Ndicka: 'I never thought of leaving Roma. I was afraid at Udine'

Nahuel Molina has emerged as a key figure in Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma side, playing on the left flank—a position he had rarely occupied in his career. After an initial trial at Torino, Gasperini deployed the Argentine right-back on the opposite flank against Inter, a role Molina has played only nine times overall. The experiment paid off: Molina delivered the assist for Manu Koné's opening goal and impressed enough to convince his manager that the system works. The fullback has since regained ground on his positional rivals, closing a physical gap that had left him sidelined at the start of the season. Gasperini's tactical flexibility is his trademark—the previous season he had shifted Wesley to the left with similar success. Molina possesses greater attacking instinct than Zeki Çelik, and his contributions came through continuous overlaps, off-the-ball movement and crosses from the byline. According to reporting by Niccolò Maurelli in La Repubblica, the Argentine has found the right notes to satisfy Gasperini's demands. Training resumed today with the full squad and continues through Friday, followed by two rest days over the weekend. In the three weeks before Roma face Como, Gasperini plans to arrange friendly matches, possibly against the club's Primavera side, to restore match fitness for those still awaiting playing time. Lorenzo Pellegrini is among those available again after returning from an injury sustained in the final league matches of last season.

Nahuel Molina has emerged as one of Gian Piero Gasperini's shrewdest tactical decisions in the opening weeks of the season, deployed on the left side of Roma's defence—a position unfamiliar to the Argentine defender throughout his career. Molina has responded with a commanding display, contributing an assist for Manu Koné's opening goal in the match against Inter. The positional experiment is yielding the intended results, with Molina declaring his comfort in the new role: "I feel very good on the left." The former Atlético Madrid player, who arrived at the end of August without participating in the summer's pre-season training alongside his teammates, has earned public praise from Gasperini, who said: "Molina is a solid and mature world champion; the coach saw it right." His versatility will allow Gasperini to rotate him and Wesley across both flanks. While Roma prepare for their next Serie A fixture on 11 October against Como, the squad will train at Trigoria with a reduced group. Beyond the international players scattered worldwide, injured players Wesley (muscular strain) and Bryan Cristante (lower back pain) will remain in Rome. The staff has received positive news regarding Lorenzo Pellegrini's full recovery. The Roma captain, returning to availability after a physical problem, will use the two-week break to regain match fitness and arrive at full capacity for the resumption of official matches.

Manu Koné has added his name to Roma's early-season scorers with an unexpected contribution. The French midfielder scored twice against Inter—his first career brace—and has already matched his maximum goal tally from previous seasons in the giallorossi shirt, all by September. Gasperini is working to develop this attacking dimension alongside improving the team's mental approach. The relationship between coach and player has been marked by ups and downs: in May, Gasperini was unimpressed with Koné's performances when his focus appeared to be on the World Cup rather than securing Champions League qualification, and at Turin he was critical of his cameo appearance. Yet there is another side to the story. Gasperini fought to prevent Koné's departure to Chelsea on the final day of the transfer window, recognising the midfielder's value. Against Inter, Koné was the standout performer, not only for his goals: he made zero dribbling mistakes, won two of four duels and completed 85 per cent of his passes. There is a Roma that functions with Koné and one without him—a pattern already evident last season. Without him, the giallorossi were eliminated from the Europa League in the double-header against Bologna and struggled in Serie A between March and April, missing eight league matches during which they failed to earn three points in half their fixtures. Donyell Malen withdrew from international duty for the latest fixture, declining a call-up from new national coach Xavi due to a muscle strain. Wesley and Bryan Cristante will also remain at Trigoria.

Leonardo Balerdi has emerged as one of this summer's most underrated signings, establishing himself as indispensable to Gasperini's Roma within three weeks of arriving in the final days of the transfer window. Two brief appearances against Atalanta and Fenerbahce were enough to convince the coach that Roma cannot function without the Argentine defender. Against Torino he was the best player on the pitch; against Inter, while Koné claimed the MVP award, Balerdi played as a wall. Despite facing opponents of increasing calibre—from Simeone to Lautaro Martínez—the former Marseille centre-back showed no drop in level. His statistics support the impression: six defensive recoveries, four duels won out of five, and two tackles won out of three before an hour of play when cramps forced his withdrawal. Gasperini's enforced substitution disrupted the manager's plans, but the coach knows he has access to a top-level centre-back. Balerdi's rapid integration has placed him at the heart of Roma's defence. Gianluca Mancini—who has made two errors already this season—and Evan N'Dicka risk losing their places should the Argentine's form continue. The Como fixture looms as the next test, and it seems unlikely Gasperini will drop him. Balerdi has settled well into the squad and wants to stay at the club. The Argentine arrived on loan with conditions to trigger a permanent transfer. If he plays at least 55% of Roma's matches across all competitions—with a minimum of 45 minutes per game, a threshold he has already met twice—an obligation to buy will activate at €14 million. A variable mechanism reduces the fee if his involvement is more limited: between 40% and 55% of matches, the obligation triggers at €11 million. A further clause protects Marseille against deliberate restrictions on his playing time in the second half of the season—if he appears in just 20% of matches in that period, the obligation becomes €9 million. Given his current performances, meeting these thresholds appears inevitable.

