Roma and Inter: the goalscoring queens clash at the summit

Gian Piero Gasperini is set to reshape Roma for tonight's Champions League clash away at Manchester United, with Bryan Cristante potentially moving into the attacking midfield role behind the front line. Il Messaggero's Daniele Aloisi reports that Niccolò Pisilli would take Cristante's place in midfield alongside Marten de Roon. The match marks the halfway point of the Champions League league phase. Cristante is expected to operate in the number ten area, although a start for Rodrigo Mora cannot be ruled out. Donyell Malen and Matías Soulé remain untouchable as the front pair. On the left, Wesley is set to play, while Devyne Rensch is pushing Emanuele Lulli on the right. At the back, Gasperini will rely on his best men, with Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso ready to form the three-man defence. Leonardo Balerdi is at risk after training on Monday with a heavy bandage on his right knee. Gollini is expected in goal, returning to Manchester where he spent time in the youth ranks from 2012 to 2014. Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala are once again out. Koné and Dybala are hoping to be available for Saturday's match against Sassuolo, though their involvement is not guaranteed.

Roma are training at Manchester United's historic Cliff training ground on the eve of their trip to face the Red Devils, with Gian Piero Gasperini set to finalise his team selection doubts in the morning session. The session is scheduled for 11am local time at the Cliff. The Cliff is the club's former first-team base, which Manchester United used for years until Sir Alex Ferguson pushed for a move in 2000. Ferguson's reason was a lack of privacy: he felt the facility was too open, with training sessions easily watched by journalists and, above all, by scouts working for rival clubs. He called them "spies" and suggested the club relocate, and it did. Manchester United now train at Carrington, while the Cliff remains in use by the youth teams and the women's side. For one day, the Cliff is also being used by Roma and by their Primavera side, who will face the English club in the Youth League. Ahead of the trip, Roma have already held a rehearsal session the previous day, followed by the morning training on the day of the match.

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini appears to have settled on most of his starting line-up for tonight's clash at Old Trafford against Manchester United. Gollini is set to start in goal, with Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso favoured in defence. In midfield the pair of Cristante and De Roon is confirmed, with Wesley on the left. The right-back berth is wide open, with the newspapers split between Molina, Rensch and Lulli. In the attacking midfield, Pisilli is named by almost all the dailies alongside Soulé, while Malen is expected to lead the line. N'Dicka faces a significant step up in difficulty tonight. The Roma centre-back will have to keep close tabs on Matheus Cunha, Manchester United's principal attacking reference. Reading the play in advance and managing the open space will be decisive, especially when Gasperini's side push up high. N'Dicka, however, has the qualities suited to the duel: strength in physical contests, timing of his interventions and reading of the game. The report is part of a flash round-up of Roma news and was published by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Gian Piero Gasperini is set to reshape Roma for tonight's Champions League clash away at Manchester United, with Bryan Cristante potentially moving into the attacking midfield role behind the front line. Il Messaggero's Daniele Aloisi reports that Niccolò Pisilli would take Cristante's place in midfield alongside Marten de Roon. The match marks the halfway point of the Champions League league phase. Cristante is expected to operate in the number ten area, although a start for Rodrigo Mora cannot be ruled out. Donyell Malen and Matías Soulé remain untouchable as the front pair. On the left, Wesley is set to play, while Devyne Rensch is pushing Emanuele Lulli on the right. At the back, Gasperini will rely on his best men, with Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso ready to form the three-man defence. Leonardo Balerdi is at risk after training on Monday with a heavy bandage on his right knee. Gollini is expected in goal, returning to Manchester where he spent time in the youth ranks from 2012 to 2014. Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala are once again out. Koné and Dybala are hoping to be available for Saturday's match against Sassuolo, though their involvement is not guaranteed.

Lazio supporter Giuseppe Cruciani has named Roma as the clear favourites for the Scudetto, saying the club can only lose the title itself. Speaking on the Numer1 podcast, the La Zanzara presenter pointed to Gian Piero Gasperini's side as the team to beat. "Not out of superstition, but based on what we've seen so far. Roma have never dropped a match, maybe once a long time ago. The only game they lost was when they were ahead five minutes from the end against Real Madrid. Apart from that, they have always dominated," Cruciani said, impressed by the consistency of the giallorossi. Cruciani also highlighted that Roma have kept going despite the absences of three key players: Svilar, Koné and Dybala. He said those losses had not stopped the team from continuing to get results and produce high-level performances, which made their campaign all the more significant. His prediction was emphatic: "Roma are the real favourites for the Scudetto. If they don't win it, it's because something strange happens. It's almost impossible that they don't win it." Cruciani gave Roma a 55% chance of winning the title, ahead of Inter on 40% and Milan on 5%. His view stands apart from his fellow panellists. Ivan Zazzaroni still considers Inter the favourites, while Sandro Sabatini sees the two clubs as essentially level. Cruciani, by contrast, has no doubts. For Roma fans, hearing such words from a Lazio supporter makes the prediction all the more striking.

