Roma 0–0 Genoa: Balerdi and El Shaarawy hit the bar as Gasperini makes sweeping changes

Roma returned to Serie A action at the Stadio Olimpico against Genoa on 17 October 2026. Matías Soulé received the match's first yellow card in the 43rd minute for a clumsy challenge on Ostigard during a promising Roma attack. Genoa's squad included former Roma players Daniele De Rossi, Stephan El Shaarawy and Baldanzi. Rosario Abisso from Palermo's referee section took charge of the fixture, assisted by Alberto Tegoni of Milan and Thomas Miniutti of Maniago. Giuseppe Collu of Cagliari served as fourth official. Luca Pairetto of Nichelino managed the VAR, with Luca Massimi of Termoli as assistant VAR.

Roma hosted Genoa at Stadio Olimpico in a Serie A fixture on matchday seven, drawing a crowd of over 63,000 supporters. The Curva Sud paid tribute to Giuseppe De Vivo, known as Peppone, a long-standing figure in Roma's ultras who died ten years ago. A banner was unfurled reading: "From the stands to the sky forever in our hearts… In memory of Peppone!"

Daniele De Rossi and Stephan El Shaarawy were both given standing ovations by the Stadio Olimpico crowd during the team-sheet reading before Roma's match against Genoa on 17 October. De Rossi, now Genoa's head coach, and El Shaarawy, returning to face his former club for the first time as an opponent, were applauded as their names were announced. El Shaarawy scored a crucial goal in May that secured Roma's place in the Champions League, and started in the match against the Giallorossi. Both men remain important figures in Roma's history. De Rossi managed the club until 2025, while El Shaarawy departed after six years in his second spell at the club. The reception underlined the affection Roma supporters hold for both players despite their current positions on opposing benches.

Roma face a mounting injury crisis ahead of their match against Genoa, with Paulo Dybala, Donyell Malen, Bryan Cristante, Mile Svilar and Manu Koné all unavailable. In midfield, Niccolò Pisilli starts alongside Marten de Roon. Gasperini has made significant changes in defence, dropping Gianluca Mancini and Mario Hermoso for Leonardo Balerdi and Konstantinos Koulierakis. Santiago Castro makes his first start for the club up front. Roma line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation: Pierluigi Gollini in goal; Balerdi, Evan N'Dicka and Koulierakis in defence; Emanuele Lulli, de Roon, Pisilli and Devyne Rensch across the midfield; Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora behind Castro. Genoa, managed by former Roma manager Claudio Ranieri, counter with a 4-4-1-1 setup. Roma's bench includes Wesley, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Antonio Arena and several others available for deployment.

Gian Piero Gasperini has named his Roma squad for the match against Genoa, with five significant absences due to injury and suspension. Mile Svilar and Bryan Cristante remain sidelined through injury, while Paulo Dybala, Manu Koné and Donyell Malen are unavailable—Malen through suspension and the other two through injury. The fixture comes two days after Roma's defeat to Real Madrid in midweek. Gasperini has called up four academy players to bolster the squad list: Di Nunzio, Camara, Paratici and Arena. The 24-man squad includes goalkeepers Devis Vásquez, Giorgio De Marzi and Pierluigi Gollini; defenders Devyne Rensch, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Evan N'Dicka, Nahuel Molina, Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Wesley, Emanuele Lulli and Daniele Ghilardi; midfielders Lorenzo Pellegrini, Marten de Roon, Niccolò Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Rodrigo Mora; and forwards Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé, Arena, Paratici and Camara.

Gian Piero Gasperini has announced his squad for Roma's Serie A fixture against Genoa on matchday seven, with four Primavera players called up to bolster a squad depleted by absences. Di Nunzio, Arena, Paratici and Camara have been aggregated to the first-team group, a decision that underlines the scale of Roma's injury crisis heading into the match. Gasperini signalled before the fixture that he would be prepared to draw on academy talent if needed, and the depth of rotation required for this encounter has now forced his hand. Arena provides a natural alternative in the centre-forward role behind Santiago Castro, while the inclusion of the other three academy prospects reflects an emergency situation rather than a developmental choice. The youth contingent is present out of immediate necessity rather than long-term planning. Gasperini had flagged the likelihood of such a move at the pre-match press conference, when he opened the door to calling upon younger players from the academy as the injury toll mounted. The full squad list reads as follows: Goalkeepers Vásquez, De Marzi and Gollini; defenders Rensch, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi; midfielders Pellegrini, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Mora; forwards Castro, Soulé, Arena, Paratici and Camara.

Roma face a mounting injury crisis ahead of their match against Genoa, with Paulo Dybala, Donyell Malen, Bryan Cristante, Mile Svilar and Manu Koné all unavailable. In midfield, Niccolò Pisilli starts alongside Marten de Roon. Gasperini has made significant changes in defence, dropping Gianluca Mancini and Mario Hermoso for Leonardo Balerdi and Konstantinos Koulierakis. Santiago Castro makes his first start for the club up front. Roma line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation: Pierluigi Gollini in goal; Balerdi, Evan N'Dicka and Koulierakis in defence; Emanuele Lulli, de Roon, Pisilli and Devyne Rensch across the midfield; Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora behind Castro. Genoa, managed by former Roma manager Claudio Ranieri, counter with a 4-4-1-1 setup. Roma's bench includes Wesley, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Antonio Arena and several others available for deployment.

