Mancini weighing surprise call-ups for Italy: Doumbia, Romano and Ali Zoma in the frame

Roma defender Daniele Ghilardi has spoken about scoring his first Serie A goal, in the win over Udinese, and said the squad is full of players who all feel like starters under Gian Piero Gasperini. Speaking to Dazn after the match, Ghilardi described the moment: "Yes, it's my first goal in Serie A. I'm very happy. I struck it with all the strength I had. It was the end of the match, I had cramp in my calves. I was dead, I was stretching and they didn't see me." Asked whether he celebrated better than Emanuele Lulli, he laughed off the comparison: "Emanuele wasn't used to it, I've scored 2 in B and 1 in C. Few, but something. I'm very happy. It took me more than two seasons to do it, and I'm glad." Ghilardi also explained how Gasperini's attacking style helps defenders get forward. "We're used to getting into the box and playing in the penalty area. The coach says all of us have the quality to score or assist, and we work on it a lot in training. I think it shows." He has scored one goal and provided two assists in 10 days, and has only one assist in his career before this run. Asked when that was, he recalled: "A Mantova-Vicenza, with a goal by Padella. I remember it very well." Asked whether everyone in the Roma squad is really a starter, Ghilardi replied: "Yes, we're really all starters and it shows. Everyone has played and each of us has had his own minutes, doing what he had to do. We're having a great season and we'll keep going like this. There are many matches and we need everyone."

Roma travel to Udinese for Serie A matchday 10, with Gian Piero Gasperini's side needing to keep pace with Inter and Lazio, who sit top on 4 points more than Roma, while also keeping an eye on Como, who are just one point behind. Roma come into the fixture after beating Cagliari. Defender Lulli is set for a confirmation in the starting line-up after the win over Cagliari. Donyell Malen is ready to return from the start alongside Matías Soulé. Rodrigo Mora, decisive in the last round, is pushing for a starting shirt. Paulo Dybala remains out. On the Udinese side, Zaniolo is set for a return to his old club, ready to help the hosts climb a table that is very complicated for the Friulani. The article also covers where to watch the match on television (Sky and Dazn), the kickoff time and the current Serie A standings.

Roma head to Udinese with Gian Piero Gasperini making several changes to his starting line-up, with Daniele Ghilardi coming into the defence. The match is part of a demanding run of fixtures for the Giallorossi, and the team sheets for both sides have been confirmed. In midfield, Marten de Roon keeps his place rather than being rested and will pair with Bryan Cristante. Up front, Rodrigo Mora and Matías Soulé form the attacking partnership, with Donyell Malen playing behind them. Udinese are coached by Runjaic and line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Okoye in goal and Zaniolo and Ekkelenkamp supporting Davis in attack. Roma's starting XI is Gollini; Ghilardi, Ndicka, Hermoso; Molina, Cristante, De Roon, Wesley; Soulé, Mora; Malen, set out in a 3-4-2-1. For Udinese, Okoye starts in goal, with Abankwah, Kabasele and Palma in defence, Vojvoda, Piotrowski, Karlström and Kamara in midfield, and Davis leading the line. On the bench, Roma have Vásquez, De Marzi, Koulierakis, Rensch, Mancini, Pisilli, Lulli, Di Nunzio, Castro, Arena and Camara among the options available to Gasperini. Udinese's replacements include Padelli, Mrozek, Bertola, Ebosse, Zarraga, Miller, Lovric, Arizala, Chakvetadze, Jovanovic, Unai Gómez and Vinciati.

