roma's likely playoff opponent and the first obstacle on the road to the round of 16. The model's outcome would become even tougher if Roma won the playoffs. The simulation suggests Roma could then face either Manchester United, who are already in Roma's league-phase group, or Borussia Dortmund in the last 16. Both are clubs with long European traditions. The projection is purely statistical and not a confirmed pairing. The final league-phase table and the draw will determine the actual matchups.

Roma dominated Slovan Bratislava from start to finish, with Hermoso and Soulé's goals and a sustained attacking display putting the Champions League side in control, and Gasperini getting the answers he was seeking from players who had previously seen less action. Gasperini changed five players from the Genoa match, lining up in a 3-4-2-1, and the Roma side swarmed the Slovan 4-3-3 from the first whistle. Quick build-up play and incisive passing saw the Giallorossi push forward continually, with the left-sided chain of Pellegrini and Wesley particularly active, Hermoso initially supporting them. Slovan struggled to break up the rhythm and pressure, and their only real source of acceleration was Camara, who was looking for long balls. Roma won the ball back immediately, often without needing any particular marking, and the play was constantly played in a 40-metre area around Takac's goal. Roma's attacking play came mainly down the left, where they regularly reached the byline. The breakthrough was slow to come, however, because of poor finishing. Pellegrini shot wide with his left foot from a Malen pass, then Pisilli sent his rebound wide, and shortly afterwards Pisilli also fired over another chance created by switches of play. Pellegrini had three wayward shots in the first 25 minutes, and Malen initially misread the channels of entry, making some poor runs. Molina, still tentative, worked more in width than in depth. The opener came from a set piece: Ghilardi acted as a target man and Hermoso buried the header. Shortly after, Wesley assisted Molina from wide, who first fluffed his effort at the far post but was then ready on Takac's imperfect rebound to make it 2-0. The double lead ended any sign of a Slovan response, with Pellegrini sound defensively and Balerdi at times almost disarming in how easily he defused danger. With the two-goal cushion, the priority became conserving energy ahead of the Napoli match. After the restart, with the same eleven players, at least another 15 minutes of intensity were needed. The change of pace came when Soulé replaced Pellegrini, who had suffered a new injury, and took up position on the left in an already devastating chain. Soon after, Pisilli won the ball from Malen and Soulé finished it off, described as "like a snack taken from a child", closing out a game that, in effect, never began for Slovan. When Malen made it 4-0, managing energy became even more important. De Roon remained surprisingly on the pitch, and Roma controlled possession, avoiding further setbacks after Pellegrini's knock. Castro and Rensch came on for Malen and Wesley, but De Roon stayed on until the 72nd minute, when Mancini replaced him in midfield, a repeat of the Fonseca emergency of 2020. Koulierakis also came on for Hermoso. Three aspects stood out late on. At 4-0, several vigorous ball recoveries by the Giallorossi showed a ferocious mentality. Castro impressed with the quality of his touch and his game management, which was truly top class. Ghilardi scored a textbook goal, a perfectly co-ordinated volley that recalled Totti at Bologna in 2001, but it was ruled out for an obvious offside by two teammates.

Roma beat Slovan Bratislava 4-0, a result that partially eases the disappointment of the defeat to Real Madrid. The Giallorossi overwhelmed their opponents and, according to the Italian press, showed they intend to make their mark in Europe as well. Italian newspaper reviews single out another strong performance from Hermoso, the return to his best form from Wesley, and praise for Pisilli's goal, scored while wearing the captain's armband. The match also drew credit for head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who changed the players but not the way the team plays. He has repeatedly said there are no first-choice players and reserves, and the side keeps moving whoever takes the pitch. The Gazzetta dello Sport rated Roma as follows: Gollini 6, Ghilardi 7.5, Balerdi 7, Hermoso 7, Molina 7, De Roon 6.5, Pisilli 7, Wesley 7.5, Mora 5.5, Pellegrini 7.5, Malen 7.5, with Gasperini on 7.5. Hermoso was replaced by Koulierakis and De Roon by Mancini in the 77th minute. Wesley was replaced by Rensch in the 58th minute, Pellegrini by Soulé in the 52nd, and Malen by Castro in the 58th. Il Corriere dello Sport gave Pisilli 7.5, Hermoso 7.5 and Wesley 7.5, with Gasperini on 7.5. Il Corriere della Sera rated Pisilli 7.5 and Wesley 7, with Gasperini on 7. Across the Italian papers, Pisilli, Wesley and Hermoso were consistently among the highest-rated Roma players, while Mora received the lowest marks, ranging from 5.5 to 6. Gollini was rated 6 by every outlet.

Roma secured their first win of the season in the Champions League, beating Slovan Bratislava 4-0 at the Stadio Olimpico, but Lorenzo Pellegrini had to be withdrawn with a problem to his hip flexor. Gian Piero Gasperini made changes to his starting eleven, with Ghilardi taking Mancini's place, Molina playing on the right and Mora and Pellegrini operating behind the striker. Roma dominated from the first minute, pinning Slovan back in their own half. Hermoso opened the scoring, rising to meet a Ghilardi header from a Pellegrini set piece. Pellegrini then slipped a perfect pass through to Malen, whose shot forced Takac into a short parry, and Molina followed up to make it 2-0. Roma controlled, created and pressed until the interval, and the gap between the sides was clear. The second half followed the same pattern, with Roma continuing to command possession. Pellegrini's injury, however, took some of the shine off the evening. Soulé came on and immediately made an impact, winning the ball on the byline and letting Malen tee up Pisilli for the 3-0. Minutes later Roma made it 4-0: Wesley won a penalty and Malen converted it coolly, his third goal of this Champions League campaign. With the result secure and rain falling on the Olimpico, Gasperini used his bench, bringing on Rensch, Castro, Koulierakis and Mancini, who finished the match in midfield in place of De Roon. Late on, Ghilardi struck a fine effort from outside the box, but it was ruled out for active offside. The win gives Roma a convincing, wide-margin result and plenty of positives. The concern is Pellegrini's hip flexor problem, a fresh setback on the physical front as the club prepares for an important Serie A clash in the coming days.