Mounié on old clash with Balerdi: 'He's cunning and rather nasty'

Donyell Malen spent a scheduled rest day exploring Rome as a tourist, visiting the Vatican Museums with his wife Delisha. The Dutch forward shared a selfie from the Stanza della Segnatura, the room decorated by Raffaello Sanzio. Malen has been at Roma since January, when he arrived from Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund, and has quickly won over the Giallorossi supporters despite appearing to have played for the club for years. During the current international break, Malen declined a call-up to the Netherlands squad due to knee discomfort. Manager Gian Piero Gasperini granted the forward a rest day before training resumed at Trigoria on 6 October. Malen is expected to return to the attack for the trip to Como on 11 October.

France face Belgium at the Stade de France in Paris in the fourth match of Nations League Group A1. Manager Zidane has recalled Manu Koné to the starting XI after he was left on the bench in France's previous fixture against Italy last Friday, when Roma teammate Gianluca Mancini also remained unused. Koné wears number 17 for Roma and lines up in midfield alongside Camavinga and Akliouche for the Blues.

Italy manager Roberto Mancini has named Gianluca Mancini in the starting XI for the Nations League Group A1 fourth-round match against Turkey at the Dall'Ara in Bologna. The Roma defender will line up centrally alongside Bastoni in front of Donnarumma, with Di Lorenzo and Ruggeri as full-backs. Mancini has made nine changes to the side that drew 0–0 with France on Friday; the starting midfield comprises Barella, Romano and Doumbia, while the attack features Vergara, Scamacca and Maldini. Daniele Ghilardi, the other Roma player in the squad, drops to the bench. Italy arrive on the back of a 4–1 victory over Turkey in Bursa on Monday, while Turkey's manager Montella faces pressure over his job security.

Steve Mounié, captain of Benin's national team, has spoken about a clash with Leonardo Balerdi during a Ligue 1 match against Marseille, ahead of Benin's fixture against Argentina. Mounié described the Roma defender's conduct on the pitch: "He is clever and quite dirty, an insidious player. I was sent off because he grabbed my arm and shook me; I reacted with a punch to the chest and he immediately threw himself to the ground in tears. He showed a lot of cunning, even though fortunately they lost that match in the end," he told Cadena 3. Bareldi joined Roma on a free transfer from Atlético Madrid in the summer of 2024 and has since become a regular in the club's defence. Mounié's comments reflect broader observations about Argentine footballing style, which he suggested extends across the national team. The Benin captain broadened his critique to Argentina's approach as a whole, citing both Balerdi and Lionel Messi: "The entire Argentine national team plays that way. It is a specialty of South American teams; they like to get into the opponent's head and play dirty. But I had an excellent relationship with Joaquín Blázquez in a club, yet facing them was always a battle. Whether it was a clash with Balerdi or with Messi, who overpowers you even when he is not at his best. I would prefer to have Argentines as teammates rather than as opponents."

Roma's radio stations have focused heavily on the upcoming Como fixture and squad selection as Gasperini's side prepares for a demanding period. Checco Oddo Casano argued that Devyne Rensch, bought for €5 million, could be sold in January for a profit to bring in a stronger left-back in the style of Moreira. "Rensch is a little player who can fit in Roma's squad, but he'll hardly become a new Gosens, a new Zappacosta or a new Wesley," Casano said. "You bought him at a good price and you can make a profit—maybe in January you can sell him and get a stronger player to improve in that area of the pitch." David Rossi noted that Roma's last league defeat came in April when they lost to Inter at San Siro, despite playing a strong first half. He questioned whether Roma are genuinely weaker than Como or whether the psychological pressure of the fixture is one-sided. Gianluca Piacentini acknowledged Como's strength—demonstrating a solid project over the past season and a half—but emphasised that Roma are equally capable, with both teams among the three strongest in the league. Fabio Petruzzi said Roma and Como have shown significant growth over the last 18 months and play the best football in Italy, even better than Inter, though Inter's superior squad makes them favourites. Piero Torri predicted De Roon will start against Como, saying "he seems made specifically to play with Gasperini." Torri noted Lorenzo Pellegrini could play as a midfielder but has never featured in that role under Gasperini and hasn't played a match since April, making an immediate start unlikely. Torri stated: "I'll be called mad, but for me the Como match is harder than the Real Madrid one." Marco Valerio Corsi reported that Bryan Cristante appears to have a lateral knee ligament problem and will miss both Como and Real Madrid, with the length of the absence still unclear. Roberto Pruzzo called De Roon "a proven reliable player" and "a solid used buy," saying he cannot be ignored as an option despite potential fitness concerns over a run of ten consecutive matches. Nando Orsi said De Roon will "challenge the titularity of one of the two sacred monsters of midfield" if he is physically fit, having praised the signing in advance. Stephan El Shaarawy was not mentioned. Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso featured prominently in defenders' debate, with Carina suggesting N'Dicka was sidelined too easily and forming the best back three with Balerdi and Hermoso. Pruzzo still favoured Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso as the core defensive line, while Mattioli predicted Balerdi will become immovable once fully integrated into Italian football and Roma's system.

Matías Soulé made his long-awaited debut for Argentina, fulfilling a dream he had pursued so keenly that he rejected an approach from Italy. The Roma forward shared his emotions on social media following the milestone, describing it as "something I will carry in my heart forever" and thanking his family and everyone who supported him on his journey. Soulé called it "the beginning of a dream that still has much ahead." Defender Leonardo Balerdi, Soulé's fellow Argentina international, celebrated the achievement by posting a photo alongside his Roma teammate with a message in Spanish: "Great little brother, congratulations," accompanied by applause. The moment marks a significant personal milestone for the 21-year-old forward, who joined Roma last summer from Juventus and has quickly established himself as a key part of Claudio Ranieri's squad.