Roma have earned 7.5 points in their opening five matches of the 2026-27 season, establishing themselves as serious contenders. Victories over Fiorentina and Atalanta—sides representing the upper-middle tier of Serie A—plus wins against Lecce and Torino, combined with a competitive draw against Inter, paint an encouraging picture despite some regrets about how the Inter result unfolded. Mile Svilar continues as Serie A's strongest goalkeeper, providing constant assurance without being called upon for spectacular saves. Gianluca Mancini has suffered minor technical injuries against Atalanta and Inter but remains too valuable for his leadership and interpretation of the coach's attacking defensive phase, particularly evident in his display during the Torino victory. Evan N'Dicka maintains a regular standard, though he now faces genuine competition for his place. Mario Hermoso has emerged as perhaps Gasperini's most indispensable centre-back, despite occasional lapses; defenders in this system are calculated risk-takers. Leonardo Balerdi has made an instant impression with a handful of interventions, earning fans' affection with his spirit of a great South American defender and securing his status as a regular starter. Konstantinos Koulierakis is gradually introducing himself to the pitch, while Daniele Ghilardi continues his development curve. Emanuele Lulli offers freshness on the flanks, a year after failing to be a regular starter in the Primavera. Wesley, returning from injury and a difficult pre-season, has struggled to regain match sharpness after missing nearly a year; he will return to his previous standards. Bryan Cristante stands as a monument to consistency, never missing a match despite the rotation around him. Manu Koné produced a display in the first half against Inter worthy of his quality, reaching peaks never achieved before, though he lacks Cristante's reliability. Niccolò Pisilli missed much of pre-season and it shows, yet his timing in transitions remains sharp, with two goals from part-time playing. Marten de Roon has seen limited action—unsurprising given Gasperini's habit of recalling him at the last moment when tactical changes demand it. Paulo Dybala lacks goals and the signature shots that made him special, though his assists and unrecognizable fitness levels mean Gasperini receives no questions about his rest requirements. Matías Soulé, who appeared destined for departure and began on the bench, decided the clash with Atalanta and now competes as a more regular starter. Rodrigo Mora started explosively with quality, as the coach highlighted, and will reward patience. Donyell Malen has scored six goals in six matches, giving Roma a one-goal advantage on average; alongside Lautaro, he represents the tournament's finest striker. Santiago Castro, small like Malen, brings unrelenting intensity when introduced and lives for goals—once he finds that breakthrough, added serenity will carry him far.

Roma drew 2–2 with Inter at the Olimpico in a top-of-the-table clash between the two in-form sides of the season. The major Italian sports newspapers published their player ratings following the final whistle, with a clear consensus emerging on the standout performances. Manu Koné drew the highest marks across all outlets, consistently rated 8 out of 10 for his midfield display. Paulo Dybala and Bryan Cristante also earned strong praise, with most papers rating them 7. The principal criticism fell on Gianluca Mancini, who received 5 or 5.5 across the board—the lowest mark given to any Roma starter. Gian Piero Gasperini, the head coach, was rated between 6 and 7 by the papers. Mile Svilar in goal, Leonardo Balerdi in defence, and Matías Soulé in attack all received ratings in the 6–7 range. Evan N'Dicka, who came on as a replacement after Mancini's 60th-minute departure, was rated 5.5 to 6.5 depending on the outlet. Devyne Rensch, who entered at the same juncture at left-back, received 5.5 to 6. Mario Hermoso drew ratings of 5 to 6 before being substituted in the 81st minute. Wesley earned marks of 5 to 6.5 at right-back, while Donyell Malen completed the attacking line with ratings of 5 to 6.5.