Giuseppe Cruciani, the Lazio-supporting journalist and host of La Zanzara on Radio24, has declared that Roma are the real favourites for the Scudetto and that only Roma could throw the title away. Speaking on the Numer1 podcast, he said the claim was not superstition but based on the team's performances so far. Cruciani said: "Non lo dico per scaramanzia, ma per valutazione di quello visto finora. Non ha mai sbagliato una partita, forse un tempo. L'unica partita che ha perso era in vantaggio a 5' dalla fine contro il Real Madrid. Per il resto ha dominato sempre. Gli mancano 3 giocatori fondamentali come Svilar, Koné e Dybala. La Roma è la vera favorita allo scudetto, se non lo vince è perché succede qualcosa di strano. È quasi impossibile che non lo vinca." In English, his remarks read: "I'm not saying it out of superstition, but based on what we've seen so far. They have never lost a match, maybe apart from one half. The only game they lost was when they were ahead with 5 minutes left against Real Madrid. Otherwise they have always dominated. They are missing three key players, such as Svilar, Koné and Dybala. Roma are the real favourites for the Scudetto; if they don't win it, something strange would have to happen. It is almost impossible that they don't win it." His comments come with Roma sweating on the fitness of three key men. Cruciani named goalkeeper Mile Svilar, midfielder Manu Koné and forward Paulo Dybala as fundamental absences, and he framed the Real Madrid defeat, where Roma led with five minutes to play, as the only blemish on an otherwise dominant campaign.

Gian Piero Gasperini is set to reshape Roma for tonight's Champions League clash away at Manchester United, with Bryan Cristante potentially moving into the attacking midfield role behind the front line. Il Messaggero's Daniele Aloisi reports that Niccolò Pisilli would take Cristante's place in midfield alongside Marten de Roon. The match marks the halfway point of the Champions League league phase. Cristante is expected to operate in the number ten area, although a start for Rodrigo Mora cannot be ruled out. Donyell Malen and Matías Soulé remain untouchable as the front pair. On the left, Wesley is set to play, while Devyne Rensch is pushing Emanuele Lulli on the right. At the back, Gasperini will rely on his best men, with Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso ready to form the three-man defence. Leonardo Balerdi is at risk after training on Monday with a heavy bandage on his right knee. Gollini is expected in goal, returning to Manchester where he spent time in the youth ranks from 2012 to 2014. Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala are once again out. Koné and Dybala are hoping to be available for Saturday's match against Sassuolo, though their involvement is not guaranteed.

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini appears to have settled on most of his starting line-up for tonight's clash at Old Trafford against Manchester United. Gollini is set to start in goal, with Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso favoured in defence. In midfield the pair of Cristante and De Roon is confirmed, with Wesley on the left. The right-back berth is wide open, with the newspapers split between Molina, Rensch and Lulli. In the attacking midfield, Pisilli is named by almost all the dailies alongside Soulé, while Malen is expected to lead the line. N'Dicka faces a significant step up in difficulty tonight. The Roma centre-back will have to keep close tabs on Matheus Cunha, Manchester United's principal attacking reference. Reading the play in advance and managing the open space will be decisive, especially when Gasperini's side push up high. N'Dicka, however, has the qualities suited to the duel: strength in physical contests, timing of his interventions and reading of the game. The report is part of a flash round-up of Roma news and was published by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Donyell Malen is set to lead Roma's attack against a battered Manchester United at Old Trafford, with the Giallorossi looking to push towards the playoffs with a win. Il Corriere della Sera describes the Dutch forward as the dream man for Roma heading into the Old Trafford clash. Malen returns to English football after an unhappy spell at Aston Villa, where he was used on the wing and given fewer chances to show his considerable goalscoring potential. According to Il Corriere della Sera, he left the Premier League because he felt misunderstood, having wanted to play as a centre-forward rather than on the right wing. Birmingham, where Villa are based, is an hour and a half from Manchester, and the report suggests his assessment in England was wrong. A win on Tuesday evening would go a long way towards securing a playoff place for Roma. Malen has the chance to score against the club where Totti and Dzeko have left their mark. Earlier this season he scored against Real Madrid, silencing those who said he does not score in the big games. At Old Trafford, however, he is almost a debutant, having made just one appearance there, for six minutes in May 2025. The Italian report frames the match as a chance to prove that his value was misjudged in England and across Europe.