Gian Piero Gasperini said Roma's goal tally from many different scorers is a "great signal" after his side beat Udinese 4-0 in the tenth round of Serie A at the Bluenergy Stadium. Roma have scored 28 goals in ten matches, a striking change from last season, and Malen is not the only source of their threat. "The numbers sometimes count and say something. Certainly, as well as scoring many goals, we are scoring them with many different players. This is also a sign of confidence, of many players who now believe they can be decisive, both in the assist, as in this case, and in the finish. So we are scoring more goals and with more players. This is a great signal." Roma led 4-0 at half-time, but the second half saw them ease off, particularly in offensive intensity. Gasperini said the drop was understandable: "I don't know, because even the teams fighting for the top positions have some small problems. I have to say it is quite normal. When you go 4-0 up, although at half-time we told each other to be very careful, keep defending well and not conceding, it is clear something can drop. We play in Manchester in three days, we are playing a lot. This was our eighth match in less than twenty days. So what is lacking is not so much physical strength as a little attention and concentration. Then we conceded a goal from distance that reopened the game a little. It was a bad goal, because we were set up and that is exactly the sign of having switched off mentally. We would never have conceded a goal like that. But it is also true that as soon as we had the chance to accelerate, we could still be dangerous." Asked about the impressive performances of Roma's young players, and Ghilardi's goal, Gasperini credited the group's attitude: "I have the good fortune of having all the players, even the less young ones, who give me great availability. With young players there is always this availability, because they want to emerge and improve. I am lucky to have a group with a fantastic mix. We may have other kinds of faults, but in terms of availability it is total." He added: "Ghilardi, moreover, was quite angry because recently a goal was disallowed for him in the Champions League against Slovan, a really beautiful goal. That desire to score stayed inside him and tonight he scored a beautiful goal." On the physical demands of the calendar, Gasperini said: "A period this long, with this continuity of matches three times a week, I struggle to remember. It has happened to me at other times, for example with Atalanta in the year we won the Europa League. We had reached the final of the Coppa Italia too and were fighting for the Champions League in the league. But that was March-April, a different period. A situation like this I do not remember. There is certainly a lot of fatigue, because the matches you go to play are all high-level and very difficult. I think after the next break, although the commitments will continue to be many, the situation will be a little less heavy. Especially for us, who for almost all of this period have had the absences of Svilar, Koné, Dybala and Pellegrini. Being able to rotate the squad, get everyone playing and distribute minutes is certainly helping us." Asked whether any of the injured players could return before the break, Gasperini said: "It is difficult, but I hope so. In theory all three could recover, but it could also be that none of them do. We will see, this will be a decisive week." On Cristante, who was outstanding, Gasperini said: "The pre-season preparation has stayed the same. What varies a little is the reading of individual players, we also work individually. It is difficult to train Mora the same as Mancini or N'Dicka, we have our own parameters and reads, and we work a lot on the players, that yes. There is a lot of individualised work. Honestly, I remember Cristante like this." He explained that Cristante had been out for a month with a knee injury that affected the collateral ligament, adding: "He has played three games in a row after a month out, a bit like De Roon, the more he plays the better he gets. He recovers quickly and that is a good sign." Gasperini also reflected on the season so far: "You can never know beforehand what will happen. I have a group that is hungry to improve and sets team goals to get better, we are not thinking about anything grand. Tactical work we do not have much time for, we learn during matches. By playing we have undoubtedly grown, and we have great confidence in the whole squad. Using everyone also helps, so everyone is ready." On the attacking play, he said: "I see myself in all the concepts of play. There were also goals of fine quality, N'Dicka scoring with a header from a corner, and all the others were fine assists with equally fine goals. Right now everyone is in confidence, when we get there there is aggression from everyone." Roma return to Manchester in three days' time, with Gasperini's side facing a demanding run of matches before the international break.

Roma produced a dominant display to beat Udinese 5-2 at the Bluenergy Stadium in the tenth round of Serie A, with Cristante, Rodrigo Mora, Malen, Ndicka and Ghilardi all on the scoresheet. Cristante was named the best player on the pitch by the Giallorossi.net editorial team, which rated him 8 out of 10, after a first half the reviewer described as monstrous: he opened the scoring with a header and then set up Rodrigo Mora for the second goal. Soulé was credited with an assist for the third goal and also set up Ndicka's header for the fourth. The result was a commanding performance from Gasperini's side, who were rated 7.5 for the manager's work despite heavy absences. The first half was largely one-sided, with Roma playing an attacking, brilliant brand of football. The second half was more loose, and Udinese scored twice, though the reviewer felt those goals were avoidable and did not detract from a strong evening. Ghilardi was rated 7.5 and was praised for playing with a composure surprising for his age, staying clean in his challenges and sealing the win with a late goal. Ndicka, rated 7, was described as attentive and was rewarded with a headed goal that made it 4-0 for the time being. Hermoso, rated 6.5, was praised for his passing and his quality with the ball. Soulé was rated 7.5 and was singled out for quality, personality and an added concreteness, with the reviewer saying he had finally made the step up that had long been asked of him. De Roon, rated 7, was praised for taking control of midfield and for his positioning. Wesley, rated 6.5, was credited with the cross for Cristante's opening header but was criticised for avoidable technical errors. Molina, rated 6, was judged to have been less convincing and was said to have made numerous simple mistakes. Gollini was rated 6, having had little to do in the first half before being beaten twice after the break. Rodrigo Mora, rated 7, scored the second goal, his third of the season, despite limited minutes, and was described as a player who knows how to find the net. Malen, rated 7, had a missed chance against the crossbar but then produced a clinical left-foot finish past Okoye. Malen was described as always dangerous, and Castro, rated 6, came on and was said to have been repeatedly called back to the bench by Gasperini before providing the pass for Ghilardi's late goal. Pisilli was rated 6 after coming on, and Koulierakis and Rensch and Mancini all came on late in the game without leaving a mark.

