Lecce v Roma: Lulli-Molina contest, Mora preferred to Soulé in Gasperini's XI

Roma face Lecce at 18:30 today in their second Serie A match of the season, looking to build on last weekend's 4–0 victory over Fiorentina. Head coach Gasperini is expected to field an unchanged lineup. Mile Svilar will start in goal behind a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso. Wesley takes the left-back role, while Emanuele Lulli is favoured over Nahuel Molina at right-back. Rodrigo Mora has the edge over Matías Soulé in midfield, with Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala paired as forwards. Roma's recent run has been strong. The club have won their last six Serie A matches—the final five of the 2025–26 season plus this season's opening fixture against Fiorentina. The last time Roma registered seven consecutive league wins was between February and March 2025, when Claudio Ranieri was in charge.

Serie A has officially confirmed that Roma's fixture against Torino will take place on Monday 14 September at 18:30. The scheduling change follows Roma's Champions League commitment: the club will face Fenerbahce away on Thursday 10 September, meaning they will play the Serie A fourth-round match in the Monday Night slot. The Champions League calendar has reshaped the domestic schedule for this round. Elsewhere in Serie A that weekend, Lazio will host Milan at 18:00 on Saturday, Napoli will play Bologna at 18:00 on Sunday, and Juventus will face Sassuolo at 20:45 on Sunday. Como will also compete on the Monday, having faced Lipsia in the Champions League at home on Thursday.

Roma travel to Lecce on 31 August at 18:30 seeking to build on their commanding 4–0 opening-day victory over Fiorentina. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini intends to make minimal changes to the starting eleven that earned that emphatic win, with the principal uncertainty centring on the right-back slot where Nahuel Molina and Emanuele Lulli are contending for a starting place. Rodrigo Mora is favoured to retain his position in the attacking line alongside Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen, who scored a hat-trick against Fiorentina. Mile Svilar will continue in goal, with the defensive trio of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso set to remain unchanged in front of him. Wesley will operate at left-back, while Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné are expected to continue as the central midfield pairing, despite the latter finishing the Fiorentina match with minor physical discomfort. The attacking system allows the three front players considerable fluidity, with Dybala given freedom to drift between the lines and support Malen as the most advanced referential point. Two recent arrivals—Marten de Roon and Leonardo Balerdi—have been included in the travelling squad for Lecce but are unlikely to start. De Roon, officially confirmed by Roma in recent hours, and Balerdi, newly arrived, have had minimal training time with their teammates and will serve as potential substitutes. Gasperini stated that he considered Matías Soulé fully available for the Lecce fixture, though Mora currently holds the edge for the starting role. The ballottage readings suggest Molina leads Lulli 55–45 per cent, while Mora is favoured 65–35 per cent over Soulé. Lorenzo Pellegrini and Devyne Rensch remain unavailable. Roma's tactical setup is expected to mirror the successful pattern from the opening day, with ten positions clearly established and the contest between Molina and Lulli on the right flank representing the main selection dilemma Gasperini faces.

Roma face Lecce at 18:30 today in their second Serie A match of the season, looking to build on last weekend's 4–0 victory over Fiorentina. Head coach Gasperini is expected to field an unchanged lineup. Mile Svilar will start in goal behind a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso. Wesley takes the left-back role, while Emanuele Lulli is favoured over Nahuel Molina at right-back. Rodrigo Mora has the edge over Matías Soulé in midfield, with Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala paired as forwards. Roma's recent run has been strong. The club have won their last six Serie A matches—the final five of the 2025–26 season plus this season's opening fixture against Fiorentina. The last time Roma registered seven consecutive league wins was between February and March 2025, when Claudio Ranieri was in charge.

