Roma face Sassuolo at the Olimpico as Gasperini's side look to bounce back from Champions League defeat to Manchester United

Roma head into their next Serie A fixture against Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico, and several radio pundits on Radio Radio have weighed in on the match, the squad and the aftermath of the Manchester defeat. Carina said Sassuolo are a side in difficulty, having conceded four goals per game recently, but warned that Roma arrive tired, including mentally, because the blow of Manchester was heavy. He said returning to the Olimpico helps, since the level in Serie A allows a little dip in form. "The aim is to string together a run of wins over the next four matches, so you reach the derby in a high position," Carina said. On the Inter–Como fixture, he added: "Any positive result is fine: it is a round Roma must know how to steer in the right direction." Carina also raised concerns about Paulo Dybala's fitness. "With Dybala you never really understand the recovery times: first they talk about muscle fatigue, then a small tear, then he disappears from the radar. He is a sublime, fantastic player, but now he becomes a problem: between Dybala and Pellegrini, if you have one, that is already a lot. So the squad becomes short: if you want to be a protagonist in the league, you are missing players." He also said he expected Santiago Castro to play more, adding: "He had given a signal with the wonderful goal against Genoa, but he must give continuity, despite the difficulties, because playing once in a while is complicated." Giuseppe Pruzzo, speaking on Radio Radio, said: "After Manchester, we must restart immediately. Sassuolo in their last two matches have conceded ten goals; the worrying thing is that they show no signs and do not react. This allows Roma to manage the match and try to create danger up front." He added that Donyell Malen has the occasional lapse, and that Castro never plays, asking whether there would be room for him this time. Mattioli, also on Radio Radio, described Sassuolo as a side on a rollercoaster, capable of collapsing or producing a big performance. He said: "Roma, in my opinion, are not at their best moment. At Manchester I saw some errors in the game. I don't know if it is tiredness, which can happen, or some players below their level. If Sassuolo do not change gear, they will not leave the Olimpico in good shape. Roma can win." Orsi argued that Roma are too dependent on Malen and Dybala, noting that Malen scored a lot when the two played together but now struggles more, while Dybala may not score but always provides assists.

Former Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani returns to the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday evening as head coach of Sassuolo, and Nemanja Matić, now the Sassuolo midfielder, is again a central figure in the fixture. Aquilani left Roma in August 2009, when he was sold to Liverpool for around 20 million euros. Years later, in an interview with GianlucaDiMarzio.com, he set the record straight: "Roma did not throw me out, they were forced to sell me. That year I was injured, Roma had enormous economic problems and had to make an important sale. Vucinic and I had several offers, Liverpool put 20 million on the table and that was that." He left a painful gap on the pitch, but he never cut the ties with the city. After a strong two seasons in Serie B with Catanzaro, he now leads a Sassuolo side that is struggling for consistency and is fighting in the dangerous zone of the table. It is the latest former player to return to the Olimpico this emotional month for Roma fans, after Mourinho and De Rossi. Aquilani also has a link to Gasperini's squad: Daniele Ghilardi. Aquilani coached him in the Fiorentina Primavera between 2020 and 2022. Ghilardi spoke about his former coach to TMW in 2023: "I remember him with affection. I didn't have many chances to play with him, but I got on well with him." Matić's story is equally charged. The Sassuolo midfielder, the leader and focal point of the neroverdi, embodied the professor's essence in midfield during his only season in the capital, and his departure still divides the Roman fanbase. To understand his weight at Roma, one has to go back to the Europa League final of 31 May 2023 in Budapest against Sevilla, the bitterest night in recent European history for the club. Amid the despair and tears of team-mates, Matić told a crying Paulo Dybala: "That's football." Months later he left for Rennes, a few days before the start of the season, after a breakdown in his relationship with Mourinho. The move was driven by a desire for a more lucrative contract and greater stability. At Sassuolo he has made 9 appearances this season, with 2 assists, one of them decisive in the 3-2 win over Juventus, and has played 77% of available minutes. He was on the bench only against Lazio, when Sassuolo collapsed at home to a 6-2 defeat. His Sofascore rating has been at least 7 in every match except the 4-2 defeat to Frosinone. Two former players, very different in their paths but sharing a common thread, will both be impossible to ignore when Sassuolo visit the Olimpico.

