Massa to referee Roma–Inter; 34 previous meetings with the Giallorossi

Davide Massa of Imperia will referee Saturday's Serie A encounter between Roma and Inter at the Stadio Olimpico on 19 September at 18:00, the fifth round of fixtures. The supporting officials are Meli and Berti, with Maresca as fourth official. Mazzoleni will handle VAR duties and Di Paolo will be the assistant VAR. Roma's record with Massa is unfavourable: 34 matches yielding 10 victories, 12 draws and 12 defeats. His most recent appointment in charge of the Giallorossi came in the 2025–26 season, a 2–1 loss to Como at the Sinigaglia Stadium where Wesley was sent off for a second yellow card. Roma have failed to score in 10 matches under Massa's control. Their last win with him as referee dates to the 2022–23 season: Inter 1–2 Roma at San Siro, with goals from Dybala and Smalling. Inter enjoy a contrasting record. In 33 matches officiated by Massa, they have won 23, drawn 5 and lost 5. Their most recent fixture under him came in matchday 32 of the 2025–26 campaign, a 3–4 victory over Como at the Sinigaglia. Massa also directed matchday 7 of that same season, when Roma lost 0–1 to Inter.

Roma and Inter lead Serie A after four matches, both on 12 points with a perfect record. The two sides meet at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday at 18:00 in a direct contest between the league's two unbeaten teams. Inter have scored more (13 to Roma's 12), while Roma have conceded fewer goals (1 to Inter's 6). Roma hold top spot on goal difference alone: +11 to Inter's +7. Alongside Lazio and Como, both Roma and Inter stand out as the season's most in-form sides, distinguished as the only two teams to have beaten every opponent they have faced in Serie A—whether by comeback (Inter against Udinese, Roma against Atalanta), narrow margins (Torino against Roma), or heavy scorelines (Roma against Fiorentina and Inter against Monza). Roma remain unbeaten across all competitions this season; Inter have suffered one defeat. Both Gasperini and Chivu deploy a three-man defence but differ from midfield onwards. Inter favour a 3-5-2 with a regista and two box-to-box players; Roma prefer an extra attacking player to link the lines and feed forward Malen. Both sides build from the flanks and press high up the pitch. Roma's attacking pair of Dybala and Malen will face Inter's Thuram and Lautaro, while both squads benefit from strong domestic cores and versatile substitutes capable of winning matches from the bench.

Davide Massa of Imperia has been appointed to referee Roma's Serie A clash against Inter on Saturday 19 September at the Olimpico, with kickoff at 18:00. Meli and Berti will assist, Maresca will serve as fourth official, with Mazzoleni on VAR and Di Paolo as assistant VAR. Massa has overseen 34 matches involving Roma, making them the third team he has refereed most frequently after Juventus and Lazio, who each have 35 appearances. His record with the Giallorossi stands at 10 victories, 12 draws and 12 defeats. However, Roma have not won in any of their last 10 matches under Massa. Their last victory with him in charge came on 1 October 2022, when Roma won 2–1 away to Inter at San Siro. Massa's most recent match involving Roma took place on 15 March against Como at the Sinigaglia, where Como won 2–1. The fixture was marked by a controversial decision: Wesley was sent off for a supposed foul on Diao near the Roma penalty area, but replays showed the Brazilian defender had not made contact with the opponent.