Massa to referee Roma–Inter as Cesari questions Orsato's 'conservative' choice

Angeliño, loaned to Deportivo La Coruña this summer with a buy option, made his first start in a year in the sixth matchday of Liga between Deportivo and Seville on 17 September 2026. The move brought no luck. After sitting on the bench for the opening four rounds, Angeliño was fielded in the starting XI but lasted only until the 60th minute, when he was sent off for a hard challenge on Miguel Sierra. The referee initially showed yellow but upgraded it to red after consulting the VAR. The dismissal came at the worst moment for Deportivo, who were already trailing 0–1 following Sierra's goal in the 52nd minute. Seville held on to win 0–1, leaving Angeliño's long-awaited return to competitive action marked by a straight red card.

Cristian Chivu will return to the Stadio Olimpico as a coach on Saturday for the second time, but the relationship between the Inter manager and Roma supporters remains tense following a controversial moment on 5 May 2010. After Inter won the Coppa Italia against Roma that day, Chivu made an obscene gesture to the entire stadium, displaying his middle finger with what the article describes as vulgar and theatrical gestures—a kind of "outburst". He was referred to authorities but acknowledged his error, saying: "I could tell many reasons to explain or justify an instinctive gesture, but when you make a mistake you apologise." During his time playing at the Olimpico, Chivu received persistent whistles from Roma supporters, a hostility that intensified after that May 2010 incident. Whether the resentment will have subsided by his return this weekend remains an open question.

Fulvio Collovati, a former defender who played for both Roma and Inter, has previewed Saturday's 18:00 kickoff at the Olimpico between the two clubs. Speaking to Il Giorno, Collovati highlighted Roma's transformation under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, singling out the team's improved defensive record and attacking threat. "A totally different squad," Collovati said of Roma. "It has the league's top scorer in Malen and concedes fewer goals. It plays one-on-one pressing, attacks you aggressively and certainly doesn't give up attacking. In defence the hierarchy looks well-defined, but then against Torino Balerdi played and did very well. Perhaps the Baresi comparison Gasperini made was a bit exaggerated, though I don't know the player so well." Roma currently have the best defence in Serie A. Collovati identified the flanks as crucial to the contest, noting: "I see a very interesting battle on the wings: Dimarco and Diouf on one side, Wesley and Molina or the young Lulli, who is very interesting, on the other. Inter especially relies heavily on the wing corridors, also having Bastoni." Collovati recalled that Roma-Inter matches have historically been high-scoring affairs. When asked if Roma's position at the top is a surprise, he replied: "Perhaps for those who don't know Gasperini. He took Atalanta to win the Europa League. The squad is back in the Champions League and for me this year it is destined to do more. Already the third place achieved in his first year with this manager was an exceptional achievement."

Fulvio Collovati, a former defender who played for both Roma and Inter, has previewed Saturday's 18:00 kickoff at the Olimpico between the two clubs. Speaking to Il Giorno, Collovati highlighted Roma's transformation under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, singling out the team's improved defensive record and attacking threat. "A totally different squad," Collovati said of Roma. "It has the league's top scorer in Malen and concedes fewer goals. It plays one-on-one pressing, attacks you aggressively and certainly doesn't give up attacking. In defence the hierarchy looks well-defined, but then against Torino Balerdi played and did very well. Perhaps the Baresi comparison Gasperini made was a bit exaggerated, though I don't know the player so well." Roma currently have the best defence in Serie A. Collovati identified the flanks as crucial to the contest, noting: "I see a very interesting battle on the wings: Dimarco and Diouf on one side, Wesley and Molina or the young Lulli, who is very interesting, on the other. Inter especially relies heavily on the wing corridors, also having Bastoni." Collovati recalled that Roma-Inter matches have historically been high-scoring affairs. When asked if Roma's position at the top is a surprise, he replied: "Perhaps for those who don't know Gasperini. He took Atalanta to win the Europa League. The squad is back in the Champions League and for me this year it is destined to do more. Already the third place achieved in his first year with this manager was an exceptional achievement."

Fulvio Collovati, who played for both Roma and Inter, has analysed the sides' meeting on Saturday at 18:00 at the Olimpico. Speaking to Il Giorno, the former defender praised Roma's defensive solidity this season while highlighting the tactical battle likely to unfold on the wings. Collovati noted Roma's transformation under Gasperini, pointing to Malen as the league's top scorer and the team's improved defensive record. He observed that "the squad is totally different. It has the league's leading goalscorer, Malen, and concedes fewer goals. It plays one-on-one pressing, it harries you and certainly does not give up attacking. The defensive hierarchies also seem well defined, though Balerdi played against Torino and did very well. Perhaps the comparison Gasperini made with Baresi was a bit exaggerated, although I don't know the player that well." On the match's key battle, Collovati identified the flanks as decisive: "I see a very interesting clash on the wings: Dimarco and Diouf on one side, Wesley and Molina or the young Lulli, who is very interesting, on the other. Above all, Inter rely heavily on the flanks, also having Bastoni. Generally, in my two years at Roma, I noticed that matches against Inter were often characterised by many goals, and in subsequent years it seemed the same happened." Collovati added that Gasperini's pedigree—leading Atalanta to win the Europa League—dispels any surprise at Roma's league position, describing third place in the coach's first season as "an exceptional achievement."

Fulvio Collovati, who played for both Roma and Inter, has analysed Saturday's meeting between the clubs at the Olimpico at 18:00. Roma have the best defence in the league this season, and Collovati attributed the improvement to a complete tactical overhaul. "A totally different team," he said. "It has the league's top scorer, Malen, and concedes less. It plays one-on-one under pressure, it aggresses you and certainly doesn't give up attacking. In defence the hierarchies seem well defined, but then against Torino Balerdi played and did very well. The comparison with Baresi that Gasperini made was perhaps a bit exaggerated, although I don't know the player that well." Collovati identified the wing play as the decisive battleground. "I see a very interesting clash on the flanks: Dimarco and Diouf on one side, Wesley and Molina or the young Lulli, who is very interesting, on the other. Inter especially relies heavily on the wide channels, also with Bastoni. In my time, in the two years I was at Roma, I noticed matches against Inter were often characterised by many goals, and in subsequent years it seemed to happen the same way." He dismissed any surprise at Roma's position near the top of the table. "Perhaps for those who don't know Gasperini. He took Atalanta to win the Europa League. The team returned to the Champions League, and for me this year it is destined to do more. Finishing third in the first year with this coach was already an exceptional achievement."