Nahuel Molina has emerged as a key figure in Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma side, playing on the left flank—a position he had rarely occupied in his career. After an initial trial at Torino, Gasperini deployed the Argentine right-back on the opposite flank against Inter, a role Molina has played only nine times overall. The experiment paid off: Molina delivered the assist for Manu Koné's opening goal and impressed enough to convince his manager that the system works. The fullback has since regained ground on his positional rivals, closing a physical gap that had left him sidelined at the start of the season. Gasperini's tactical flexibility is his trademark—the previous season he had shifted Wesley to the left with similar success. Molina possesses greater attacking instinct than Zeki Çelik, and his contributions came through continuous overlaps, off-the-ball movement and crosses from the byline. According to reporting by Niccolò Maurelli in La Repubblica, the Argentine has found the right notes to satisfy Gasperini's demands. Training resumed today with the full squad and continues through Friday, followed by two rest days over the weekend. In the three weeks before Roma face Como, Gasperini plans to arrange friendly matches, possibly against the club's Primavera side, to restore match fitness for those still awaiting playing time. Lorenzo Pellegrini is among those available again after returning from an injury sustained in the final league matches of last season.

Nahuel Molina has emerged as one of Gian Piero Gasperini's shrewdest tactical decisions in the opening weeks of the season, deployed on the left side of Roma's defence—a position unfamiliar to the Argentine defender throughout his career. Molina has responded with a commanding display, contributing an assist for Manu Koné's opening goal in the match against Inter. The positional experiment is yielding the intended results, with Molina declaring his comfort in the new role: "I feel very good on the left." The former Atlético Madrid player, who arrived at the end of August without participating in the summer's pre-season training alongside his teammates, has earned public praise from Gasperini, who said: "Molina is a solid and mature world champion; the coach saw it right." His versatility will allow Gasperini to rotate him and Wesley across both flanks. While Roma prepare for their next Serie A fixture on 11 October against Como, the squad will train at Trigoria with a reduced group. Beyond the international players scattered worldwide, injured players Wesley (muscular strain) and Bryan Cristante (lower back pain) will remain in Rome. The staff has received positive news regarding Lorenzo Pellegrini's full recovery. The Roma captain, returning to availability after a physical problem, will use the two-week break to regain match fitness and arrive at full capacity for the resumption of official matches.

Roma held Inter to a 2-2 draw to consolidate their position at the top of Serie A, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's squad demonstrating they can compete with any opponent in the title race. The result leaves Roma with a sense of momentum despite Inter remaining favourites for the title. The club's leadership — squad, management and coaching staff — have built the league lead on concrete foundations: Roma have the second-best defence in the championship behind Cagliari and the second-best attack, with a goal difference of +11. Roma's statistical dominance extends across multiple metrics. The club has recorded 2359 successful passes, 31 crosses, 103 shots on target and created 23 major chances — a continuous statistical duel with Inter. The upcoming international break will allow Gasperini's staff to plan for the resumption and give Lorenzo Pellegrini time to recover fully. November looms as historically the month when Gasperini's teams reach peak physical and tactical performance, once they have absorbed summer's training loads and integrated new signings. Brazilian winger Wesley will miss his national team's call due to a muscular problem and will remain in Rome to recover from injury. The squad's determination to fight until the end for a place in the title race is clear, with the manager confident his team can compete over the full season.

Roma hold first place in Serie A ahead of Saturday's fixture against Inter. The side has conceded only one goal in the league this season—Ederson's effort in Atalanta's limited attempts—a defensive record matched among Europe's top five leagues only by Arsenal, the Europa League runners-up. In Germany, Freiburg lead with one goal conceded in three matches; in Spain, Real Madrid and Barcelona both have four; in France, four clubs have conceded two. Gasperini has overhauled Roma's defence compared to last season. Out are N'Dicka, Wesley and Koné; in are Balerdi, Molina and Pisilli. Balerdi and Molina have just arrived—Argentine internationals of substance, neither a routine acquisition. Balerdi missed the World Cup through injury; Molina was Copa América runner-up alongside Paulo Dybala after winning the World Cup in Qatar. The contrast with last season is stark. A year ago, Gasperini would have replaced N'Dicka and Wesley with Ziolkowski and Tsimikas, neither of whom remain at the club. Similarly, El Aynaoui would have started in place of Koné, but he too was moved on after just one season.