Gian Piero Gasperini is eagerly awaiting Mile Svilar's return from the international break. Roma have conceded 4 goals in 6 matches with Svilar in goal, an average of 0.66 per game. Without him, Pierluigi Gollini and Vásquez have let in 14 goals in 8 matches, pushing the average up to 1.75. After a difficult October, Roma's fixture list looks set to ease. Sassuolo, Parma and Monza will take them towards the end of November, with the Champions League clash against PSG in between. Roma have now gone 17 consecutive Serie A matches unbeaten, with 13 wins and 4 draws, and Gasperini can aim to reach 20 before the head-to-head clashes in December. The unbeaten runs of Ranieri (19) and Spalletti (20) remain ahead of them. The Olimpico is preparing to fill up once again. The Roma-Sassuolo match on Saturday evening is close to selling out, and the Distinto Nord-Ovest has been opened to meet the high demand. Fans are responding strongly after the European disappointment against Manchester United. After the break, Roma face Parma and PSG away, and will not return to the Olimpico until 29 November, when they host Monza. Roma arrive at the Sassuolo match after a punishing run of nine matches in 27 days, roughly one every three days. Gasperini had already stressed the strain: "In this period we have played eight matches on a knife's edge." Marten de Roon has been the most-used player, with 673 minutes in the last eight games, and could be rested for the Sassuolo fixture. Doubts remain over the recovery of Paulo Dybala, Manu Koné and Pierluigi Gollini.

Gian Piero Gasperini is set to start Matías Soulé, Rodrigo Mora and Donyell Malen together in attack for Roma's home match against Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico tomorrow evening. Roma have been hit by a long run of absences, with Svilar, Gollini, Rensch, Koné, Cristante, Dybala and Pellegrini all missing at least one match across Serie A and the Champions League since the international break at the end of September and beginning of October. The fixture is the ninth game in 27 days for Roma. In midfield, Marten de Roon has stood out, and he is set to start his ninth match in a row tomorrow night. The attack has been the most reshuffled part of the side, but beyond Malen's consistency, Gasperini has been encouraged by the rapid growth of Soulé and the flashes of quality from the young Mora. The trio are starting for the third game in a row in the space of a week. Roma's latest run has been mixed. In Udine, Roma won with a fiery performance at the Bluenergy Stadium, and they had the game wrapped up by the 37th minute before fading after the break. In the first half, Soulé, Mora and Malen dominated. Soulé provided assists for Malen and for a header by N'Dicka, while Mora scored the goal that made it 2-0 after Cristante's pass. Malen, with his eighth league goal of the season, continued his record-breaking form in the Roma shirt. At Old Trafford, the pattern repeated itself in the opening 45 minutes. Mora's fantastic pass set up Soulé for the 1-0, and Soulé then won a penalty that Malen converted for 2-0. At half-time Mora was substituted, Roma dropped deeper, and Manchester United staged a stunning and painful comeback. Sassuolo arrive with the worst defence in Serie A, having conceded 26 goals in 10 matches, including 12 in their last three games, played between Saturday 24 October and Monday 2 November. Mati, Rodrigo and Donyell are ready to shine again against them, with the aim of finishing this part of the season well. The article's author sums up the mood: the appetite comes with eating, and tomorrow night Roma have every condition to serve up a good dish.

