Ratings: Tribute to Mazzola, Koné's dominance, and Mancini's costly error

Roma have conceded a goal at the start of the second half in three consecutive matches—against Atalanta, Fenerbahce, and Inter—and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has identified the pattern as a genuine tactical problem rather than coincidence. After the Inter match, Gasperini said: "Perhaps we were presumptuous", acknowledging that the flaw exists within an otherwise faultless team. The international break arrives at a critical juncture. While it interrupts Roma's rhythm and momentum, it also provides three weeks to address the issue without the pressure of immediate results. Gasperini is known for his obsessive approach to coaching and will use the time to work on the problem. The article suggests that Roma's dream of becoming genuine contenders hinges on eliminating this single defensive weakness; every other element of the team's performance has been described as operating flawlessly. The core issue appears to be mental rather than technical: players may believe they have delivered enough in the first 45 minutes and unconsciously relax at the start of the second half, creating the opening in which opponents score. While the quality of opposition cannot be ignored, truly elite teams must beat elite teams consistently. Gasperini has previously demonstrated his ability to reshape a player's mentality, using Paulo Dybala as an example of successful psychological coaching. The path forward requires daily work without compromise, focusing on mental discipline as much as physical conditioning. The article notes that while other managers grant rest during international breaks, Gasperini continues intensive training sessions with the squad members who remain available, viewing this continuous effort as essential to embedding the necessary mindset changes.

Manu Koné claimed the headlines after his double against Inter in a commanding midfield display, but Roma's engine room has already delivered five goals across Serie A and the Champions League this season. Koné and Niccolò Pisilli have each scored twice—Pisilli sealing the finales against Fiorentina and Torino—while Bryan Cristante marked his Champions League debut with a goal at Fenerbahçe. Cristante, known for his long-range shooting and prowess from set-pieces, represents one of the squad's sharpest finishers from distance and in headed situations. Roma sit top of the table and have shown marked improvement on the same stage a year ago, building on the momentum of the final matches of last spring. Training resumed at Trigoria from yesterday with a limited squad available, and the club awaits the resumption of action against Como, which remains some time away.

Roma's start to the 2026-27 season has revealed a strong squad across multiple facets of play, according to analysis published today. Few regrets and considerable self-awareness characterize the early weeks, with the club showing it has already reached a level of maturity and quality. The task now is to sustain and deepen that performance—to complete what has been begun. Donyell Malen suffered only minor knee discomfort in recent action; Netherlands coach Xavi reported his assessment that the player is fit. Roma have 12 players currently on international duty, including Manu Koné, Evan N'Dicka, and Emanuele Lulli among others engaged in national team matches. Commentator Luca Adani praised Roma's opening period of their recent fixture, calling it "clamorific" and highlighting a strong defensive display, though he noted a lapse from Gianluca Mancini on a goal conceded. Radio Pensieri's Felici drew a striking comparison, saying the Roma team in the first half "looked like Klopp's Liverpool."

Paulo Dybala has played more minutes than ever before under Gian Piero Gasperini this season, but the Argentine forward has yet to find the back of the net as he works his way back to full sharpness. According to Leggo, Dybala ranks third for minutes played across the 2026-27 campaign with 497 minutes, behind only Bryan Cristante and Mario Hermoso, a sign of the physical condition and extra work he has put in. The breakthrough comes after a difficult injury history: Dybala had missed 49 matches since joining in 2022, but has remained unbroken since late April. Gasperini hopes to restore Dybala's finishing touch to lift Roma's level. Dybala has effectively provided one assist per match played but the club now needs him to score to turn individual consistency into collective success.

Roma arrive at the international break on the back of an almost perfect start to the season. Gasperini's side sit top of the table with four wins in five league matches, and have impressed with a near-miss against Serie A champions Inter plus a valuable draw away at Fenerbahçe in the Champions League. During the three-week break between matchday five and matchday six, Gasperini will work with players at Trigoria, including Wesley, Malen and Cristante, who are carrying minor injuries, alongside squad members not called up by their national teams. The goal is to have all players at 100% fitness when league action resumes. According to Corriere della Sera, Roma will play two friendlies during the break. These matches will serve both to build match fitness and to involve young academy players, offering them valuable minutes and opportunities to integrate with the senior squad.