Roma's evolution under coach Gian Piero Gasperini has taken shape across two decisive fixtures—the Champions League debut against Fenerbahce in Istanbul on Thursday and a four-day-later trip to Turin against Torino—that showcase the impact of the summer transfer market overhaul steered by new sporting director D'Amico. In the first match, Roma's return to Europe's elite competition after a seven-year absence saw Gasperini field performers who had earned third place in Serie A. Against Torino, however, two summer signings started, with three more introduced during play as Roma secured a fourth consecutive league win. Despite missing three key players—Evan N'Dicka, Wesley, and Manu Koné—Roma maintained tactical identity and attacking threat at Turin, underlining how the summer reinforcements have strengthened the squad's reliability compared to the previous season. The shift in personnel tells the story plainly. A year ago, Gasperini would have replaced N'Dicka and Wesley with Kostas Tsimikas and Jan Ziółkowski; neither remains at Trigoria. Manu Koné's role would have gone to Neil El Aynaoui, who has been moved on after one season, as have Tsimikas and Ziółkowski. In their place came Leonardo Balerdi and Nahuel Molina, both Argentine internationals—Balerdi absent from last year's World Cup only through injury, Molina a Qatar winner alongside Paulo Dybala and recently a World Cup runner-up. Niccolò Pisilli, grown into his role at the start of 2026 and a national team player, has inherited Koné's midfield spot. Gasperini paired Balerdi immediately with Marten de Roon, who arrived from Bergamo in the final moments of the window and played more than half the second half against Torino. Lorenzo Pellegrini, called up after five months out, extended Gasperini's roster of captains—the coach has made clear he possesses multiple leaders beyond Bryan Cristante and Gianluca Mancini. Gasperini operates what he calls the "law of sixteen," seeking to deploy the same core of players in every match to guarantee brilliance, intensity and competitive edge. He refuses publicly to divide his squad into starters and substitutes; there is no difference between a player who begins and one who enters in progress. New sporting director D'Amico's tenure has produced a squad numerically smaller than its predecessor, as D'Amico himself acknowledged, yet Gasperini presented it at full strength in Turin. The article notes that one or two adjustments in January may be needed to perfect the squad further.

Roma's radio commentators dissected yesterday's victory in the context of the title race and squad depth, with particular focus on Leonardo Balerdi's impact and Rodrigo Mora's early form. Mario Corsi declared that only Roma, Inter and Como are serious contenders: "I'm not saying we win the Scudetto tomorrow, but it's real that there are Roma, Inter and Como. Full stop. But where do the others go…" David Rossi highlighted Balerdi's performance against the established order, saying: "I said this would take the place from N'Dicka, and yesterday he took it from him. How can Balerdi not be the starter on Saturday?…" Roma's campaign statistics drew praise—12 goals scored and just 1 conceded in the league so far—with Gianluca Piacentini observing that Roma have the best defence in Serie A, while Francesca Ferrazza identified European football as the decisive factor: "The discriminant for the Scudetto will be the Champions League. Roma, Inter and Como all play it—that's the key." Bareldi's defensive prowess dominated discussion. Piacentini described him as "maestro" and confessed: "I'm totally in love with Balerdi, and I'm developing a crush on Lulli." Mario Corsi compared him to Samuel, while Piero Torri acknowledged the central-back dilemma: "I believe Roma will buy him outright. He has everything: he's quick, strong in the air, elegant…the problem is he seems like a proper centre-back, and there's N'Dicka there." Sandro Sabatini expressed surprise at the overall squad calibre, asking rhetorically: "Is Balerdi, Roma's fourth defender, this strong? Is Pisilli, the fourth midfielder, this strong? And Lulli, unknown until mid-August, this strong? Roma are sending very important signals, both collectively and from individuals." Alessio Nardo noted the squad's transformation over the past year: "If a year ago you were missing N'Dicka, Wesley and Koné, you'd have played with a far less developed Pisilli, Tsimikas and Ziółkowski. Today you have new starters whom you now struggle to exclude." Roberto Pruzzo offered a critical take on Mora's play: "If he plays 20 metres from goal he can be decisive, but at 40–50 metres from goal it seems like a mess to me." Corsi defended the midfielder's early contribution: "Now I read a lot of criticism of Mora, but he arrived the day before yesterday…enough, let's wait. We need him a lot." Niccolò Pisilli drew praise for his performance in an unfamiliar role, while Marten de Roon impressed Lorenzo Pes: "He knows everything by heart, he's brought order and is an added value. He shouldn't be a starter, but at the right moments he knows how to manage traffic." Nando Orsi confirmed Roma's merit in yesterday's win but tempered expectations: "Roma clearly deserved to win, didn't thrill me like other matches, but that was predictable. We're only at the fifth game; I'd wait for the tenth, but if one of the two wins on Saturday there would already be a hierarchy." Gasperini was credited with instilling tactical intensity, with Corsi stating: "Gasperini has put a sporting nastiness into the players, and now they all run in a remarkable way." Roma face Inter in what multiple commentators framed as a title-defining fixture within weeks of the season's start. The squad's depth and injury management were identified as potential deciding factors in the campaign ahead.