Molina in contention, Soulé set to start against Fenerbahçe

Roma will line up against Fenerbahce on 10 September using the tactical system Gian Piero Gasperini has favoured since pre-season: a central playmaker operating behind two mobile strikers, rather than two wide attacking midfielders. The formation is designed specifically to disrupt Fenerbahce's build-up play. Ismail Kartal's side typically deploy a 4-2-3-1, which leaves a deep-lying regulator vulnerable in the opening phase; Roma aim to press that regulator and rapidly flood the opposition half once possession is won. This approach proved effective against Fiorentina, Lecce, and Atalanta in the early league matches. The key tactical uncertainty centres on who plays as the central playmaker. Rodrigo Mora naturally favours the role, receiving the ball inside the pitch and immediately seeking a vertical pass. Matías Soulé, deployed from the same position, tends to drift right where he finds his preferred angles and space. However, after scoring decisively against Atalanta, the Argentine appears to have gained ground and could start ahead of the Portuguese midfielder. Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen are expected to lead the attack; Gasperini has made clear he will not "preserve" Dybala when he is fit, and Dybala is keen to return to Champions League football after a five-year absence. Malen has started the season strongly as a primary attacking reference. On the flanks, Roma are likely to employ the successful approach used against Atalanta: overloading the right to draw pressure and freeing space on the left, where Bryan Cristante launches switches to Wesley. Wesley will be asked to push high and operate almost as an extra attacker during periods of possession in the opposition half. Nahuel Molina's candidacy for the right-back slot has grown after a positive appearance against Atalanta; his international experience may see him preferred to Emanuele Lulli in the starting eleven, though Lulli has delivered solid performances. Leonardo Balerdi, who impressed on Saturday, is in contention at centre-back, though Evan N'Dicka remains the favourite. The expected base formation will see Mile Svilar in goal, Gianluca Mancini, N'Dicka, and Konstantinos Koulierakis in defence, with Molina and Wesley as full-backs, Cristante and Manu Koné in midfield, and either Soulé or Mora supporting Dybala and Malen. Gasperini intends minimal rotation and continuity in identity: high pressure, aggressive spatial occupation, and numerous players advancing into the opposition half.

Roma return to the Champions League for the first time since March 2019 when they visit Fenerbahce on 10 September at 18:45, a match that carries far more than ceremonial significance despite the seven-and-a-half-year absence from the competition. Gian Piero Gasperini's side will face Real Madrid, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain across the eight-match league phase, alongside Sporting, Slovan Bratislava, AEK and Lille. Istanbul falls into the category of fixture where Roma cannot afford to drop points if they are to build a path to qualification: it is a complicated away trip against a fierce opponent of genuine quality, but one where the club must arrive with ambition rather than damage limitation. Gasperini is expected to keep his lineup largely unchanged, with Dybala, Malen, Koné, Mancini and Wesley forming the core of the team and only minimal adjustments under consideration. The return to Champions League football will not be treated as an experimental laboratory but as Roma's first genuine international test at this level. The squad that plays in Istanbul is almost entirely different from the one that faced Porto in Roma's last Champions League match seven years ago; only Cristante and Pellegrini remain from that night. The fixture carries additional narrative weight: Romelu Lukaku, who played alongside Dybala in Roma's attack, and Mason Greenwood—the player Roma pursued throughout the summer transfer window before his move to Fenerbahce—will play on the opposite side. For Dybala, it marks a return to the Champions League stage after five years away; for Roma as a club, it represents a test of whether a squad built to compete at this level can deliver when the stage and intensity demand it.

Roma are expected to maintain the attacking setup Gian Piero Gasperini has adopted since preseason when they face Fenerbahçe: a central playmaker operating behind two strikers, rather than the traditional two wide attacking midfielders he has historically favoured. This tactical shift has been applied specifically against teams defending with four defenders, particularly those with a deep-lying midfielder that needs to be screened during build-up play. Every opponent Roma have faced so far this season—Fiorentina, Lecce, and Atalanta—has set up with four defenders. Fenerbahçe operates the same system, making the same approach likely for the encounter in Istanbul. The central playmaker role has primarily been filled by Matías Soulé or Rodrigo Mora, positioned behind a strike partnership of Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen. Against Lecce, Soulé operated between a central position and the flank, but the formula has remained consistent across matches. Following his strong display against Atalanta, Soulé appears to have the edge over Mora in Gasperini's selection for the upcoming fixture. The tactical flexibility—shifting from wide support to a more direct central attacking presence—reflects Gasperini's adaptation to opponents' defensive structures as he continues reshaping Roma's approach.