Roma resumed training on Tuesday 22 September with a severely reduced squad available to Gasperini. Among outfield players, only Hermoso, Molina, Rensch, Pellegrini, De Roon and Dybala trained fully, while Wesley, Malen and Cristante remained at Trigoria for physiotherapy on their respective problems. All three goalkeepers, including Svilar, were available for selection. The squad will continue work through Friday focused mainly on maintaining fitness before a break. In a separate development, Francesco Totti revealed in his book *Oltre* that he came very close to an unexpected return to professional football with Genoa. After initial jokes about a comeback, the club's hierarchy made a formal approach and the former Roma captain began serious training, including gym work, physiotherapy and a tailored diet. Manager Gilardino also wrote to him to try to persuade him, but ultimately his bond to Roma prevailed. Totti reflected on his decision: "A sporting betrayal has no age limit, whether you are 18 or 48 years old." Forward Antonio Arena has returned to Roma Primavera after recovering from a muscular strain. He featured for a spell on Sunday against Milan, and his introduction coincided with Guaglianone's decisive goal. Although Arena has not yet appeared in the UEFA Youth League, he remains eligible to do so despite being included by Gasperini on the senior squad's UEFA list as number 68. Off the pitch, Roma's Pietralata stadium project advanced significantly. The State Superintendence gave a favourable opinion on the Environmental Impact Assessment, stating it found no "obstacles to releasing the provision". Conditions remain on archaeological protection, a Roman villa, a cistern and landscaping that must be incorporated into the design. The final Conference of Services meeting is scheduled for Monday 28 September.

Rome's radio stations have offered their assessment of Roma's early season form, with particular focus on the players needing to regain their fitness ahead of the international break. Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo observed that several squad members are working to recover their form, notably Lorenzo Pellegrini, who has not yet been used by head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Pes believes Gasperini's strategy has been to start strongly in these opening matches before using the three-week break to build energy levels. Wes­ley has emerged as the player facing the greatest physical difficulty, according to Pes. The defender suffered an injury just days before the league campaign began and therefore missed the normal pre-season preparation his teammates received. "I saw him behind, but I think the others are doing well and I believe this break can help him," Pes said. Despite Gasperini having indicated he sees Pellegrini operating in midfield, the coach has not deployed him there yet, leaving that as a potential tactical option. Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio Mattino argued that Roma represent a credible threat to Inter, particularly given that the transfer market will offer further opportunities in January. He highlighted the impact of having Donyell Malen available from the start of matches rather than mid-game, alongside Paulo Dybala's strong performances. Luigi Salomone, also of Radio Radio Mattino, assessed Roma's campaign as excellent but suggested they need to address aspects of their display in their upcoming fixture against Inter.

Roma arrive at the international break on the back of an almost perfect start to the season. Gasperini's side sit top of the table with four wins in five league matches, and have impressed with a near-miss against Serie A champions Inter plus a valuable draw away at Fenerbahçe in the Champions League. During the three-week break between matchday five and matchday six, Gasperini will work with players at Trigoria, including Wesley, Malen and Cristante, who are carrying minor injuries, alongside squad members not called up by their national teams. The goal is to have all players at 100% fitness when league action resumes. According to Corriere della Sera, Roma will play two friendlies during the break. These matches will serve both to build match fitness and to involve young academy players, offering them valuable minutes and opportunities to integrate with the senior squad.

Roma radio pundits have weighed in on the club's opening to the season, with strong praise for the attack and defence but lingering regret over the Inter result. Carina on Radio Radio called Roma deserving of a high mark after difficult fixtures against Fiorentina, Atalanta and Inter, saying they can compete for a Europa League place. "Dybala is the strongest at Roma, he makes the difference when he's fit," Carina said. "The attack is the best in Italy in my view and the defence is the best in the league. There are things to adjust, but there are many positive aspects." Carina also reflected on remarks Gasperini made suggesting he feared Dybala could be injured, believing a mental "switch" occurred in the Inter match that could unlock the forward's goalscoring. Pruzzo on Radio Radio backed Roma's credentials against Inter despite calling for January clarity in the transfer market, noting that Malen's availability from the start and Dybala's form are encouraging signs. Salomone also on Radio Radio acknowledged Roma's fine campaign but suggested the Inter result could have been different with earlier substitutions. Pes on Teleradio Stereo praised Gasperini's athletic work but highlighted uneven recovery in the squad. "Pellegrini hasn't been used yet and still needs to regain form," Pes said, while Wesley was singled out as struggling most physically after his injury just days before the season started. Pes added: "Gasperini said he sees Pellegrini in midfield, but hasn't put him on yet. I think that could be a card to play." The pundit expects the international break to give Wesley time to catch up with his teammates.