Gian Piero Gasperini is eagerly awaiting Mile Svilar's return from the international break. Roma have conceded 4 goals in 6 matches with Svilar in goal, an average of 0.66 per game. Without him, Pierluigi Gollini and Vásquez have let in 14 goals in 8 matches, pushing the average up to 1.75. After a difficult October, Roma's fixture list looks set to ease. Sassuolo, Parma and Monza will take them towards the end of November, with the Champions League clash against PSG in between. Roma have now gone 17 consecutive Serie A matches unbeaten, with 13 wins and 4 draws, and Gasperini can aim to reach 20 before the head-to-head clashes in December. The unbeaten runs of Ranieri (19) and Spalletti (20) remain ahead of them. The Olimpico is preparing to fill up once again. The Roma-Sassuolo match on Saturday evening is close to selling out, and the Distinto Nord-Ovest has been opened to meet the high demand. Fans are responding strongly after the European disappointment against Manchester United. After the break, Roma face Parma and PSG away, and will not return to the Olimpico until 29 November, when they host Monza. Roma arrive at the Sassuolo match after a punishing run of nine matches in 27 days, roughly one every three days. Gasperini had already stressed the strain: "In this period we have played eight matches on a knife's edge." Marten de Roon has been the most-used player, with 673 minutes in the last eight games, and could be rested for the Sassuolo fixture. Doubts remain over the recovery of Paulo Dybala, Manu Koné and Pierluigi Gollini.

Roma face Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico tomorrow evening in their final match before the November international break, and the club's injury crisis shows no sign of easing. It is the ninth game in 27 days for Gian Piero Gasperini's side. Mile Svilar and Devyne Rensch are certainly out, as is Paulo Dybala, who trained apart from the squad again yesterday. Gianluca Mancini did not train when the squad returned to work, but there is no cause for alarm, with the club only managing his workload. He is in a race with Leonardo Balerdi to start from the first minute against Sassuolo. Roma hope to recover one or two more players, but that looks unlikely. Sassuolo are coached by former Roma captain Fabio Grosso, and the match marks a return for Roma's recent schedule to the sort of pressure that has defined this period. Manu Koné offers the brightest hope. According to Il Messaggero, the French midfielder completed a personalised session on the pitch yesterday and will take a fitness test today to try to return to the matchday squad. Leggo reports that Koné wants to play against Sassuolo and then answer the call from France. Roma are holding back, however, given his long layoff and frequent setbacks. The feeling is that the next few hours could be decisive. Pierluigi Gollini is also in doubt. Roma's medical staff are proceeding with infiltrations to resolve the back problem that forced him to withdraw from the match against Manchester United at Old Trafford. The goalkeeper will do everything he can to recover, but in the meantime Devis Vásquez is warming up. Vásquez's last Serie A appearance came on 25 May 2025, in an Empoli shirt.

Gian Piero Gasperini is set to start Matías Soulé, Rodrigo Mora and Donyell Malen together in attack for Roma's home match against Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico tomorrow evening. Roma have been hit by a long run of absences, with Svilar, Gollini, Rensch, Koné, Cristante, Dybala and Pellegrini all missing at least one match across Serie A and the Champions League since the international break at the end of September and beginning of October. The fixture is the ninth game in 27 days for Roma. In midfield, Marten de Roon has stood out, and he is set to start his ninth match in a row tomorrow night. The attack has been the most reshuffled part of the side, but beyond Malen's consistency, Gasperini has been encouraged by the rapid growth of Soulé and the flashes of quality from the young Mora. The trio are starting for the third game in a row in the space of a week. Roma's latest run has been mixed. In Udine, Roma won with a fiery performance at the Bluenergy Stadium, and they had the game wrapped up by the 37th minute before fading after the break. In the first half, Soulé, Mora and Malen dominated. Soulé provided assists for Malen and for a header by N'Dicka, while Mora scored the goal that made it 2-0 after Cristante's pass. Malen, with his eighth league goal of the season, continued his record-breaking form in the Roma shirt. At Old Trafford, the pattern repeated itself in the opening 45 minutes. Mora's fantastic pass set up Soulé for the 1-0, and Soulé then won a penalty that Malen converted for 2-0. At half-time Mora was substituted, Roma dropped deeper, and Manchester United staged a stunning and painful comeback. Sassuolo arrive with the worst defence in Serie A, having conceded 26 goals in 10 matches, including 12 in their last three games, played between Saturday 24 October and Monday 2 November. Mati, Rodrigo and Donyell are ready to shine again against them, with the aim of finishing this part of the season well. The article's author sums up the mood: the appetite comes with eating, and tomorrow night Roma have every condition to serve up a good dish.