Roma host Genoa at Stadio Olimpico this evening in Serie A's seventh matchday, seeking to end a run without a league win stretching back to their trip to Turin. The match carries extra weight with Daniele De Rossi returning to the stadium as Genoa's manager, having previously led Roma. Genoa arrive in Rome boosted by their recent victory over Fiorentina. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini faces significant absences: Svilar, Cristante, Koné and Dybala are all unavailable, while Malen is suspended. These enforced changes have prompted a reshuffle across the side. Leonardo Balerdi replaces Gianluca Mancini in defence, while Rodrigo Mora starts in attack alongside Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro. Marten de Roon and Niccolò Pisilli form the midfield pairing, with Emanuele Lulli deployed at full-back and Wesley in the backline. Roma line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation: Pierluigi Gollini; Balerdi, Evan N'Dicka, Mario Hermoso; Lulli, Pisilli, De Roon, Wesley; Soulé, Mora; Castro. Substitutes include Mancini. Genoa field a 4-4-1-1 under De Rossi: Bijlow; Ehizibue, Otoa, Ostigard, Vasquez; Ellertsson, Traoré, Frendrup, El Shaarawy; Messias; Osmajic. Referee: Abisso.

Gian Piero Gasperini has named his Roma squad for the match against Genoa, with five significant absences due to injury and suspension. Mile Svilar and Bryan Cristante remain sidelined through injury, while Paulo Dybala, Manu Koné and Donyell Malen are unavailable—Malen through suspension and the other two through injury. The fixture comes two days after Roma's defeat to Real Madrid in midweek. Gasperini has called up four academy players to bolster the squad list: Di Nunzio, Camara, Paratici and Arena. The 24-man squad includes goalkeepers Devis Vásquez, Giorgio De Marzi and Pierluigi Gollini; defenders Devyne Rensch, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Evan N'Dicka, Nahuel Molina, Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Wesley, Emanuele Lulli and Daniele Ghilardi; midfielders Lorenzo Pellegrini, Marten de Roon, Niccolò Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Rodrigo Mora; and forwards Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé, Arena, Paratici and Camara.

Roma face a mounting injury crisis ahead of their match against Genoa, with Paulo Dybala, Donyell Malen, Bryan Cristante, Mile Svilar and Manu Koné all unavailable. In midfield, Niccolò Pisilli starts alongside Marten de Roon. Gasperini has made significant changes in defence, dropping Gianluca Mancini and Mario Hermoso for Leonardo Balerdi and Konstantinos Koulierakis. Santiago Castro makes his first start for the club up front. Roma line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation: Pierluigi Gollini in goal; Balerdi, Evan N'Dicka and Koulierakis in defence; Emanuele Lulli, de Roon, Pisilli and Devyne Rensch across the midfield; Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora behind Castro. Genoa, managed by former Roma manager Claudio Ranieri, counter with a 4-4-1-1 setup. Roma's bench includes Wesley, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Antonio Arena and several others available for deployment.

Gian Piero Gasperini has named his Roma squad for the match against Genoa, with five significant absences due to injury and suspension. Mile Svilar and Bryan Cristante remain sidelined through injury, while Paulo Dybala, Manu Koné and Donyell Malen are unavailable—Malen through suspension and the other two through injury. The fixture comes two days after Roma's defeat to Real Madrid in midweek. Gasperini has called up four academy players to bolster the squad list: Di Nunzio, Camara, Paratici and Arena. The 24-man squad includes goalkeepers Devis Vásquez, Giorgio De Marzi and Pierluigi Gollini; defenders Devyne Rensch, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Evan N'Dicka, Nahuel Molina, Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Wesley, Emanuele Lulli and Daniele Ghilardi; midfielders Lorenzo Pellegrini, Marten de Roon, Niccolò Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Rodrigo Mora; and forwards Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé, Arena, Paratici and Camara.

Gian Piero Gasperini has announced his squad for Roma's Serie A fixture against Genoa on matchday seven, with four Primavera players called up to bolster a squad depleted by absences. Di Nunzio, Arena, Paratici and Camara have been aggregated to the first-team group, a decision that underlines the scale of Roma's injury crisis heading into the match. Gasperini signalled before the fixture that he would be prepared to draw on academy talent if needed, and the depth of rotation required for this encounter has now forced his hand. Arena provides a natural alternative in the centre-forward role behind Santiago Castro, while the inclusion of the other three academy prospects reflects an emergency situation rather than a developmental choice. The youth contingent is present out of immediate necessity rather than long-term planning. Gasperini had flagged the likelihood of such a move at the pre-match press conference, when he opened the door to calling upon younger players from the academy as the injury toll mounted. The full squad list reads as follows: Goalkeepers Vásquez, De Marzi and Gollini; defenders Rensch, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi; midfielders Pellegrini, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Mora; forwards Castro, Soulé, Arena, Paratici and Camara.