Mora and the Gasperini Blueprint: How the Coach Can Develop Him into a Star

Gasperini has built Roma's attack on Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé as a partnership, though the pair have yet to share the pitch together in six league and Champions League matches this season. Soulé, returning from a physically gruelling 2025-26 campaign in which he scored six goals but battled pubalgia throughout, has now struck twice in the opening weeks—including a crucial injury-time winner against Atalanta—and holds the starting berth over Rodrigo Mora. Before this season, his last goal had come against Sassuolo on 10 January 2026; his previous strike was at Lecce on 31 August. He managed only two assists across that entire period, against Pisa and Stuttgart. Soulé's return to fitness represents a turning point for the Argentine winger, who enters his third season at Roma free from physical setbacks. Gasperini expects him to reach double figures in goals—a threshold that only Donyell Malen has crossed for the Giallorossi so far. The coach views this as non-negotiable; operating with a single striker over 10 goals is, by his standards, an anomaly. Soulé now faces a defining moment: to remain a capable performer or to establish himself as a genuine elite operator on the continental stage. Rodrigo Mora, the young Portuguese talent, has impressed in flashes but remains largely untested. Gasperini has publicly praised him, though he and the club acknowledge his tender age and the need for him to deliver goals alongside his promising moments. Mora operates within a longer grace period, but his trajectory depends on producing the numbers his talent suggests. Both forwards' form will shape Roma's January transfer approach. The club retains interest in acquiring another attacker—a priority unfulfilled in summer 2026. Luiz Henrique, Leweling and Gittens remain active targets. Director D'Amico has resumed work on the matter with conviction, though for Gasperini, performance in the here and now takes precedence.

Bryan Cristante has started this season as a regular fixture in Roma's midfield, and the statistical evidence reinforces head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's conviction—shared by his predecessors—that the number 4 is almost indispensable. The Friuli-born midfielder has long been a subject of discussion in the city, yet every manager to arrive at the Stadio Olimpico has considered him nearly essential. Gasperini knows Cristante well but has found him more mature and complete than before. Cristante's role has evolved considerably. He is no longer asked to function as a classical regista but instead to link the team's departments, win back possession, and play vertical passes that compress the side forward. The data reveals his effectiveness across both phases of play and transitions: across Serie A, he ranks among the best midfielders since the season began. Among all Serie A midfielders, when combined values of ball recoveries and progressive actions—passes and carrying the ball forward—are measured per 90 minutes, Cristante sits in the highest tier. He averages over 12 progressive actions per match, proving fundamental in pushing the team forward and directing play, while adding approximately 9 balls recovered through tackles, interceptions and second-ball situations—a figure well above the league average. His captaincy armband, a recent contract renewal, total command of Gasperini's tactical methodology, and knowledge of his teammates' characteristics, coupled with enviable physical condition, make Cristante vital to Roma's attacking structure. Marten de Roon provides further security as his understudy, capable of maintaining the standard of the coach's principles without leaving a gap.

Amantino Mancini, former Roma and Inter player, has analysed Saturday's 2–2 draw between the clubs at the Olimpico, telling Tribuna.com that the result was fair and that the title race will stretch beyond just Roma and Inter. "It was undoubtedly the most just result; Roma played well in the first half, while Inter played better in the second," he said. Mancini believes five teams will contest the Scudetto this season. "There will be other squads fighting for the title; I believe Napoli, Juventus and Milan can compete for it alongside Roma and Inter. It's a long championship and there is still a lot of football to be played, but I think these five teams will battle for the title." He acknowledged Roma's improvement over the past year but said Inter still hold a slight edge. "Roma have strengthened well and are a more competitive squad, but I still see Inter slightly ahead because they have been playing together as a group for longer. That said, Roma have improved considerably from last year." On Paulo Dybala, Mancini offered high praise: "We know Dybala's quality and technical gifts. When he is in physical condition and plays with continuity, he is a world-class talent. Fortunately for Roma and for him, this year he has not suffered injuries and is playing really well. He is at the peak of his career." Mancini also highlighted a defensive problem for Inter, noting: "Inter are struggling in defence; the numbers confirm it. They concede too many goals and must fix the back line. Chivu knows it well; he knows how to solve the situation." On Inter striker Lautaro, Mancini rated him highly: "Lautaro pleases me; he is a very strong player, both physically and technically, and he knows how to score. For me he ranks among the five best strikers in the world."

