Nainggolan on Roma-Inter: Dybala can decide the match, and he never wanted to leave Rome

Roma legend Giuseppe Giannini has urged the side to embrace the challenge of facing Inter at the top of the table, believing they can rise to the occasion. Speaking to Corriere della Sera, Giannini acknowledged the difficulty of the fixture but called for Roma to play with enthusiasm and without hesitation at this early stage of the season. "A defeat wouldn't compromise anything and a draw would be positive," he said. "But I expect the usual Roma, with the structure the coach has given them." Asked whether a win against Inter would justify talk of a title dream, Giannini cautioned against premature optimism but stressed the symbolic importance of three points. He noted the progress Roma have made following last season, which he described as a bedding-in year that ended with third place. "All have noticed Roma's growth," Giannini explained. "Three points would be a further confirmation and would also help external perception: reaching the break on a perfect record would be exhilarating."

Roma radio analysts have backed the Giallorossi ahead of their match against Inter, with former striker Roberto Pruzzo and commentator Sandro Sabatini both expressing confidence in the club's chances. Sabatini told Radio Radio Mattino: "Roma arrive in better shape, more focused and concentrated. Inter are a bit careless. Inter are always strong but I see them less linear, while Roma I see as more solid." Pruzzo added: "When there are matches like this you do everything to win them. I think Roma arrive in better condition: it doesn't mean they are stronger, but at this moment they seem to me to have superior form. Then of course there is Inter ahead, who lately concede 2 goals but then turn it around. At this moment it's the best we can have." He also noted that both teams now seem willing to take greater risks. Pruzzo said: "In this moment perhaps the two squads have more desire to risk, to be able to lose it while trying to win it." Nando Orsi, speaking on the same programme, framed the encounter as a significant fixture. "There is a sense of a great event, because they are two squads that didn't arrive by chance but with great merit," he said. "The direct clashes of other years didn't give me the feeling of importance that this match gives me. For Roma it's a thesis, for Inter it's a confirmation. Perhaps the match comes early, but both are top of the table and it intrigues me for that reason." He predicted an entertaining contest: "I expect a great match, not a tactical game."

Roma radio stations have published reaction and analysis from prominent commentators ahead of today's match between Roma and Inter. The coverage reflects a distinctive Roman radio culture across multiple stations and outlets, with experienced former players and journalists offering their tactical and competitive assessments of the fixture. Roberto Pruzzo, speaking on Radio Radio Mattino (104.5), said Roma arrive at the match in superior condition despite Inter's strength. "When there are matches like this you do everything to win them, even if at a certain point you can think about 'making do with it'. I think Roma get there better: it doesn't mean they're stronger, but at this moment they seem to have a superior condition. Then obviously in front of you is Inter, which lately gives away 2 goals but then turns it around. Right now it's the best we can have." He added that both teams currently carry the willingness to take risks and even lose while seeking victory. Sandro Sabatini on the same station argued Roma arrive more focused and concentrated. "Inter is a bit careless. Inter is always strong but I see it less linear, while Roma I see as more solid." Nando Orsi framed the occasion as a major event between two deserving teams that qualify as equals in standings. "For Roma it's a thesis to graduate on, for Inter it's a confirmation," he said, noting the fixture arrives early in the season but expecting a high-quality match rather than a tactical contest.

Gian Piero Gasperini has named 23 players for Roma's Serie A match against Inter, a fifth-round fixture taking place today at the Olimpico. Mario Hermoso returns after sustaining a minor ankle injury in recent days, and Lorenzo Pellegrini is included. Evan N'Dicka, Wesley and Manu Koné have all recovered from issues that sidelined them in recent weeks. Gasperini's squad includes goalkeepers Mile Svilar, Giorgio De Marzi and Pierluigi Gollini. The defence comprises Devyne Rensch, Konstantinos Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Nahuel Molina, Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Wesley, Emanuele Lulli and Daniele Ghilardi. Midfield options are Bryan Cristante, Pellegrini, Marten de Roon, Koné, Niccolò Pisilli and Rodrigo Mora. The attacking players available are Santiago Castro, Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala.

Gian Piero Gasperini has a complete squad to choose from for this afternoon's match against Inter. The head coach regains N'Dicka, who was initially named in the squad for the trip to Torino but withdrew due to injury, and Hermoso, who recovered from a minor knock sustained during the week. Manu Koné will return to the starting line-up after appearing only as a substitute in Piedmont while managing a physical issue. The full squad list includes: Goalkeepers Mile Svilar, Giorgio De Marzi, and Pierluigi Gollini; Defenders Devyne Rensch, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Evan N'Dicka, Nahuel Molina, Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Wesley, Emanuele Lulli, and Daniele Ghilardi; Midfielders Bryan Cristante, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Marten de Roon, Manu Koné, Niccolò Pisilli, and Rodrigo Mora; and Forwards Santiago Castro, Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé, and Paulo Dybala.

Andrea Stramaccioni, a commentator for DAZN and Rai who has managed both Roma's youth academy and Inter's first team, previewed Roma's match against Inter at the Olimpico on 19 September, kickoff 18:00, as a double ex with close knowledge of both clubs and their managers. Stramaccioni framed the fixture as significant for Roma's development. "I see two worlds I know well and two coaches who are friends and doing very well," he said. While stopping short of calling it a title decider, he noted that victory would provide "a real blow to the other side's enthusiasm." For Roma, he stressed, returning to fixtures of this magnitude offers a chance to prove their progress: "Inter are used to challenges at this level from years of competing, while for Roma it will be good to breathe this atmosphere again." He highlighted Paulo Dybala as central to the team's transformation. "It's a Roma I see mentally grown," Stramaccioni explained. "The quality jump came with Dybala's constant presence behind Malen." On Donyell Malen's seven goals in four matches, Stramaccioni attributed his explosive form to tactical deployment: "He was closed off by Watkins at Aston Villa, often played on the wing in a different system and philosophy. No one uses him as Gasperini does. Not even Koeman in the national team when he tried him as a striker. Here he plays ideally to his characteristics—he always gets the ball served vertically and following his movement. His first touch while running like a world-class player and his ability to shoot make the rest." On Inter's strength, Stramaccioni noted Simone Inzaghi's 3-5-2 formation has proved troublesome for Gasperini: "Since Inter switched to this system under Conte, then Inzaghi and now under Chivu, Gian Piero has collected four draws and ten defeats against Inter. It is no accident." He named Paulo Dybala as Roma's decisive player and Lautaro as Inter's potential match-winner. Stramaccioni's firm prediction: "For me it ends with a spectacular draw: 2-2."