Malen, Gasperini's man, has the numbers of Mbappé

Donyell Malen is the standout figure as Roma prepare to face Napoli at the Maradona, with the match billed as a clash between two centre-forwards taking very different paths into the fixture. Malen has been one of Serie A's in-form players, scoring 9 goals in 9 appearances for Gian Piero Gasperini's side, and he arrives as the most dangerous attacking threat in the Roma squad. The pre-match buildup, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, has inevitably drawn comparisons with Gonzalo Higuaín, the centre-forward who changed how the role was viewed in Serie A. Malen's start has been a reward for Gasperini's faith in him, after the forward struggled at Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund. Napoli's Rasmus Hojlund, by contrast, is still searching for consistency and the goal that would finally settle him in the Napoli shirt. He comes into the match on a 49-day goalless run and has just 2 goals this season. The Dane shared an important part of his development with Gasperini, and he is looking to rediscover confidence inside the penalty area under Massimiliano Allegri. For Roma, the fixture offers Malen the chance to extend a remarkable opening to the season against a Napoli side whose striker is looking for a way back. The article frames the night as one that promises sparks between the two centre-forwards, with both players determined to make their mark at a venue where the stakes are high.

Rodrigo Mora is facing criticism over his attitude and errors in recent matches, particularly against Genoa and Slovan Bratislava, but he is not yet considered a problem, according to Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Francesco Balzani. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini, however, cannot fully trust the Portuguese midfielder at the moment, especially for a difficult and delicate fixture away to Napoli tomorrow. Mora, a former Porto talent, had expected to play more after receiving praise for his performances against Fiorentina, Lecce and Atalanta. Instead, he has been overtaken by Matías Soulé. Roma signed Mora permanently for 25 million in a fairly complex deal. The Friedkin Group holds an option to acquire the remaining 50% of the player's economic rights for a further 25 million. Otherwise, should the player be sold, those rights would pass to Porto.

Napoli and Roma meet on Saturday at 18:00 at the Maradona in Serie A matchday eight, both sides coming off Champions League wins earlier in the week. Roma arrive seven points clear of Napoli, who have stumbled through a start to the season that has included more slips than they would like. Attack and midfield quality are the headline strengths for both teams, but this fixture is also about experience and solidity at the back, where the two central defenders are Amir Rrahmani for Napoli and Evan N'Dicka for Roma. Rrahmani remains a fixed point in the Napoli back line under Allegri, prized for his physical presence, experience, positional sense and consistency. The Kosovan centre-back is especially effective in marking, in the air and in reading situations inside the box, while also being one of the first options when Napoli build from the back. In Serie A this season he has been virtually irreplaceable, starting all seven matches and playing 630 minutes, always on the pitch from first whistle to last. He has done the same in the Champions League. His passing accuracy is close to 90 per cent, with roughly 60 successful passes per 90 minutes, alongside 12 tackles and a notable 53 defensive clearances. That last figure underlines his ability to intervene when opponents press hardest. Against Roma he will be asked above all to control the movement of Malen and the late runs of Roma's attacking players. N'Dicka's strengths are physicality, pace and the ability to defend well away from his own area. Under Gian Piero Gasperini he has become a central figure in Roma's defence, able to operate in several positions within the three-man back line. He is particularly effective in duels and in covering the space behind his team-mates. In Serie A he has made five appearances for 367 minutes, and his numbers show a decisive impact: he is Roma's best performer for defensive clearances per 90 minutes, at 7.1, and averages 10.5 defensive actions per 90. His distribution is also significant, with a pass completion rate above 94 per cent and about 49 completed passes per 90 minutes. Against Napoli, his capacity to hold his own in individual duels and to step out aggressively onto the striker could be one of the keys to Roma's defensive phase.

Matías Soulé has been entrusted with Roma's attacking play for the trip to the Maradona, with Gian Piero Gasperini relying on him as the last available genuine creative option. Paulo Dybala is absent, and Lorenzo Pellegrini is injured, leaving the attack severely depleted for what is billed as a championship supermatch. According to Il Messaggero, Roma are rallying around their last available true playmaker. With the injury list full and the attack stripped bare, Gasperini is placing his faith entirely in Soulé, who must carry the team in a setting that holds particular meaning for him. It was at Napoli a year ago that his outstanding start to the previous season was abruptly halted by a fierce groin injury (pubalgia), which forced months of pain, time on the bench and rest after a start of seven goals and seven assists. Despite a summer dominated by transfer speculation and the possibility of a sale, Soulé has won back the trust of the club's environment and reclaimed his place in the side through his performances. Now, without his usual partners, he is ready to take centre stage: he must play in Donyell Malen and lead the team on a night that carries the feel of a major test.

Rodrigo Mora is being handed greater responsibility after Lorenzo Pellegrini's injury, which could keep the midfielder out until 2027 with a high-grade tear to his right thigh. Roma face Napoli at the Maradona tomorrow, and Mora is set to play alongside Matías Soulé behind centre-forward Donyell Malen, as Paulo Dybala is also sidelined with a calf injury. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini must now reshape his plan for Mora, whose game time has so far been gradual. In Serie A he has played an average of 46 minutes per match, according to Niccolò Maurelli writing in Repubblica. Mora now wants to take control of the attacking department and become Malen's new focal point. The two already share a strong understanding, as shown against Real at the Olimpico, when the Portuguese set up the striker for the goal that made it 2-1 for the time being. Mora will need to quickly absorb the tactical idea of the coach, who wants him to be more decisive in front of goal.

Rodrigo Mora is set to be handed a starting role for Roma's difficult away trip to Napoli at the Maradona, with Lorenzo Pellegrini injured and Paulo Dybala continuing to struggle with physical problems. According to La Repubblica, the emergency that has decimated Roma's attack gives the young Portuguese playmaker the chance to become a central figure on the night. Mora is expected to line up alongside Matías Soulé in the attacking midfield behind Donyell Malen. Until now he has been eased in gradually and has played only a handful of minutes in the league. He will need to show the maturity required to carry the weight of Roma's build-up play, and he can build on the understanding he has already shown with Malen in Europe against Real Madrid. To strengthen the trust of Gian Piero Gasperini, Mora must also improve in front of goal, increasing his effectiveness and adding to his goal tally. It is an important test, and a night that could mark his definitive arrival at the heart of the Giallorossi project. The report puts Mora's opportunity squarely in the context of Roma's injury problems in attack. Pellegrini's absence and Dybala's recurring fitness issues have left Gasperini with limited options, and the match at the Maradona is a demanding assignment for a player still building his place in the side.