Gasperini has built Roma's attack on Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé as a partnership, though the pair have yet to share the pitch together in six league and Champions League matches this season. Soulé, returning from a physically gruelling 2025-26 campaign in which he scored six goals but battled pubalgia throughout, has now struck twice in the opening weeks—including a crucial injury-time winner against Atalanta—and holds the starting berth over Rodrigo Mora. Before this season, his last goal had come against Sassuolo on 10 January 2026; his previous strike was at Lecce on 31 August. He managed only two assists across that entire period, against Pisa and Stuttgart. Soulé's return to fitness represents a turning point for the Argentine winger, who enters his third season at Roma free from physical setbacks. Gasperini expects him to reach double figures in goals—a threshold that only Donyell Malen has crossed for the Giallorossi so far. The coach views this as non-negotiable; operating with a single striker over 10 goals is, by his standards, an anomaly. Soulé now faces a defining moment: to remain a capable performer or to establish himself as a genuine elite operator on the continental stage. Rodrigo Mora, the young Portuguese talent, has impressed in flashes but remains largely untested. Gasperini has publicly praised him, though he and the club acknowledge his tender age and the need for him to deliver goals alongside his promising moments. Mora operates within a longer grace period, but his trajectory depends on producing the numbers his talent suggests. Both forwards' form will shape Roma's January transfer approach. The club retains interest in acquiring another attacker—a priority unfulfilled in summer 2026. Luiz Henrique, Leweling and Gittens remain active targets. Director D'Amico has resumed work on the matter with conviction, though for Gasperini, performance in the here and now takes precedence.

Roma's sporting director D'Amico continues to pursue two positions ahead of the January transfer window after failing to complete moves during the summer window. The club's primary need remains an attacking winger, preferably left-footed, to operate on the left flank and provide depth, power and speed. The secondary target is a midfielder with left-sided capability who can add running, physicality and solidity to the squad. Gasperini's requests have been clear since the summer window closed. For the defensive winger role, D'Amico has identified Oosterwolde as the primary candidate. The Dutch player was sent to Istanbul by D'Amico following medical tests and is currently recovering from femoral tendon surgery, with his return to action targeted for the end of October. D'Amico is prepared to wait for Oosterwolde's recovery and will evaluate him in Fenerbahce's matches over the final two months of the year. The Roma director is unbothered by the timeline because Oosterwolde would become both the most defensive of Roma's wingers and the most structurally robust option. A loan deal can be arranged if he returns to full fitness. Looking further ahead to next season, D'Amico is also monitoring Bakola, a French midfielder born in 2007 at Sassuolo, and Kvernadze, a Georgian attacking winger born in 2003 at Frosinone. This mirrors the approach taken with Santiago Castro, who was under observation last winter before being acquired this summer.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is using the international break to complete his recovery and return to full fitness ahead of Roma's resumption of the Serie A season. The club captain has been named in the squad for recent matches against Torino and Inter but has not yet featured, with his last appearance dating to 10 April against Pisa when he suffered a thigh injury. An attempted comeback for the derby in the closing stages of last season resulted in a setback, leading to surgical intervention in Finland in early June. Gasperini indicated before Roma–Inter that the international break presented an opportunity for Pellegrini to increase his workload further. The midfielder is targeting availability for the away fixture at Como and aims to accumulate minutes in the following sequence of fixtures. Pellegrini renewed his contract in the summer for a single season on a net wage of €2.5 million and must now compete for a place on the attacking midfield line, where Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora represent the principal competition. Last season he started 25 of 37 matches in which he was named in the squad, underlining his significance to the group, and Gasperini had pushed for his retention. After six months without a competitive appearance, the focus now centres on his return to the pitch.