Rizzitelli compares Malen to Ronaldo the Phenomenon ahead of Roma-Inter clash

Andrea Stramaccioni, now a DAZN commentator, has analysed Roma's position after their match against Inter, arguing that the gap between the two clubs has narrowed significantly despite Inter remaining the stronger side overall. Speaking on Teleradiostereo, he attributed the improvement to a shift in mentality rather than marquee recruitment, pointing to Gasperini's second season at the club as the turning point. "It's not that a champion arrived who changes your eleven, but we're already in Gasperini's second year and you can see it," Stramaccioni said. "The way you recovered the match against Atalanta is a fundamental leap forward, but also how you managed the Turin game. You've increased your resources, found a fourth starting defender in Balerdi. In this I see the gap reduced." Stramaccioni explained that Gasperini struggles specifically against Inter's 3-5-2 formation because of how Inter's attacking shape is structured. "I'm not speaking in general—I'm talking about Inter's 3-5-2," he said. "Usually he inverts the attacking fulcrum in these cases, probably one player will deal with Zielinski and he could do it with Soulé or Mora. But also by advancing Pisilli. Usually Gasperini suffers in Inter's attacking quadrilateral. Because if you lose track of those four, they hurt you." He cited last season's away match where Ndicka struggled marking opposition players and was caught out for a goal. On Roma's own strengths, Stramaccioni identified their low build-up play as a potential weapon. "The biggest problem for Chivu is in Roma's construction from the back, because Inter rarely uses three players to press. The structure of Gasp's construction can cause more problems to a team like Inter than to Como," he explained. "If Dybala starts to move well across the pitch you take away a centre-back like Bastoni. Gasperini won't change his approach—he'll play it open-faced. If you have a chance you take it with maximum intensity. The important thing is not to come away empty because Inter's strikers don't forgive mistakes." Stramaccioni also assessed Rodrigo Mora's potential at the club. "Gasperini wants someone with a low centre of gravity like Papu Gomez was, he tried it with Zaragoza but it went very badly. He exalts him because he sees those characteristics he needs," he said. "He hasn't had the impact Malen has, but he's also 19. There have been other short players who strengthened the physical bulk—Di Natale and Sneijder. He'll improve too; he has enormous room for growth." Finally, Stramaccioni identified Roma's lack of a ball-carrier in midfield as a key weakness. "This is Gasperini's great frustration. Roma is missing a player who in moments of tiredness attacks the depth—that player the coach expected from the transfer market. There's no one who breaks lines; they're all players you have to feed the ball to. Then you'll have to become more speculative in that sense."

Fulvio Collovati, who played for both Roma and Inter, has analysed the sides' meeting on Saturday at 18:00 at the Olimpico. Speaking to Il Giorno, the former defender praised Roma's defensive solidity this season while highlighting the tactical battle likely to unfold on the wings. Collovati noted Roma's transformation under Gasperini, pointing to Malen as the league's top scorer and the team's improved defensive record. He observed that "the squad is totally different. It has the league's leading goalscorer, Malen, and concedes fewer goals. It plays one-on-one pressing, it harries you and certainly does not give up attacking. The defensive hierarchies also seem well defined, though Balerdi played against Torino and did very well. Perhaps the comparison Gasperini made with Baresi was a bit exaggerated, although I don't know the player that well." On the match's key battle, Collovati identified the flanks as decisive: "I see a very interesting clash on the wings: Dimarco and Diouf on one side, Wesley and Molina or the young Lulli, who is very interesting, on the other. Above all, Inter rely heavily on the flanks, also having Bastoni. Generally, in my two years at Roma, I noticed that matches against Inter were often characterised by many goals, and in subsequent years it seemed the same happened." Collovati added that Gasperini's pedigree—leading Atalanta to win the Europa League—dispels any surprise at Roma's league position, describing third place in the coach's first season as "an exceptional achievement."

Fulvio Collovati, who played for both Roma and Inter, has analysed Saturday's meeting between the clubs at the Olimpico at 18:00. Roma have the best defence in the league this season, and Collovati attributed the improvement to a complete tactical overhaul. "A totally different team," he said. "It has the league's top scorer, Malen, and concedes less. It plays one-on-one under pressure, it aggresses you and certainly doesn't give up attacking. In defence the hierarchies seem well defined, but then against Torino Balerdi played and did very well. The comparison with Baresi that Gasperini made was perhaps a bit exaggerated, although I don't know the player that well." Collovati identified the wing play as the decisive battleground. "I see a very interesting clash on the flanks: Dimarco and Diouf on one side, Wesley and Molina or the young Lulli, who is very interesting, on the other. Inter especially relies heavily on the wide channels, also with Bastoni. In my time, in the two years I was at Roma, I noticed matches against Inter were often characterised by many goals, and in subsequent years it seemed to happen the same way." He dismissed any surprise at Roma's position near the top of the table. "Perhaps for those who don't know Gasperini. He took Atalanta to win the Europa League. The team returned to the Champions League, and for me this year it is destined to do more. Finishing third in the first year with this coach was already an exceptional achievement."

