Mancini backs Dybala as world-class talent; five teams in title race, not just Roma and Inter

Roma have developed a pattern of conceding goals in the opening stages of the second half, with Lautaro Martinez's strike for Inter marking the third such incident this season. Of the four goals Roma have conceded in the 2026-27 season, three arrived in the earliest moments after half-time: Ederson, Brown and Martinez. Head coach Gasperini does not view this as coincidence, according to Il Tempo. The issue is not new. Roma carried the habit from the 2025-26 season, when twelve goals were conceded in the first eleven minutes of second halves—two scored by Simeone in 2025 and ten more in 2026. Across last season's Serie A campaign, nine of those twelve came from the first thirty-one goals conceded overall, representing roughly one-third of Roma's defensive total. The vulnerability in the early stages of the restart represents a tactical concern that requires attention.

Roma's match against Inter on Saturday revealed a fundamental shift in how top coaches approach modern football. Gian Piero Gasperini made five substitutions in the fixture, a decision that exemplifies the sport's rapid tactical evolution. He replaced all three of his starting central defenders, a midfielder and an outside player, while keeping his attack unchanged throughout the ninety minutes. From the opposing dugout, Cristian Chivu made similarly bold choices, withdrawing a centre-back, a midfielder and a full-back before introducing his attacking changes only at the ninety-first minute. The match demonstrated how thoroughly the old certainties of football have eroded. For decades, an unwritten rule held that central defenders should never leave the pitch except through injury or at full-time. Chivu broke another long-standing taboo by making two substitutions immediately before a Roma corner kick and a set-piece—a move previously considered reckless. Both managers' decisions underscore how the sport now operates at such intensity that the five-substitution rule, introduced along with five-second throw-in limits and the ability to roll the ball out from the goalkeeper inside the penalty area, has become essential to surviving and controlling a match. Gasperini's own evolution on this matter is particularly telling. In previous comments on new regulations, the Grigliasco-born coach expressed reservations: "I don't like the five solutions, but I use them all. Teams don't drop off anymore; with all these changes nowadays it looks like basketball. Matches were prettier before, but these are the rules and I use all the slots." Today, he has abandoned those doubts entirely, converting the five-substitution rule into one of his primary weapons for reading and transforming matches in real time. The tactical performance against Inter confirms how thoroughly he has moved past those old reservations.

Leonardo Balerdi has become an indispensable leader of Roma's defence, translating a temperament forged in adversity into commanding performances at the highest level. Against Inter, he delivered a masterclass in defending, dominating his duel with Thuram through the match before asking to be substituted due to cramps. His performance—6 recoveries, 4 duels won out of 5, and 2 contrasts won out of 3—underscored just how vital he has become to Roma's ability to maintain a high defensive line. Barerdi's journey to this point has been marked by transformation. As a boy at Boca, his first coach nicknamed him "Rummenigge" for his physicality and blonde hair; teammates called him "Balazo" for his explosive temperament. He initially wanted to become a midfielder, inspired by Boca greats like Gago, Riquelme and Palermo, but his fierce character pushed him towards the centre of defence. At Marseille, however, that same intensity created friction. Manager De Zerbi publicly rebuked him after a defeat to Auxerre, saying—as reported by Équipe—"You have humiliated us and you have humiliated the club. You don't have the balls. And you, Leo, have less balls than all of them." At Roma, everything changed. Balerdi has blossomed into a complete defender: elegant, quick, dominant in the air and skilled in playing vertically. The sharpness of his defending against Inter—a spectacular battle of bodies with Thuram across the match—confirmed how much he has matured. When he departed the pitch, Roma's defensive shape immediately dropped deeper, a telling sign of his indispensability to the team's structure.

Giancarlo Antognoni, head of Italy's U21 delegation, has backed Emanuele Lulli for his first-ever senior youth squad call-up, saying the Roma defender merits the honour because he is playing regularly for his club. Speaking on the Amore Giallorosso programme on T9, Antognoni said: "I believe that Lulli deserves this call-up because he is playing as a starter for Roma and so coach Baldini has rightly taken him into consideration. Emanuele is an important player for Roma and will be for the national team too because his is a position that is somewhat uncovered. Before him we had Palestra and Kayode who were called up to the senior squad and so I believe that Lulli can represent an important surprise for the national team in future, and this is thanks to Roma for playing him. I believe Baldini sees something important in him." Lulli is among Roma's current squad and plays in the defensive ranks. Antognoni noted that Italy's U21 side have performed positively under coach Baldini, winning two recent senior friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece. The delegation head said the upcoming fixtures are pivotal: "We have these last two matches, and if we manage to win both of them we will qualify by right to first place. If something different happens, we will have to review our path a bit." Antognoni also discussed fellow Roma academy player Niccolò Pisilli, who is with the U21 squad. He stressed that being selected for the youth team rather than the senior side is not a demotion. "Pisilli is a guarantee for us," Antognoni said, "and being here instead of with the senior national team is not a step back. Mancini had called him up with the first squad, but since he is an important player for the U21 and we have these two important matches, it was decided to have him play with us." Pisilli celebrated his birthday during the squad's preparation phase. Italy's U21 team face Armenia next, followed by what Antognoni described as a probably decisive match against Poland as they pursue automatic qualification to the European Championship.