Roma will line up against Fenerbahce on 10 September using the tactical system Gian Piero Gasperini has favoured since pre-season: a central playmaker operating behind two mobile strikers, rather than two wide attacking midfielders. The formation is designed specifically to disrupt Fenerbahce's build-up play. Ismail Kartal's side typically deploy a 4-2-3-1, which leaves a deep-lying regulator vulnerable in the opening phase; Roma aim to press that regulator and rapidly flood the opposition half once possession is won. This approach proved effective against Fiorentina, Lecce, and Atalanta in the early league matches. The key tactical uncertainty centres on who plays as the central playmaker. Rodrigo Mora naturally favours the role, receiving the ball inside the pitch and immediately seeking a vertical pass. Matías Soulé, deployed from the same position, tends to drift right where he finds his preferred angles and space. However, after scoring decisively against Atalanta, the Argentine appears to have gained ground and could start ahead of the Portuguese midfielder. Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen are expected to lead the attack; Gasperini has made clear he will not "preserve" Dybala when he is fit, and Dybala is keen to return to Champions League football after a five-year absence. Malen has started the season strongly as a primary attacking reference. On the flanks, Roma are likely to employ the successful approach used against Atalanta: overloading the right to draw pressure and freeing space on the left, where Bryan Cristante launches switches to Wesley. Wesley will be asked to push high and operate almost as an extra attacker during periods of possession in the opposition half. Nahuel Molina's candidacy for the right-back slot has grown after a positive appearance against Atalanta; his international experience may see him preferred to Emanuele Lulli in the starting eleven, though Lulli has delivered solid performances. Leonardo Balerdi, who impressed on Saturday, is in contention at centre-back, though Evan N'Dicka remains the favourite. The expected base formation will see Mile Svilar in goal, Gianluca Mancini, N'Dicka, and Konstantinos Koulierakis in defence, with Molina and Wesley as full-backs, Cristante and Manu Koné in midfield, and either Soulé or Mora supporting Dybala and Malen. Gasperini intends minimal rotation and continuity in identity: high pressure, aggressive spatial occupation, and numerous players advancing into the opposition half.

Gian Piero Gasperini will oversee his 35th Champions League match as a manager when Roma travel to Istanbul to face Fenerbahce. The coach has opted against rotation and will deploy his strongest available squad on the pitch of the Turkish club. The starting eleven will feature Paulo Dybala, Donyell Malen, Manu Koné and Gianluca Mancini from the first minute. The only change from the previous Serie A fixture against Atalanta concerns the right flank, where Nahuel Molina is set to replace Emanuele Lulli and bring his 37 appearances accumulated across the competition to bear. Gasperini has guided Roma back to Europe's elite competition after the club finished third in Serie A last season. The manager carries a continental record of 12 victories, 9 draws and 13 defeats across his Champions League career. Roma's squad will fly to Turkey on 9 September for a pre-match training session ahead of Gasperini's scheduled press conference at 17:00 Italian time. On the club front, Roma's sporting director Tony D'Amico was questioned by the FIGC Federal Prosecutor on 8 September to clarify an incident that occurred after the recent Serie A match against Atalanta. D'Amico provided his account of sustained insults he received from Atalanta CEO Luca Percassi near the Tribuna 1907 and in the stadium car park at the Olimpico. His testimony aligned with statements given by stewards on duty in that section.

Roma's radio stations weighed in on the club's Champions League campaign launch and squad decisions ahead of Thursday's fixture in Istanbul. Roberto Pruzzo told Radio Radio he saw no red flags in the project: "The sensation around Roma is absolutely positive, there seems to be only one path and they are following it. Everyone is behind the manager, and that feels like the most positive signal. There are technical qualities that let the coach make changes when necessary without negative impact. Right now I don't see any downsides. Until the break I expect Roma to physically surprise opponents—I think they've done targeted planning to go 200 kilometres per hour until the break." Staff changes dominated discussion of squad depth. Ilario Di Giovambattista reported that Nahuel Molina would play against Fenerbahce, while Lorenzo Pellegrini's first call-up would come at Torino. Paolo Marcacci anticipated "surgical changes" for Istanbul, potentially including Santiago Castro for Donyell Malen up front. Paolo Cosenza and Piero Torri both attacked the travel ban on Roma province residents, with Torri calling it "totally unconstitutional" and urging the club to take an official stand. "Why can't I go to Torino to watch Roma? What have I done wrong?" Torri asked. "If there is individual responsibility, the state must guarantee me freedom." Alessio Nardo questioned Gasperini's handling of Salah-Eddine, who has rejected all offers with only the Mexican market remaining open. "He's turned everything down and now he's just going to graze at Trigoria with no real ambition until January," Nardo said. "When Salah-Eddine isn't considered and is out of the project, and when Guerreiro—who played for Bayern Munich last season—is immediately discarded, it makes me think the left-back position is a priority for Gasperini. But he doesn't seem to have chased it aggressively on the market. Salah-Eddine played in a World Cup and African Cup of Nations. If Kostas Tsimikas was there last season, maybe he deserved a chance. Clearly Gasperini really hates him." Lorenzo Pes added that Gasperini had made no current reassessment: "He's stuck with the view he had a year ago. Salah-Eddine doesn't have the characteristics Gasperini wants in his wing-backs." Roma's opening Champions League fixture comes Thursday at 18:45 in Istanbul against Fenerbahce. David Rossi noted the absence of Aurélien Guendouzi and flagged environmental difficulty alongside technical challenge. Nando Orsi backed the title ambition, calling the league Roma's "indubitable objective" while viewing Napoli as in a particular moment and Inter focused on Champions League victory.