Andrea Stramaccioni, now a DAZN commentator, has analysed Roma's position after their match against Inter, arguing that the gap between the two clubs has narrowed significantly despite Inter remaining the stronger side overall. Speaking on Teleradiostereo, he attributed the improvement to a shift in mentality rather than marquee recruitment, pointing to Gasperini's second season at the club as the turning point. "It's not that a champion arrived who changes your eleven, but we're already in Gasperini's second year and you can see it," Stramaccioni said. "The way you recovered the match against Atalanta is a fundamental leap forward, but also how you managed the Turin game. You've increased your resources, found a fourth starting defender in Balerdi. In this I see the gap reduced." Stramaccioni explained that Gasperini struggles specifically against Inter's 3-5-2 formation because of how Inter's attacking shape is structured. "I'm not speaking in general—I'm talking about Inter's 3-5-2," he said. "Usually he inverts the attacking fulcrum in these cases, probably one player will deal with Zielinski and he could do it with Soulé or Mora. But also by advancing Pisilli. Usually Gasperini suffers in Inter's attacking quadrilateral. Because if you lose track of those four, they hurt you." He cited last season's away match where Ndicka struggled marking opposition players and was caught out for a goal. On Roma's own strengths, Stramaccioni identified their low build-up play as a potential weapon. "The biggest problem for Chivu is in Roma's construction from the back, because Inter rarely uses three players to press. The structure of Gasp's construction can cause more problems to a team like Inter than to Como," he explained. "If Dybala starts to move well across the pitch you take away a centre-back like Bastoni. Gasperini won't change his approach—he'll play it open-faced. If you have a chance you take it with maximum intensity. The important thing is not to come away empty because Inter's strikers don't forgive mistakes." Stramaccioni also assessed Rodrigo Mora's potential at the club. "Gasperini wants someone with a low centre of gravity like Papu Gomez was, he tried it with Zaragoza but it went very badly. He exalts him because he sees those characteristics he needs," he said. "He hasn't had the impact Malen has, but he's also 19. There have been other short players who strengthened the physical bulk—Di Natale and Sneijder. He'll improve too; he has enormous room for growth." Finally, Stramaccioni identified Roma's lack of a ball-carrier in midfield as a key weakness. "This is Gasperini's great frustration. Roma is missing a player who in moments of tiredness attacks the depth—that player the coach expected from the transfer market. There's no one who breaks lines; they're all players you have to feed the ball to. Then you'll have to become more speculative in that sense."

Fulvio Collovati, who played for both Roma and Inter, has analysed the sides' meeting on Saturday at 18:00 at the Olimpico. Speaking to Il Giorno, the former defender praised Roma's defensive solidity this season while highlighting the tactical battle likely to unfold on the wings. Collovati noted Roma's transformation under Gasperini, pointing to Malen as the league's top scorer and the team's improved defensive record. He observed that "the squad is totally different. It has the league's leading goalscorer, Malen, and concedes fewer goals. It plays one-on-one pressing, it harries you and certainly does not give up attacking. The defensive hierarchies also seem well defined, though Balerdi played against Torino and did very well. Perhaps the comparison Gasperini made with Baresi was a bit exaggerated, although I don't know the player that well." On the match's key battle, Collovati identified the flanks as decisive: "I see a very interesting clash on the wings: Dimarco and Diouf on one side, Wesley and Molina or the young Lulli, who is very interesting, on the other. Above all, Inter rely heavily on the flanks, also having Bastoni. Generally, in my two years at Roma, I noticed that matches against Inter were often characterised by many goals, and in subsequent years it seemed the same happened." Collovati added that Gasperini's pedigree—leading Atalanta to win the Europa League—dispels any surprise at Roma's league position, describing third place in the coach's first season as "an exceptional achievement."

