Koulierakis joins Roma in Wales, eager to work with Gasperini

Roberto Mancini's second era as Italy coach will begin with a squad built around young talent, with three players already earmarked for early call-ups. Mancini is prioritising players from different backgrounds eligible for the national team to build a long-term project. One prospect is a 20-year-old Roma academy graduate currently on loan at Cagliari for the season. Born to Swiss-Italian parents in Winterthur, he represented Switzerland throughout his youth career but switched to Italy for his senior international career. He has already made six appearances for Cagliari and scored one goal, becoming a mainstay in their midfield as the club has begun the season in strong form. A 19-year-old Treviso-born Italy youth international at Milan has impressed coach Ruben Amorim, featuring in every game thus far with two goals in four outings as a wide No. 10 in Amorim's 3-4-2-1 system. Amorim believes he is ready for the Italy call-up—high praise given his track record with youngsters—and he is already part of the national setup. The third prospect is a 22-year-old midfielder born in Treviglio who moved to Sporting from Venezia this summer and has become a mainstay in their midfield with seven appearances, including one in the Champions League. Mancini has monitored him closely and recently flew to Lisbon to watch him play in person. An Italy U21 senior cap for the international is very much on the cards.

Niccolò Pisilli is putting together a strong start to the season and could make another appearance in Roma's upcoming match against Inter, potentially in a different role. The midfielder has impressed with his work rate, physical commitment and attacking participation—precisely what Gasperini demands from a player capable of executing both phases with intelligence and decisiveness. In midfield, Koné is expected to return to the starting lineup alongside Cristante, with de Roon ready to come off the bench. However, to counter Inter's 3-5-2 formation under Chivu, Gasperini may deploy Pisilli as a trequartista behind Dybala and Malen. At Trigoria today the squad was complete in training, with one notable exception: Mario Hermoso. The Spanish defender is sidelined by a mild ankle contusion but the injury is not considered serious, and he is expected to recover without significant issues. Wesley and Evan N'Dicka both returned positive updates from the session, signalling they are available for selection.

Evan N'Dicka and Wesley trained normally on 16 September, while Mario Hermoso undertook separate work due to a minor ankle injury but is expected to be available for Saturday's match against Inter. Davide Massa will referee the fixture, with assistants Meli and Berti, fourth official Maresca, VAR Mazzoleni and AVAR Di Paolo. Massa's record against Roma stands at 10 wins, 12 draws and 12 defeats in 34 matches, while Inter have won 23, drawn 5 and lost 5 of their 33 previous encounters with him. Donyell Malen's strong start to the season—six goals and one assist—has attracted interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. Arsenal have made initial exploratory contact, but no official offers or negotiations with Roma exist. The club views Malen as central to Gasperini's project and has no intention of selling him in January. Malen is contracted until 2030 and Roma value him at approximately 60 million euros. Sabatini told Radio Radio Pomeriggio: "If I think back a year ago, it's the same situation: Inter won with a goal after 10 minutes. Roma play more football, not for the three points, but because they have the opportunity to land a blow on Inter that could hurt them. Knocking Inter out with three weeks of second thoughts would be an important result from a moral standpoint." Piero Torri on Radio Manà Manà Sport said: "For me a great team never adapts to opponents but always imposes its way of playing. Pisilli as a trequartista behind Dybala and Malen could be a move to try to surprise Inter, but in my opinion the team is used to playing in a certain manner. On the counter-attack Inter can really hurt you."

Roma have conceded just one goal in their opening four league matches, reflecting the defensive solidity Gasperini has built with a central defence of the highest calibre. The additions of Balerdi and Koulierakis have reinforced a department already well-established, creating what Gasperini probably hoped to have available last season but did not. The wealth of options is now reshaping how the side defends. Evan N'Dicka commands the backline with his reading of play; Balerdi has impressed from the bench and in his league debut against Torino, winning over Roma's supporters. Gianluca Mancini has weathered early-season difficulties to deliver a strong performance at Torino. Mario Hermoso, the ever-reliable figure, has anchored the defence through demanding fixtures. Daniele Ghilardi impressed at Lecce, and Koulierakis waits his turn—however the combinations rotate, the defence stands as Roma's most complete department. Behind them, the goalkeeper between the posts no longer makes headlines, his standards now expected rather than celebrated. Roma lead Serie A with a single goal conceded so far. Among Europe's five major leagues, only Arsenal can match that defensive record. This defensive foundation arrives before Roma face Inter, whose forward line of Lautaro Martínez, Thuram, Esposito and Bonny has shown defensive frailty in their early season outings.

Gasperini faces the kind of problem he would have welcomed last season: an abundance of defensive options. Evan N'Dicka excels at difficult tackles, rarely conceding chances. Leonardo Balerdi has impressed from the bench and earned a starting place against Torino. Gianluca Mancini, despite early errors, showed his resilience at Torino. Mario Hermoso has steadied the backline in these opening matches, anchoring Roma through difficult moments. Daniele Ghilardi impressed at Lecce, and Konstantinos Koulierakis provides further depth—however the defence is composed, it remains Roma's most complete department. The numbers validate Gasperini's setup. Roma have conceded just one goal, the best defensive record in Serie A. Among Europe's top five leagues, only Arsenal can match that figure. This defensive solidity represents Roma's strongest calling card ahead of a fixture against Inter, whose defence has shown more than a few problems in their opening matches despite the presence of players including Lautaro, Thuram, Esposito and Bonny. Behind the goals stands a goalkeeper who, like Donyell Malen in attack, has become almost routine in his excellence and generates little headlines. The depth available to the head coach reflects what the article describes as "excellent" defending at Lecce and the overall strength of Roma's backline across their opening fixtures.

Roma's defensive department has emerged as one of the strongest in Europe through the opening weeks of the 2026-27 campaign. After finishing last season as Serie A's second-best defence behind Como, the backline under Gian Piero Gasperini has been further reinforced with the arrivals of Leonardo Balerdi and Konstantinos Koulierakis, joining established defenders Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, Mario Hermoso and Daniele Ghilardi. In this season's opening fixtures, Roma have conceded just one goal—scored by Ederson in the match against Atalanta. Comparing the opening rounds across Europe's five major leagues, Roma's defensive record is matched only by Arsenal, the runners-up in the European championship, who have also conceded a single goal in their first four matches. Freiburg in the Bundesliga has the same record but across three games played, while Real Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga have both conceded four goals and four clubs in Ligue 1 sit at two goals conceded. At shot-on-target metrics, Roma rank second in Serie A, allowing an average of three shots per match—just behind Como's 2.75—while Arsenal lead across Europe with 2.25 per game, according to Sofascore data. Goalkeeper Mile Svilar has provided crucial protection between the posts, making decisive interventions in moments of defensive vulnerability. This strong defensive performance stands in sharp contrast to Inter, Roma's next league opponent, who have already conceded six goals in their opening matches.