Malen included in Xavi's Netherlands squad

Roma are reportedly showing renewed interest in Galatasaray midfielder Gabriel Sara, according to the German outlet fussball-news.de, as head coach Gian Piero Gasperini looks to strengthen the midfield when the January window opens. The report says Gasperini expects to add a midfielder, particularly after the serious injury suffered by Lorenzo Pellegrini. The Brazilian, born in 1999, plays for Galatasaray and has attracted the attention of several clubs. Roma had already sought him a couple of years ago. Napoli are also interested in Italy, while in the Premier League Newcastle and Everton have already expressed interest and are ready to offer around 30 million euros to secure his services. The report places the midfielder among the names under consideration as Roma look to reinforce the department, with the focus falling on a player who could fill the gap left by Pellegrini's absence.

Pierluigi Gollini returns to Old Trafford twelve years after leaving Manchester United, the club he joined as a teenager and the place where he first made his name. The Roma goalkeeper is coming back in a key moment of his time in Rome. Gollini left Fiorentina's youth sector in 2012, aged 16, to move to England. The decision angered sporting director Corvino. After two seasons in the Academy, he moved into the Under-21 side, alongside Macheda, and began training regularly with the first team. In 2013/14 he played three Youth League matches but never made a first-team debut for the Red Devils. A few months later he returned to Italy, signing for Verona. He went back to the Premier League two years later with Aston Villa, and again with Tottenham in 2021. Looking back on his time in Manchester, Gollini has spoken of how the experience shaped him deeply, both as a person and as a player, exposing him to a completely different culture and reality. He recalled how his father first raised the idea: "My dad at one point asked me: 'Would you feel up to going to play abroad?' We went out to dinner at a restaurant and at a certain point my dad pulled a little card out and placed it in front of me: it was the business card of Manchester United. I was incredulous, I couldn't believe it." He also said: "Manchester was fundamental for my development. In England there is a different mentality, much more open and functional. Looking at how a club is run, what surprises you most is the level of the youth sectors, where they immediately work on physicality. In Italy a young player coming from the Primavera can't establish himself because of his physique, while in England the gap between the Under-23s and the first team is not so pronounced." The return comes at a particular moment in his Roma career. A stress fracture to the foot suffered by Svilar gave Gollini the starting berth. The former Atalanta keeper seized the opportunity, making his seventh consecutive appearance of the season in Udine. An important test now lies ahead before the gloves are handed back to Svilar.

Roma are reportedly monitoring midfielder Gabriel Sara, who was tracked for several weeks in summer 2024 and could be back on the club's radar. The Turkish-based player is finding limited game time and is reportedly keen to make the step up to Serie A. The interest is part of a wider search to add options for Gian Piero Gasperini, particularly after recent physical problems for Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné. Reports from Germany say Roma face strong competition. Napoli have also reportedly shown interest, while Newcastle and Everton from the Premier League are said to be ready to offer around €30 million. For now, the interest is at the market-sounding stage, with no advanced negotiations between clubs.

Roma thrashed Udinese 5-0 and continued their remarkable scoring run, with 28 goals in the first ten rounds of the season, an average of 2.8 per match. The Corriere della Sera reports that it is the club's best return in a single-group league format, a record matched only in 1928-29, and Roma now boast the best attack in the division. The side have kept their attacking identity despite a long injury list. Svilar, Koné, Pellegrini and Dybala have all been sidelined, while Cristante has just returned from injury. Roma have not altered the way they play, and the team keeps pressing for goals even when the tempo drops. The goals have been spread across the squad rather than resting on one man. Malen is among the scorers, but the output is not down to him alone: 11 different players have scored in Serie A, rising to 14 once Champions League goals are included. Gasperini has highlighted that many of the goals come after well-constructed, attractive moves. The report places this side in a long Roman tradition of attacking football, from Liedholm's web-like passing and Eriksson's vertical play with Pruzzo, through Spalletti's team with Totti and Dzeko, to Zeman's offensive sides. The article argues that Gasperini's Roma now belongs in that gallery of teams that have made Roma fans dream.