Fulvio Collovati, who played for both Roma and Inter, has analysed Saturday's meeting between the clubs at the Olimpico at 18:00. Roma have the best defence in the league this season, and Collovati attributed the improvement to a complete tactical overhaul. "A totally different team," he said. "It has the league's top scorer, Malen, and concedes less. It plays one-on-one under pressure, it aggresses you and certainly doesn't give up attacking. In defence the hierarchies seem well defined, but then against Torino Balerdi played and did very well. The comparison with Baresi that Gasperini made was perhaps a bit exaggerated, although I don't know the player that well." Collovati identified the wing play as the decisive battleground. "I see a very interesting clash on the flanks: Dimarco and Diouf on one side, Wesley and Molina or the young Lulli, who is very interesting, on the other. Inter especially relies heavily on the wide channels, also with Bastoni. In my time, in the two years I was at Roma, I noticed matches against Inter were often characterised by many goals, and in subsequent years it seemed to happen the same way." He dismissed any surprise at Roma's position near the top of the table. "Perhaps for those who don't know Gasperini. He took Atalanta to win the Europa League. The team returned to the Champions League, and for me this year it is destined to do more. Finishing third in the first year with this coach was already an exceptional achievement."

Andrea Stramaccioni, now a DAZN commentator, has analysed Roma's position after their match against Inter, arguing that the gap between the two clubs has narrowed significantly despite Inter remaining the stronger side overall. Speaking on Teleradiostereo, he attributed the improvement to a shift in mentality rather than marquee recruitment, pointing to Gasperini's second season at the club as the turning point. "It's not that a champion arrived who changes your eleven, but we're already in Gasperini's second year and you can see it," Stramaccioni said. "The way you recovered the match against Atalanta is a fundamental leap forward, but also how you managed the Turin game. You've increased your resources, found a fourth starting defender in Balerdi. In this I see the gap reduced." Stramaccioni explained that Gasperini struggles specifically against Inter's 3-5-2 formation because of how Inter's attacking shape is structured. "I'm not speaking in general—I'm talking about Inter's 3-5-2," he said. "Usually he inverts the attacking fulcrum in these cases, probably one player will deal with Zielinski and he could do it with Soulé or Mora. But also by advancing Pisilli. Usually Gasperini suffers in Inter's attacking quadrilateral. Because if you lose track of those four, they hurt you." He cited last season's away match where Ndicka struggled marking opposition players and was caught out for a goal. On Roma's own strengths, Stramaccioni identified their low build-up play as a potential weapon. "The biggest problem for Chivu is in Roma's construction from the back, because Inter rarely uses three players to press. The structure of Gasp's construction can cause more problems to a team like Inter than to Como," he explained. "If Dybala starts to move well across the pitch you take away a centre-back like Bastoni. Gasperini won't change his approach—he'll play it open-faced. If you have a chance you take it with maximum intensity. The important thing is not to come away empty because Inter's strikers don't forgive mistakes." Stramaccioni also assessed Rodrigo Mora's potential at the club. "Gasperini wants someone with a low centre of gravity like Papu Gomez was, he tried it with Zaragoza but it went very badly. He exalts him because he sees those characteristics he needs," he said. "He hasn't had the impact Malen has, but he's also 19. There have been other short players who strengthened the physical bulk—Di Natale and Sneijder. He'll improve too; he has enormous room for growth." Finally, Stramaccioni identified Roma's lack of a ball-carrier in midfield as a key weakness. "This is Gasperini's great frustration. Roma is missing a player who in moments of tiredness attacks the depth—that player the coach expected from the transfer market. There's no one who breaks lines; they're all players you have to feed the ball to. Then you'll have to become more speculative in that sense."

Paulo Dybala has been invited by the Argentine Football Federation to attend a special celebration honouring Lionel Messi on 6 October, when Argentina face Benin in a friendly. The event will serve as a broader tribute to Messi's career, marking the end of his time with the national team. Dybala and Messi won the World Cup together in Qatar and shared years competing for the Albiceleste. Dybala's attendance remains uncertain, however, due to fixture congestion. Just five days after the Messi tribute on 6 October, Roma will travel to Como in a Serie A fixture. The club must balance player recovery time during the international break with the demands of the upcoming league match, leaving Dybala's departure for Argentina not yet confirmed. Defender Nahuel Molina is also listed among potential invitees to the celebration. Other Roma players called up by Argentina for the same window face a different situation: Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi have all been officially included in head coach Scaloni's squad list and will participate in the Argentina gathering as normal.

Roma travel to the Olimpico on Saturday with a perfect record—twelve points from four matches plus a draw in Istanbul—but face one of the season's sternest examinations against Inter and Chivu, a side that has historically troubled Gasperini. The head coach has the full squad available and must resolve three significant lineup decisions. At centre-back, Evan N'Dicka has returned to full fitness but Leonardo Balerdi is in outstanding form; the Ivorian holds a slight edge. On the right flank, Emanuele Lulli and Nahuel Molina are competing for one spot, with Lulli's superior defensive cover making him the favourite alongside Wesley on the left. In attack, Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen are guaranteed starts. Matías Soulé leads Rodrigo Mora for the third forward slot, though a surprise could emerge through the possible advancement of either Niccolò Pisilli or Bryan Cristante to bolster midfield cover.