Roma head into their next Serie A fixture against Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico, and several radio pundits on Radio Radio have weighed in on the match, the squad and the aftermath of the Manchester defeat. Carina said Sassuolo are a side in difficulty, having conceded four goals per game recently, but warned that Roma arrive tired, including mentally, because the blow of Manchester was heavy. He said returning to the Olimpico helps, since the level in Serie A allows a little dip in form. "The aim is to string together a run of wins over the next four matches, so you reach the derby in a high position," Carina said. On the Inter–Como fixture, he added: "Any positive result is fine: it is a round Roma must know how to steer in the right direction." Carina also raised concerns about Paulo Dybala's fitness. "With Dybala you never really understand the recovery times: first they talk about muscle fatigue, then a small tear, then he disappears from the radar. He is a sublime, fantastic player, but now he becomes a problem: between Dybala and Pellegrini, if you have one, that is already a lot. So the squad becomes short: if you want to be a protagonist in the league, you are missing players." He also said he expected Santiago Castro to play more, adding: "He had given a signal with the wonderful goal against Genoa, but he must give continuity, despite the difficulties, because playing once in a while is complicated." Giuseppe Pruzzo, speaking on Radio Radio, said: "After Manchester, we must restart immediately. Sassuolo in their last two matches have conceded ten goals; the worrying thing is that they show no signs and do not react. This allows Roma to manage the match and try to create danger up front." He added that Donyell Malen has the occasional lapse, and that Castro never plays, asking whether there would be room for him this time. Mattioli, also on Radio Radio, described Sassuolo as a side on a rollercoaster, capable of collapsing or producing a big performance. He said: "Roma, in my opinion, are not at their best moment. At Manchester I saw some errors in the game. I don't know if it is tiredness, which can happen, or some players below their level. If Sassuolo do not change gear, they will not leave the Olimpico in good shape. Roma can win." Orsi argued that Roma are too dependent on Malen and Dybala, noting that Malen scored a lot when the two played together but now struggles more, while Dybala may not score but always provides assists.

Former Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani returns to the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday evening as head coach of Sassuolo, and Nemanja Matić, now the Sassuolo midfielder, is again a central figure in the fixture. Aquilani left Roma in August 2009, when he was sold to Liverpool for around 20 million euros. Years later, in an interview with GianlucaDiMarzio.com, he set the record straight: "Roma did not throw me out, they were forced to sell me. That year I was injured, Roma had enormous economic problems and had to make an important sale. Vucinic and I had several offers, Liverpool put 20 million on the table and that was that." He left a painful gap on the pitch, but he never cut the ties with the city. After a strong two seasons in Serie B with Catanzaro, he now leads a Sassuolo side that is struggling for consistency and is fighting in the dangerous zone of the table. It is the latest former player to return to the Olimpico this emotional month for Roma fans, after Mourinho and De Rossi. Aquilani also has a link to Gasperini's squad: Daniele Ghilardi. Aquilani coached him in the Fiorentina Primavera between 2020 and 2022. Ghilardi spoke about his former coach to TMW in 2023: "I remember him with affection. I didn't have many chances to play with him, but I got on well with him." Matić's story is equally charged. The Sassuolo midfielder, the leader and focal point of the neroverdi, embodied the professor's essence in midfield during his only season in the capital, and his departure still divides the Roman fanbase. To understand his weight at Roma, one has to go back to the Europa League final of 31 May 2023 in Budapest against Sevilla, the bitterest night in recent European history for the club. Amid the despair and tears of team-mates, Matić told a crying Paulo Dybala: "That's football." Months later he left for Rennes, a few days before the start of the season, after a breakdown in his relationship with Mourinho. The move was driven by a desire for a more lucrative contract and greater stability. At Sassuolo he has made 9 appearances this season, with 2 assists, one of them decisive in the 3-2 win over Juventus, and has played 77% of available minutes. He was on the bench only against Lazio, when Sassuolo collapsed at home to a 6-2 defeat. His Sofascore rating has been at least 7 in every match except the 4-2 defeat to Frosinone. Two former players, very different in their paths but sharing a common thread, will both be impossible to ignore when Sassuolo visit the Olimpico.