Roma completed two signings to strengthen their roster experience after failing to land their initial targets. Marten de Roon arrived from Atalanta after requesting to leave when manager Maurizio Sarri took charge, while Leonardo Balerdi joined on loan from Olympique Marseille with a €15M conditional obligation to buy. The club abandoned pursuit of fullback Jayden Oosterwolde from Fenerbahce after discovering the severity of his injury was worse than expected and declined to revise terms; youth product Emanuele Lulli has since proven serviceable at the position. Morato remained at Marseille after Nottingham Forest insisted on a permanent deal rather than the loan arrangement Roma sought; the defender departs having made 200 appearances over six seasons. The De Roon signing represents a strategic pivot away from signings made by the previous director that lacked head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's backing. De Roon will replace Neil El Aynaoui in the midfield, though El Aynaoui never quite fulfilled the potential he demonstrated at Lens. Roma are exploring additions to the forward line should opportunities arise, working on moves for Zenit's Luiz Henrique and Stuttgart's Jamie Leweling, according to reports. These potential signings could accelerate if Matías Soulé departs the club. El Aynaoui is headed to RB Leipzig for a potential €29M package, Sky reports. The strategic direction reflects Roma's preference for established performers unlikely to cause disruption while delivering solid contributions when selected.

Roma have signed midfielder Marten de Roon from Atalanta and defender Leonardo Balerdi from Olympique Marseille, but failed to complete moves for fullback Jayden Oosterwolde and defender Morato. The deal for Oosterwolde collapsed after Fenerbahçe's injury proved more severe than expected and the club refused to renegotiate terms; Roma are not pursuing alternative options as academy product Emanuele Lulli has proven serviceable. Morato joins on loan with a €15 million conditional obligation to buy after Nottingham Forest demanded an immediate permanent transfer—he had been a cornerstone of Marseille's plans for six seasons with 200 appearances. De Roon arrives as a replacement for Neil El Aynaoui, who is heading to RB Leipzig for a reported potential €29 million package. The midfielder asked to leave when his manager Maurizio Sarri called, and Atalanta allowed his departure without obstruction. Roma's recruitment reflects a broader shift away from signings made by the previous director that lacked Gian Piero Gasperini's approval, selecting instead established players unlikely to disrupt the group. Roma are also working on signings from Zenit's Luiz Henrique and Stuttgart's Jamie Leweling, according to reports from Alfredo Pedullà, with the possibility of adding both if Matías Soulé departs. El Aynaoui, who joined from Lens, never fully realised the potential he had shown in Ligue 1, and the club have opted to move forward with proven commodities expected to deliver solid contributions when called upon.

Roma face Lecce at 18:30 today in their second Serie A match of the season, looking to build on last weekend's 4–0 victory over Fiorentina. Head coach Gasperini is expected to field an unchanged lineup. Mile Svilar will start in goal behind a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso. Wesley takes the left-back role, while Emanuele Lulli is favoured over Nahuel Molina at right-back. Rodrigo Mora has the edge over Matías Soulé in midfield, with Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala paired as forwards. Roma's recent run has been strong. The club have won their last six Serie A matches—the final five of the 2025–26 season plus this season's opening fixture against Fiorentina. The last time Roma registered seven consecutive league wins was between February and March 2025, when Claudio Ranieri was in charge.

Roma travel to Lecce on 31 August at 18:30 seeking to build on their commanding 4–0 opening-day victory over Fiorentina. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini intends to make minimal changes to the starting eleven that earned that emphatic win, with the principal uncertainty centring on the right-back slot where Nahuel Molina and Emanuele Lulli are contending for a starting place. Rodrigo Mora is favoured to retain his position in the attacking line alongside Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen, who scored a hat-trick against Fiorentina. Mile Svilar will continue in goal, with the defensive trio of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso set to remain unchanged in front of him. Wesley will operate at left-back, while Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné are expected to continue as the central midfield pairing, despite the latter finishing the Fiorentina match with minor physical discomfort. The attacking system allows the three front players considerable fluidity, with Dybala given freedom to drift between the lines and support Malen as the most advanced referential point. Two recent arrivals—Marten de Roon and Leonardo Balerdi—have been included in the travelling squad for Lecce but are unlikely to start. De Roon, officially confirmed by Roma in recent hours, and Balerdi, newly arrived, have had minimal training time with their teammates and will serve as potential substitutes. Gasperini stated that he considered Matías Soulé fully available for the Lecce fixture, though Mora currently holds the edge for the starting role. The ballottage readings suggest Molina leads Lulli 55–45 per cent, while Mora is favoured 65–35 per cent over Soulé. Lorenzo Pellegrini and Devyne Rensch remain unavailable. Roma's tactical setup is expected to mirror the successful pattern from the opening day, with ten positions clearly established and the contest between Molina and Lulli on the right flank representing the main selection dilemma Gasperini faces.

