Roma Femminile begin Serie A campaign against Sassuolo on 27 September

Roma Femminile claimed their first three points of the Women's Champions League, beating Servette 2-1 at the Tre Fontane. Van Dooren, assisted by Thogersen, opened the scoring in the 25th minute, and Pilgrim doubled the lead in the 34th. Servette came back into the match when Marinelli converted a penalty, but Roma held on for the win. Coach Piovani's side had lost two matches and drawn one before this game, so the victory was a welcome turnaround. With the three points, Roma moved up to tenth place in the table, at least for the time being. The win came after a difficult start to the competition, and the result lifts the squad's spirits. Van Dooren's goal, created by Thogersen's pass, and Pilgrim's second in the 34th minute gave Roma a two-goal cushion before the break. Marinelli's spot-kick was the only goal the visitors managed, leaving Roma to see out a 2-1 victory.

Roma have scored 31 goals in their first 11 Serie A matches, a tally the club has never reached before at this stage of a league season. The previous best was 28, in 1960/61. Last season the side averaged one goal a game (12 in the same period), a sharp contrast with the current team, which is scoring freely against every kind of opponent. Last season Roma reached 31 goals only in matchday 25. This year's total is also the club's best start since 2013/14, when Garcia's side won 10 consecutive matches. Roma have 27 points in the league. They are second in Serie A for big chances created (49) and have the second-best defence (10 goals conceded). They also average the most successful dribbles per game (9.3) and have the most clean sheets (6). Roma remain unbeaten in the league, a record they share with Lazio. Across the top five European leagues, the two Roman clubs are joined in this feat only by Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. The figures were reported by Stefano Carina in Il Messaggero, who credits the turnaround to the arrival of a coach from Grugliasco, Gian Piero Gasperini, who has transformed the side into a team that scores everywhere and against everyone.

Rodrigo Mora's time has arrived, with the Portuguese teenager scoring in a third consecutive Serie A match against Sassuolo, following earlier goals against Cagliari and Udinese. In the past few hours he has also earned his first call-up to the Portugal senior national team, in the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era. The Corriere della Sera's Simone Valdarchi writes that there is no crown to inherit and no blasphemous comparison to make; this is simply the story of a teenager who has handled the normal difficulties of arriving in Italian football with brilliance, in an important city like Rome and in a season when Gasperini wants to aim for the top of the league. For weeks, things were not going so well for Mora, but he has kept working and waiting for his moment. In recent weeks, with Dybala out and set to return after the international break in Parma, Mora has found space in the trequartista role, adding flair to matches with his touches in the final 30 metres. Alongside his three consecutive Serie A goals, he produced the assist for Soulé's opening goal for Roma against Manchester United at Old Trafford last Tuesday. It was his second assist of the season, after the one against Real Madrid for Malen. Those were not ordinary fixtures. With the goal against Sassuolo, the Portuguese now has four goals, making him the club's second-highest scorer alongside Pisilli and Soulé, behind Malen, who is on 12. Valdarchi's point is that Mora is a teenager, born in 2007, who is adjusting to a new league and a demanding city. Mora's first senior call-up with Portugal marks a further step in a rapid rise, and the youngster now combines international recognition with a growing role in Gasperini's attacking options.