Roma beat Udinese 5-2 at Udine on Halloween, with Bryan Cristante, Rodrigo Mora, Donyell Malen and Evan Ndicka all scoring in a dominant first half, and Daniele Ghilardi adding a late goal. Roma move up to 24 points and are temporarily just one point behind joint leaders Inter and Lazio. Gasperini named Ghilardi, Ndicka and Hermoso in defence in front of Gollini, with Cristante and De Roon in midfield, Molina and Wesley on the flanks, and Malen and Soulé alongside Rodrigo Mora up front. Udinese opened brightly, with Miller testing Gollini from distance, but Roma struck at their first real attack. Cristante headed home from Wesley's cross inside ten minutes, beating Okoye with a powerful run and header. Udinese tried to respond through physical play and Vojvoda's left-foot effort, which Gollini held comfortably. Roma then hit the woodwork twice within a minute. Soulé struck the post after taking advantage of a mistake by Palma, and Malen, with the goal open, hit the crossbar after Okoye parried his first-time shot. Gasperini was seen on the bench in disbelief. The second goal came on the half-hour, when Cristante sent a strong ball to the far post for Mora to tap in. Two minutes later Malen made amends for his miss, skipping past Kabasele and curling a left-footed shot into the corner. Cristante then tried a backheel that Okoye saved, and Ndicka headed in Soulé's perfect corner in the 37th minute. Zaniolo was the main outlet for Udinese, but Ndicka dealt with him well. Maresca sent the teams off at half-time with no added time. The second half began without changes and at a slower pace. Five minutes in, Nicolò Zaniolo reduced the deficit, reacting first to the rebound from Gollini after Miller's long-range effort. Gasperini was furious on the touchline at his side's start to the half. Malen then missed a chance from close range after Molina's cross arrived a moment late. Runjaic made changes on the hour, bringing on Chakvetadze and Unai Gomez for Davis and Ekkelenkamp. Gasperini replied by sending on Castro and Pisilli for Malen and Mora. Palma pulled one back for Udinese with a sweet first-time right-foot strike with twelve minutes left. Gasperini immediately made changes, bringing on Rensch and Mancini for Wesley and Soulé. Unai Gomez came close for Udinese at the 83rd minute. Ghilardi settled the match in the second minute of added time with a powerful first-time right-foot shot that Okoye could not reach. Roma won 5-2, and Maresca blew for full time after four minutes of added time.

Roma have scored 28 goals in their first ten matches of the 2026-27 season, a club record, after a 5-3 win at Udinese. The tally surpasses the previous record of 26 goals, set in 1960/61 and 2016/17, and the goals have come from a wide spread of players rather than relying on Donyell Malen, although he is leading the side. Under Gian Piero Gasperini, Roma have become a side that is always dangerous and always able to finish, with many matches won by at least four goals across Serie A and the Champions League. Roma have scored with 14 different players so far: Malen, Niccolò Pisilli, Manu Koné, Matías Soulé, Mario Hermoso, Emanuele Lulli, Rodrigo Mora, Bryan Cristante, Marten de Roon, Santiago Castro, Nahuel Molina and Leonardo Balerdi. Evan N'Dicka and Daniele Ghilardi also scored against Udinese and join that list. The results are reflected in the table: 24 points from ten matches, the club's best start since 2013. Last season Roma had 21 points at this stage, and two seasons ago they had just 13. To find similar numbers, you have to go back to 2022, when Mourinho reached 22 points. The Udinese victory was not simply a big win but proof of a team that scores with a consistency never seen before at the club. The 28 goals in the opening ten rounds represent a milestone the club had never reached, and the tally was built across Serie A and the Champions League alike.