Bryan Cristante has been withdrawn from Italy's Nations League squad after sustaining an injury in Roma's Serie A match against Inter, forcing manager Roberto Mancini to call up Samuele Ricci as his replacement. Cristante was originally selected for the campaign but the physical problem forced him to withdraw from the squad for the clash against Belgium, which marks the start of Italy's new Nations League cycle. The absence provides an opportunity to examine Cristante's relationship with the Nations League and Italy's overall performance with and without him. Across 22 Nations League matches in the period examined, Cristante has appeared eight times. In the other 14 occasions, he has been unavailable: 12 times through non-selection and twice through remaining on the bench. When the Roma midfielder has featured, Italy have recorded four wins, two draws and two defeats. In the 14 matches where Cristante did not play, the Azzurri collected seven wins, six draws and just one loss. Looking specifically at the last six Nations League Finals matches analysed, Cristante appeared in exactly half of them—three times—while not being selected twice and remaining on the bench on one occasion. With Cristante on the pitch, Italy faced Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands, securing two victories and one defeat. A notable detail involving Roma's current squad emerged from the Netherlands match: Cristante started that fixture while Donyell Malen started for the opposition. Both players now share Roma's dressing room under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. In the three matches of that cycle where Cristante was not used, Italy recorded two losses against Germany and Spain, alongside a draw against Germany.

Alessandro Romano has emerged as a surprise of the season's start, drawing comparisons to players such as Matic and Strootman, and threatens to become another in a line of regretted departures alongside Calafiori and Frattesi. Roma sold him to Cagliari this summer for a combined fee of approximately €6.5 million in fixed and bonus payments. The sale generated crucial financial flexibility for the club, allowing Roma to avoid selling a key player before 30 June and freeing up resources after earlier departures of Saud, Baldanzi and Sangaré. Romano is now demonstrating the quality that head coach Gian Piero Gasperini had already identified during the previous season. His market value has tripled to around €15 million and is expected to rise further. Critically, Roma hold no buy-back clause; Cagliari would need to be relegated to Serie B to trigger a repurchase obligation, but the Sardinian club's strong start to the campaign has already eased those concerns. The midfielder has also caught the attention of national team officials—Roberto Mancini called him into the Italy squad. Romano made his Italy debut as a starter on Friday against Belgium, playing at the Stadio Olimpico itself—a twist of fate for the player Roma parted with.

Francesco Totti turns 50 on Sunday, marking half a century for a figure whose name is already eternal. The Roma legend spent 25 years with the club before his departure on 28 May 2017, a date described as the saddest but an event that captured worldwide attention. His story spans a lifetime of milestones tied to the letters of the alphabet, from his debut at the Rigamonti stadium on 28 March 1993 at just 16 years old, to the speciality that defined him: the chip shot, deployed from a epic strike at San Siro to penalties against the Netherlands to decisive blows in the Derby della Capitale. Totti played 40 derby matches and scored 11 goals in them—a record unmatched by any other Roma player. His idols included Giuseppe Giannini, whose number 10 shirt and captain's armband Totti eventually wore, eventually surpassing him. The Olimpico stadium served as the theatre of his dreams as a supporter and the stage for his playing career, where on 17 June 2001 he helped clinch Roma's third Scudetto against Parma—a joy linked inseparably to that date. Before Roma came his time at Lodigiani between 1986 and 1989. His father Enzo, nicknamed Lo Sceriffo, played a fundamental role in his life, as did his three children—Christian, Chanel and Isabel, in that order—and his marriage to Ilary, a love story that captivated and divided Italy. Totti reached the milestone of 300 goals, which eventually became 307, all in the Roma shirt. He won the World Cup after a serious ankle injury that made his participation miraculous, and his decisive contributions made victory a triumph. His number 10 shirt has never been worn by another Roma player since, not even by Paulo Dybala. Key figures in his career included coach Zeman, described as the most important manager alongside Mazzone and almost a second father, and Vito Scala, more than a physiotherapist—a reference point from his youth onwards. His humour and self-irony have always defined him, celebrated in a famous collection of jokes. His new love, Noemi, has changed the life of the former number ten.

Gian Piero Gasperini has granted Roma an additional day off, cancelling training and rescheduling the squad's return to Trigoria for Tuesday afternoon. The head coach will spend the intervening days away from Rome. Lorenzo Pellegrini is back fit and ready to feature in the trip to Como on 11 October after sitting out the last two consecutive matches against Torino and Inter. Wesley, Bryan Cristante and Donyell Malen are all available with no fitness concerns. The main talking point, however, centres on a potential trip to Argentina for Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina. Both players have received official invitations from the Argentine Football Association to attend a tribute ceremony for Lionel Messi's international retirement on 6 October at the Monumental stadium, an event open to all members of Argentina's 2022 World Cup-winning squad. Gasperini would prefer to avoid the lengthy intercontinental journey for the pair just days before the Como league fixture, particularly given that neither would feature in that match. Dybala and Molina are both keenly motivated to attend an occasion of profound emotional and historical significance to Argentine supporters. Discussions between the club, coaching staff and players are set to continue in the coming days.

Donyell Malen has scored 20 goals in 23 Serie A appearances across the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons, averaging a goal every 91 minutes on the pitch. His latest strike came against Turin, underlining his prolific form. Gasperini, however, is determined not to rely solely on Malen's finishing and is searching the squad for attackers capable of matching his pace. The approach mirrors Gasperini's nine years at Atalanta, where he consistently fielded multiple prolific forwards. Between 2018-19 onwards, Atalanta registered at least two players with 10 or more goals in every season, peaking at four double-figure scorers in 2023-24—the campaign they won the Europa League—when Scamacca, Koopmeiners, Lookman and De Ketelaere all scored in double figures in Serie A alone. Last season at Roma, Matías Soulé was the second-highest scorer with six goals, while all other attackers lagged behind Wesley, who managed five. This season, only Soulé and Rodrigo Mora have opened their accounts, while Paulo Dybala remains without a goal, as does Lorenzo Pellegrini, who is awaiting his debut. From the Como fixture onwards, those players face the task of sharpening Roma's attacking edge and lifting the overall potency of the forward line.