Gian Piero Gasperini is set to start Matías Soulé, Rodrigo Mora and Donyell Malen together in attack for Roma's home match against Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico tomorrow evening. Roma have been hit by a long run of absences, with Svilar, Gollini, Rensch, Koné, Cristante, Dybala and Pellegrini all missing at least one match across Serie A and the Champions League since the international break at the end of September and beginning of October. The fixture is the ninth game in 27 days for Roma. In midfield, Marten de Roon has stood out, and he is set to start his ninth match in a row tomorrow night. The attack has been the most reshuffled part of the side, but beyond Malen's consistency, Gasperini has been encouraged by the rapid growth of Soulé and the flashes of quality from the young Mora. The trio are starting for the third game in a row in the space of a week. Roma's latest run has been mixed. In Udine, Roma won with a fiery performance at the Bluenergy Stadium, and they had the game wrapped up by the 37th minute before fading after the break. In the first half, Soulé, Mora and Malen dominated. Soulé provided assists for Malen and for a header by N'Dicka, while Mora scored the goal that made it 2-0 after Cristante's pass. Malen, with his eighth league goal of the season, continued his record-breaking form in the Roma shirt. At Old Trafford, the pattern repeated itself in the opening 45 minutes. Mora's fantastic pass set up Soulé for the 1-0, and Soulé then won a penalty that Malen converted for 2-0. At half-time Mora was substituted, Roma dropped deeper, and Manchester United staged a stunning and painful comeback. Sassuolo arrive with the worst defence in Serie A, having conceded 26 goals in 10 matches, including 12 in their last three games, played between Saturday 24 October and Monday 2 November. Mati, Rodrigo and Donyell are ready to shine again against them, with the aim of finishing this part of the season well. The article's author sums up the mood: the appetite comes with eating, and tomorrow night Roma have every condition to serve up a good dish.

Roma face Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico tomorrow evening in their final match before the November international break, and the club's injury crisis shows no sign of easing. It is the ninth game in 27 days for Gian Piero Gasperini's side. Mile Svilar and Devyne Rensch are certainly out, as is Paulo Dybala, who trained apart from the squad again yesterday. Gianluca Mancini did not train when the squad returned to work, but there is no cause for alarm, with the club only managing his workload. He is in a race with Leonardo Balerdi to start from the first minute against Sassuolo. Roma hope to recover one or two more players, but that looks unlikely. Sassuolo are coached by former Roma captain Fabio Grosso, and the match marks a return for Roma's recent schedule to the sort of pressure that has defined this period. Manu Koné offers the brightest hope. According to Il Messaggero, the French midfielder completed a personalised session on the pitch yesterday and will take a fitness test today to try to return to the matchday squad. Leggo reports that Koné wants to play against Sassuolo and then answer the call from France. Roma are holding back, however, given his long layoff and frequent setbacks. The feeling is that the next few hours could be decisive. Pierluigi Gollini is also in doubt. Roma's medical staff are proceeding with infiltrations to resolve the back problem that forced him to withdraw from the match against Manchester United at Old Trafford. The goalkeeper will do everything he can to recover, but in the meantime Devis Vásquez is warming up. Vásquez's last Serie A appearance came on 25 May 2025, in an Empoli shirt.

Roma head into the Serie A match against Sassuolo with a complicated injury list, with goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini a major doubt. Gollini is sidelined by a back problem and his fitness will only be assessed at the last moment, which could open the way for him to start from the first minute if he is passed fit. Defender Devyne Rensch has suffered a first-degree tear to his right adductor after going off early in Roma's Champions League clash with Manchester United. He will be out for around twenty days. Paulo Dybala is also already ruled out, with his return now scheduled for directly after the international break. Il Tempo reports cautious optimism over Manu Koné. The French midfielder has trained individually on the pitch after returning from England and is determined to earn a call-up for the match at the Olimpico against Sassuolo, which would give Gian Piero Gasperini a valuable option to bring on during the game. Meanwhile, Roma's players have received official call-ups for their respective national teams ahead of the international fixtures.