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has credited his squad's availability and attitude for the team's improved attacking numbers, after a match against Udinese in Serie A's tenth round that ended with a 4-0 scoreline at some point in the game. Gasperini said the goals are coming from many different players, which he views as a sign of confidence: "Many players now believe they can be decisive in the assist or in the finish. This is a great signal." Asked whether Roma can make the step up to the top positions and the title race, Gasperini was cautious. "I don't know, even those who are fighting for the top positions have some small problems. It is also quite normal after the 4-0." He admitted that Roma had created many chances in the first half but eased off in the second. "At half-time we had told each other to be careful and not to concede a goal. In three days we play at Manchester. This was our eighth match in less than twenty days. A bit of attention and concentration goes missing. We conceded a goal from distance, a bad goal, a sign of carelessness. But as soon as we had the chance to accelerate, we could still be dangerous." Gasperini also praised the younger players, including Lulli and Ghilardi, who have impressed this season. "I am fortunate to have all the players, even the less young ones, who give huge availability. Young players usually always give it, they want to emerge and improve. I am lucky to have a group that is a fantastic mix. We may have other faults, but the availability is total." He added that Ghilardi was frustrated after a well-taken goal was disallowed in the Champions League against Slovan, and that he was eager to score again, which he did this evening. On whether this is the hardest period to be a coach in Italy, Gasperini said: "A period this long, with matches three times a week, I struggle to remember. It has happened to me in other periods, like with Atalanta when we won the Europa League and were still in the Coppa Italia. We went deep in all the competitions, but it was March-April. This is a period I do not remember like this. There is a lot of fatigue because you play matches always at a high level and with difficulty. After the next break, although the fixtures will continue to be many, it will be a little less. In this period there has been the absence of Svilar, Koné, Dybala, Pellegrini... rotating the squad is helping us in terms of minutes played." Asked whether any players could return before the international break, excluding Pellegrini, Gasperini said: "Difficult. I hope so. In theory all three, but it could also be no one. We will see this week, it will be decisive."

Roma defender Daniele Ghilardi has spoken about scoring his first Serie A goal, in the win over Udinese, and said the squad is full of players who all feel like starters under Gian Piero Gasperini. Speaking to Dazn after the match, Ghilardi described the moment: "Yes, it's my first goal in Serie A. I'm very happy. I struck it with all the strength I had. It was the end of the match, I had cramp in my calves. I was dead, I was stretching and they didn't see me." Asked whether he celebrated better than Emanuele Lulli, he laughed off the comparison: "Emanuele wasn't used to it, I've scored 2 in B and 1 in C. Few, but something. I'm very happy. It took me more than two seasons to do it, and I'm glad." Ghilardi also explained how Gasperini's attacking style helps defenders get forward. "We're used to getting into the box and playing in the penalty area. The coach says all of us have the quality to score or assist, and we work on it a lot in training. I think it shows." He has scored one goal and provided two assists in 10 days, and has only one assist in his career before this run. Asked when that was, he recalled: "A Mantova-Vicenza, with a goal by Padella. I remember it very well." Asked whether everyone in the Roma squad is really a starter, Ghilardi replied: "Yes, we're really all starters and it shows. Everyone has played and each of us has had his own minutes, doing what he had to do. We're having a great season and we'll keep going like this. There are many matches and we need everyone."

Roma have scored 28 goals in their first ten matches of the 2026-27 season, a club record, after a 5-3 win at Udinese. The tally surpasses the previous record of 26 goals, set in 1960/61 and 2016/17, and the goals have come from a wide spread of players rather than relying on Donyell Malen, although he is leading the side. Under Gian Piero Gasperini, Roma have become a side that is always dangerous and always able to finish, with many matches won by at least four goals across Serie A and the Champions League. Roma have scored with 14 different players so far: Malen, Niccolò Pisilli, Manu Koné, Matías Soulé, Mario Hermoso, Emanuele Lulli, Rodrigo Mora, Bryan Cristante, Marten de Roon, Santiago Castro, Nahuel Molina and Leonardo Balerdi. Evan N'Dicka and Daniele Ghilardi also scored against Udinese and join that list. The results are reflected in the table: 24 points from ten matches, the club's best start since 2013. Last season Roma had 21 points at this stage, and two seasons ago they had just 13. To find similar numbers, you have to go back to 2022, when Mourinho reached 22 points. The Udinese victory was not simply a big win but proof of a team that scores with a consistency never seen before at the club. The 28 goals in the opening ten rounds represent a milestone the club had never reached, and the tally was built across Serie A and the Champions League alike.