Roma travel to Old Trafford for tomorrow evening's Champions League clash against Manchester United, a fixture that could shape their route towards the play-offs. Il Messaggero reports that Roma have struggled at this ground, losing all four previous visits, some by heavy margins. This time, though, the picture is different: Manchester United are third from bottom in the Premier League and going through a difficult spell, and English fans on social media fear another heavy defeat. Gian Piero Gasperini is not underestimating the opponent, however, and has to deal with several injuries. Paulo Dybala, Manu Koné and Mile Svilar will all miss the match. Dybala and Koné will try to recover for the Sassuolo fixture, while Svilar will not return until after the international break. Gollini is expected to continue in goal, having previously worn the Manchester United shirt. In defence, Evan N'Dicka, the returning Gianluca Mancini and one of Leonardo Balerdi or Mario Hermoso are set to start. Cristante and De Roon will form the midfield pairing. Wesley, closely watched by English scouts, is set to operate on the left, while the right-hand position remains an open contest. Without Dybala, Malen leads the attack: he has three goals and two assists in three European matches, and is eager to perform at a stadium where he previously played a few minutes for Aston Villa. Soulé will partner him, while the final place in the front three is between Mora, who is improving, and Pisilli, who wants to win back his place after resting in Udine. Roma finished their previous match in Udine strongly, and the squad now travels to England to prepare for the Champions League tie against Manchester United. The Old Trafford game is the first of the two visits, and the result is expected to weigh heavily on Roma's chances of reaching the play-offs.

Como's 4-1 win over Manchester United on 21 October at the Sinigaglia offers Roma a blueprint for Tuesday's clash at Old Trafford, two weeks later. The match exposed where Michael Carrick's side are vulnerable, and Nico Paz was the standout, scoring twice and providing an assist. Paz's first goal came after just two minutes. He received the ball at the edge of the box, found space between United's midfield and defence, took his time to control the ball and shot. Maguire dropped back instead of stepping out decisively to challenge him. A similar pattern appeared for the second goal: at 49', Paz had room to play a pass in behind for Douvikas, who beat Lammens. The third goal came from an error by Baleba, whom Paz pressed, before Paz recovered the ball and raced towards goal. Three different goals, but one common problem: United could not protect the central zone and could not reorganise when they lost possession. Como finished with 55% of the possession and a clear edge in the quality of their chances. Bruno Fernandes acknowledged the problems. After the heavy defeat, the captain questioned the team's tactical approach, telling TNT Sports: “It was a choice by the staff not to press man-to-man. But when you give too much space to teams like that, you allow them to gain confidence.” He added: “Sometimes we have to be braver, take the risk of a higher press and put the opponents under pressure.” Carrick offered a different reading, pointing out that the pressing attempts in the second half also created new problems. That is the fault line: when United wait, they give up space between the lines, and when they press without proper coordination, they leave gaps behind their midfield. Roma can exploit this. Gasperini has players suited to these areas. Soulé and Rodrigo Mora, moving behind Malen, can occupy the zones where Paz made the difference, Soulé with his ability to drift inside and create overloads, and Mora with his quick thinking, technique and runs into the box. Malen, in front of them, can attack the depth as soon as a gap opens between the defenders. Roma have 28 goals in their first ten league matches, a source of confidence, and the win at Udine, with Soulé, Mora and Malen all involved, showed the team can find different routes to goal. Roma also met Como on 11 October, ten days before the United result. That match ended 0-0, with Roma holding out for almost all of the second half with ten men after Malen was sent off at 53'. Gasperini had to give up his attacking ambitions to protect the result, and he still limited Paz. The two games were very different, but they say something about both sides: Como dominated a fragile United, while Roma showed they can change their approach without losing their shape. On Tuesday, though, Roma will need their attacking version. The article warns against assuming an easy win. United's crisis and Carrick's increasingly precarious position do not erase the quality of Bruno Fernandes, Mbeumo and Cunha, who are most dangerous when they can break in open space. Gasperini will need to find the right balance between aggression and cover. If Roma can get Soulé and Mora into the spaces left by United's midfielders, forcing the visitors' defence to choose between pressing out and protecting Malen, they could cause serious problems. The fault line has been identified; now Gasperini must widen it.