Roma face Lecce at Stadio Via del Mare on 31 August at 18:30 in a Serie A fixture. Four major Italian newspapers predict a 3–4–1–2 formation, with Mile Svilar in goal, a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso, and Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen as the attacking pair. Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné are expected in midfield, with Wesley operating as a full-back. The main variance in predicted lineups centres on one defensive position. Corriere dello Sport, Il Messaggero, Il Tempo and Corriere della Sera all expect Emanuele Lulli at left-back, while Gazzetta dello Sport forecasts Nahuel Molina in that role. All four outlets agree on the remainder of the eleven, including Rodrigo Mora as the number 10 behind the two forwards.

Roma face Lecce at 18:30 today in their second Serie A match of the season, looking to build on last weekend's 4–0 victory over Fiorentina. Head coach Gasperini is expected to field an unchanged lineup. Mile Svilar will start in goal behind a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso. Wesley takes the left-back role, while Emanuele Lulli is favoured over Nahuel Molina at right-back. Rodrigo Mora has the edge over Matías Soulé in midfield, with Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala paired as forwards. Roma's recent run has been strong. The club have won their last six Serie A matches—the final five of the 2025–26 season plus this season's opening fixture against Fiorentina. The last time Roma registered seven consecutive league wins was between February and March 2025, when Claudio Ranieri was in charge.

Roma completed two signings to strengthen their roster experience after failing to land their initial targets. Marten de Roon arrived from Atalanta after requesting to leave when manager Maurizio Sarri took charge, while Leonardo Balerdi joined on loan from Olympique Marseille with a €15M conditional obligation to buy. The club abandoned pursuit of fullback Jayden Oosterwolde from Fenerbahce after discovering the severity of his injury was worse than expected and declined to revise terms; youth product Emanuele Lulli has since proven serviceable at the position. Morato remained at Marseille after Nottingham Forest insisted on a permanent deal rather than the loan arrangement Roma sought; the defender departs having made 200 appearances over six seasons. The De Roon signing represents a strategic pivot away from signings made by the previous director that lacked head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's backing. De Roon will replace Neil El Aynaoui in the midfield, though El Aynaoui never quite fulfilled the potential he demonstrated at Lens. Roma are exploring additions to the forward line should opportunities arise, working on moves for Zenit's Luiz Henrique and Stuttgart's Jamie Leweling, according to reports. These potential signings could accelerate if Matías Soulé departs the club. El Aynaoui is headed to RB Leipzig for a potential €29M package, Sky reports. The strategic direction reflects Roma's preference for established performers unlikely to cause disruption while delivering solid contributions when selected.

Roma have signed midfielder Marten de Roon from Atalanta and defender Leonardo Balerdi from Olympique Marseille, but failed to complete moves for fullback Jayden Oosterwolde and defender Morato. The deal for Oosterwolde collapsed after Fenerbahçe's injury proved more severe than expected and the club refused to renegotiate terms; Roma are not pursuing alternative options as academy product Emanuele Lulli has proven serviceable. Morato joins on loan with a €15 million conditional obligation to buy after Nottingham Forest demanded an immediate permanent transfer—he had been a cornerstone of Marseille's plans for six seasons with 200 appearances. De Roon arrives as a replacement for Neil El Aynaoui, who is heading to RB Leipzig for a reported potential €29 million package. The midfielder asked to leave when his manager Maurizio Sarri called, and Atalanta allowed his departure without obstruction. Roma's recruitment reflects a broader shift away from signings made by the previous director that lacked Gian Piero Gasperini's approval, selecting instead established players unlikely to disrupt the group. Roma are also working on signings from Zenit's Luiz Henrique and Stuttgart's Jamie Leweling, according to reports from Alfredo Pedullà, with the possibility of adding both if Matías Soulé departs. El Aynaoui, who joined from Lens, never fully realised the potential he had shown in Ligue 1, and the club have opted to move forward with proven commodities expected to deliver solid contributions when called upon.