Roma produced a dominant display to beat Udinese 5-2 at the Bluenergy Stadium in the tenth round of Serie A, with Cristante, Rodrigo Mora, Malen, Ndicka and Ghilardi all on the scoresheet. Cristante was named the best player on the pitch by the Giallorossi.net editorial team, which rated him 8 out of 10, after a first half the reviewer described as monstrous: he opened the scoring with a header and then set up Rodrigo Mora for the second goal. Soulé was credited with an assist for the third goal and also set up Ndicka's header for the fourth. The result was a commanding performance from Gasperini's side, who were rated 7.5 for the manager's work despite heavy absences. The first half was largely one-sided, with Roma playing an attacking, brilliant brand of football. The second half was more loose, and Udinese scored twice, though the reviewer felt those goals were avoidable and did not detract from a strong evening. Ghilardi was rated 7.5 and was praised for playing with a composure surprising for his age, staying clean in his challenges and sealing the win with a late goal. Ndicka, rated 7, was described as attentive and was rewarded with a headed goal that made it 4-0 for the time being. Hermoso, rated 6.5, was praised for his passing and his quality with the ball. Soulé was rated 7.5 and was singled out for quality, personality and an added concreteness, with the reviewer saying he had finally made the step up that had long been asked of him. De Roon, rated 7, was praised for taking control of midfield and for his positioning. Wesley, rated 6.5, was credited with the cross for Cristante's opening header but was criticised for avoidable technical errors. Molina, rated 6, was judged to have been less convincing and was said to have made numerous simple mistakes. Gollini was rated 6, having had little to do in the first half before being beaten twice after the break. Rodrigo Mora, rated 7, scored the second goal, his third of the season, despite limited minutes, and was described as a player who knows how to find the net. Malen, rated 7, had a missed chance against the crossbar but then produced a clinical left-foot finish past Okoye. Malen was described as always dangerous, and Castro, rated 6, came on and was said to have been repeatedly called back to the bench by Gasperini before providing the pass for Ghilardi's late goal. Pisilli was rated 6 after coming on, and Koulierakis and Rensch and Mancini all came on late in the game without leaving a mark.

Roma beat Udinese 5-2 at Udine on Halloween, with Bryan Cristante, Rodrigo Mora, Donyell Malen and Evan Ndicka all scoring in a dominant first half, and Daniele Ghilardi adding a late goal. Roma move up to 24 points and are temporarily just one point behind joint leaders Inter and Lazio. Gasperini named Ghilardi, Ndicka and Hermoso in defence in front of Gollini, with Cristante and De Roon in midfield, Molina and Wesley on the flanks, and Malen and Soulé alongside Rodrigo Mora up front. Udinese opened brightly, with Miller testing Gollini from distance, but Roma struck at their first real attack. Cristante headed home from Wesley's cross inside ten minutes, beating Okoye with a powerful run and header. Udinese tried to respond through physical play and Vojvoda's left-foot effort, which Gollini held comfortably. Roma then hit the woodwork twice within a minute. Soulé struck the post after taking advantage of a mistake by Palma, and Malen, with the goal open, hit the crossbar after Okoye parried his first-time shot. Gasperini was seen on the bench in disbelief. The second goal came on the half-hour, when Cristante sent a strong ball to the far post for Mora to tap in. Two minutes later Malen made amends for his miss, skipping past Kabasele and curling a left-footed shot into the corner. Cristante then tried a backheel that Okoye saved, and Ndicka headed in Soulé's perfect corner in the 37th minute. Zaniolo was the main outlet for Udinese, but Ndicka dealt with him well. Maresca sent the teams off at half-time with no added time. The second half began without changes and at a slower pace. Five minutes in, Nicolò Zaniolo reduced the deficit, reacting first to the rebound from Gollini after Miller's long-range effort. Gasperini was furious on the touchline at his side's start to the half. Malen then missed a chance from close range after Molina's cross arrived a moment late. Runjaic made changes on the hour, bringing on Chakvetadze and Unai Gomez for Davis and Ekkelenkamp. Gasperini replied by sending on Castro and Pisilli for Malen and Mora. Palma pulled one back for Udinese with a sweet first-time right-foot strike with twelve minutes left. Gasperini immediately made changes, bringing on Rensch and Mancini for Wesley and Soulé. Unai Gomez came close for Udinese at the 83rd minute. Ghilardi settled the match in the second minute of added time with a powerful first-time right-foot shot that Okoye could not reach. Roma won 5-2, and Maresca blew for full time after four minutes of added time.