Gianluca Mancini has become the subject of fierce criticism on social media after losing possession 50 metres from goal in Roma's recent match against Inter, a mistake that led to Lautaro Martinez scoring to reopen the contest. The backlash has been swift and unforgiving, with supporters on social networks reversing their judgment of a player they had celebrated for his derby heroics, his displays of the Roma flag to the Curva Sud, and his willingness to cut his salary to remain at the club. The shift in sentiment mirrors a broader contemporary football phenomenon: judgement rendered from the armchair, divorced from the physical realities of elite sport. The article notes that Mancini's mistake, while real, did not directly assist Inter's goal—the team had to develop the play further before Martinez finished with a technical strike. Beyond that single error, his display against Inter was not disastrous. A week earlier, at Turin, Mancini had been among Roma's best performers; in the 93rd minute, with the team defending a narrow advantage and several players exhausted, he fought on the sideline and contributed the decisive work in the build-up to Niccolò Pisilli's goal that made it 2–0. In seven days, he has moved from catalyst to liability in the court of online opinion. The article invokes a point made by Daniele De Rossi: "From the armchair everyone is good. Because from the armchair there is no tiredness, pressure, preventive marking, seventy metres covered in transition, heavy legs or opponents earning millions precisely because they know how to exploit mistakes." Mancini may indeed be fatigued; recent displays have offered subtle signs. With the arrival of Leonardo Balerdi and Konstantinos Koulierakis, coach Gian Piero Gasperini now has defensive alternatives and the freedom to rotate. The article emphasises that Gasperini, not social media, must decide whether Mancini plays less—and that decision should come from observing him in training and matches, not from a frozen frame posted on social media. The difference between critiquing an error and declaring a player suddenly incapable remains meaningful, the article concludes, "at least until the next match."

Twelve Roma players have been called up to their respective national teams during the international break, leaving Trigoria semi-empty: Ghilardi, Mancini, Balerdi, Soulé, Castro, Mora, Pisilli, Lulli, De Marzi, Koné, N'Dicka and Koulierakis will join their countries. Bryan Cristante, Donyell Malen and Wesley will remain in Rome, though their physical problems are not causing concern and they are expected to be available for the return fixture against Como. The extended pause—roughly twenty days of useful preparation—will allow many players to recover and recharge before a demanding run of fixtures begins. Marten de Roon, who arrived at the club in the closing stages of the transfer window, stands to benefit significantly from the break. The midfielder is not yet at full fitness and has yet to start a match under Gasperini, partly due to the coach's reluctance to rotate and partly because he accumulated zero minutes in his first two appearances under Sarri at Bergamo over the summer. De Roon is an established Gasperini player who understands the manager's tactical demands, and he is gradually carving out space in the Roma squad. The upcoming international break will provide crucial recovery time before the club faces an intense fixture schedule after the Como match, when the depth of the full squad will be needed.

Gian Piero Gasperini has set the goal of playing twenty for Roma, but that requires integrating three significant recruits who have so far received limited playing time. Rodrigo Mora, Santiago Castro and Konstantinos Koulierakis — three players of different ages, characteristics and positions — have collectively cost the club over €100 million in fixed fees and bonuses. Roma invested in them with the expectation they would become key contributors soon, yet in the opening six official matches Gasperini has relied primarily on the group offering him the most certainty. That strategy has worked: four wins and two draws. Among the new arrivals, Leonardo Balerdi and Nahuel Molina have integrated more quickly; Mora, Castro and Koulierakis have had a more gradual path. Mora, the Portuguese midfielder, has had the most exposure. He has accumulated 187 minutes across five appearances at a rate of 37.4 minutes per game, and is the only one of the three to have started — twice, against Fiorentina and Atalanta. After a very promising start, his usage has progressively declined, and Gasperini will need to restore continuity and impact to his offensive rotations. Castro, the Argentine, has managed 105 minutes over four matches, averaging 26.25 per outing. His impact has been hampered by considerable misfortune: he has already struck the woodwork four times. Donyell Malen has inevitably restricted his space so far, but the fixture schedule after the international break will intensify and the Dutch forward will eventually need rest — opening the door for Castro to prove he can inherit his responsibility without lowering the team's attacking level. Koulierakis, the Greek defender, has the most limited minutes of all: just 31 across two appearances, averaging 15.5. Gasperini has used him least of the three, partly because competition in front of him has increased with Balerdi's immediate impact and the reliability of Evan N'Dicka and Gianluca Mancini. The financial figures underline the club's faith in these three. Castro cost €35 million plus €5 million in potential add-ons, Koulierakis €16.5 million plus €1.5 million in add-ons, while Mora's deal can reach €50 million — €25 immediately and another €25 within the next year, or alternatively 50 per cent of any future sale. Gasperini has always reasoned by performance and reliability rather than transfer fee, and these numbers do not obligate him to award minutes by contract right. But they explain why the development of Mora, Castro and Koulierakis is a fundamental next step for the season. Marten de Roon, 35 and familiar with Gasperini, represents a separate case — his value lies in offering experience, leadership and immediate tactical knowledge when required. The international break will limit Gasperini's training opportunities with many players away from Trigoria. When the calendar resumes, Roma will enter a period where fielding the same eleven every match will become impossible. That is when the goal of playing twenty will cease to be theory and demand reality: Gasperini must turn the €100 million that has mostly waited on the bench into three genuine alternatives capable of becoming far more than backups.