Roma's attention turns to Fiorentina

Paulo Dybala produced a standout display to help Roma earn a 2–2 draw against Borussia Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park in a friendly on 15 August. The Giallorossi twice took the lead through Dybala's attacking play before the German side fought back to level the match. The result offers a morale boost ahead of Roma's Serie A opener against Fiorentina in the coming days, after a poor defeat to Brighton during the pre-season schedule. Gasperini's side finished their summer training camp on a positive note following the Dortmund fixture. Donyell Malen continued to show signs of being short of full match fitness, while there were opportunities for other squad members. The manager was sufficiently impressed by Lulli's contribution to consider giving him a more permanent place in the first-team setup moving forward. The draw demonstrated Roma's attacking threat despite defensive lapses that allowed Dortmund back into the contest. Manu Koné returned to action and Molina made his debut in what was an encouraging test of Gasperini's tactical ideas before the competitive season begins.

Andy Diaz, the Cuban triple jumper competing for Italy, leapt 18.15m on Saturday evening in Birmingham to claim the European Athletics Championships gold medal and move fourth on the all-time list. The jump falls 14 centimetres short of Jonathan Edwards's world record of 18.29m, set in 1995. Diaz, 30, said in the mixed zone: "Sto arrivando, Jonathan. Se prima dubitavi, ora non dubiti più" (I'm coming, Jonathan. If you doubted before, you don't now). He acknowledged his technique differs from Edwards: "Quello che faceva Edwards era bellissimo. Non si vedeva allo stacco, era lineare nel suo movimento quasi unico e senza perdere velocità. Io rimbalzo troppo, troppo da cubano" (What Edwards did was beautiful. You couldn't see the takeoff, his movement was linear, almost unique, without losing speed. I bounce too much, too Cuban). Diaz has built a new life in Italy since gaining citizenship, working with coach Fabrizio Donato, whom he first met at the 2018 indoor world championships in Birmingham. He won bronze at the Paris Olympics, a European indoor title, two world indoor gold medals, and now this European outdoor gold. Diaz was promised a showdown with rival Pichardo at the Lausanne meeting on August 21. The athlete and his mother and grandmother run a fishery in Rome; it is closed for holidays until August 28. He plans to pursue victories at the Lausanne meeting and the Diamond League finals, though he noted that triple jump inexplicably does not feature in the Ultimate Championship in Budapest that will close the season.

Nahuel Molina made a strong impression in his first appearance for Roma, featuring for over half an hour in a 2–2 friendly against Borussia Dortmund. The Argentine full-back, who joined from Atlético Madrid for 13 million euros plus 4 million in add-ons, demonstrated his attacking thrust, intensity, ball control, and defensive aggression. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini identified him as the right player to elevate Roma's play on the flanks and bring additional international experience ahead of the club's return to the Champions League. Molina's solid performance at Dortmund surprised some Atlético supporters, many of whom had welcomed his departure after inconsistent form in recent seasons. The display prompted reactions on social media, with some observers drawing comparisons to legendary full-back Cafu and questioning why Molina had not performed at this level for Atlético. One fan wrote: "He left Atlético and became Cafu." Another asked: "Now he plays well?" A third joked: "It's clear that Madrid's water did him no good." The comments reflected a mix of irony and mild regret among the Spanish club's fanbase.

Rodrigo Mora, a 2007-born Portuguese talent, has built his reputation at Porto primarily as a central attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where he has played 52 of his 80 official matches for the club. Since his senior debut against Bodø/Glimt in September 2024—a 21-minute cameo off the bench—he has emerged as a versatile attacker capable of playing multiple roles. Gasperini and Roma are monitoring the playmaker as a potential solution for the left-sided attacking role, ideally positioned in support of Malen and alongside either Dybala or Soulé. While Mora's best work has come in the number 10 position, he has also accumulated experience on the wing, with 13 appearances as a winger—5 on the right and 8 on the left—during which he has scored 6 goals. He has additionally featured 5 times as a midfielder with 2 goals and 6 times as a second striker with 1 goal. Mora's profile extends beyond tactical flexibility. Made his competitive debut at 15 for Porto's B team, he is described as slight in build but technically gifted, capable of moments of rare footballing beauty regularly highlighted across social media. Though naturally suited to the playmaker's role, his work ethic and adaptability suggest he will not resist a different assignment if required. Gasperini has already signalled his preference. The coming weeks will clarify the Portuguese gem's next move.

Roma will resume training on Wednesday 19 August, with Wesley and Pisilli both undergoing assessment ahead of the opening Serie A fixture against Fiorentina on Monday 25 August. Wesley is nursing an ankle problem that will be evaluated at the resumption to determine whether he is fit for the season's first match. Pisilli will be checked on the same day, though there is confidence both players will be available for the trip to the Viola. For the Fiorentina opener, Roma are unlikely to welcome significant new arrivals into the starting XI. Molina is expected to start against Fiorentina, while Koné requires assessment. Soulé will operate on the left wing with Dybala on the right, though Pellegrini is not yet available for selection. Around 60,000 supporters are expected at the Olimpico for the match.

Paulo Dybala produced a standout display to help Roma earn a 2–2 draw against Borussia Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park in a friendly on 15 August. The Giallorossi twice took the lead through Dybala's attacking play before the German side fought back to level the match. The result offers a morale boost ahead of Roma's Serie A opener against Fiorentina in the coming days, after a poor defeat to Brighton during the pre-season schedule. Gasperini's side finished their summer training camp on a positive note following the Dortmund fixture. Donyell Malen continued to show signs of being short of full match fitness, while there were opportunities for other squad members. The manager was sufficiently impressed by Lulli's contribution to consider giving him a more permanent place in the first-team setup moving forward. The draw demonstrated Roma's attacking threat despite defensive lapses that allowed Dortmund back into the contest. Manu Koné returned to action and Molina made his debut in what was an encouraging test of Gasperini's tactical ideas before the competitive season begins.

Roma will host Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico on Monday, 24 August at 20:45 for the opening day of the Serie A season. Gasperini's Roma will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation: Svilar in goal; Mancini, Ndicka, and Hermoso in defence; Molina, El Aynaoui, Cristante, and Wesley across midfield; Dybala and Soulé in attacking support; and Malen leading the line. Fiorentina will deploy a 4-3-3 system under Grosso, featuring De Gea in goal, with Joao Mario, Viery, Dragusin, and Valdepenas in defence, Ndour, Oulai, and Atta in midfield, and Mastantuono, Kean, and Gudmundsson in attack. Tickets for the match remain on sale through the Roma website. The fixture will be broadcast live on Dazn. Fans can also follow live text coverage on ilromanista.eu or listen to radio commentary on radioromanista.it.

Roma's final pre-season friendly ended in a 2–2 draw at Signal Iduna Park on 15 August. Paulo Dybala opened the scoring, followed by Bryan Cristante's goal, before Borussia Dortmund levelled twice to secure a stalemate. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini used the match to assess his squad's form against elite European opposition ahead of the 2026–27 season. Dybala and goalkeeper Mile Svilar delivered strong performances, with Svilar making numerous saves that proved crucial in earning Roma a draw. The fixture completes the club's pre-season preparation as the campaign approaches.

Paulo Dybala produced a masterclass performance in Roma's latest summer friendly against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Stadium, playing 86 minutes and delivering a complete attacking display. He opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a precise finish from a tight angle, then set up Bryan Cristante's header in the ninth. The display capped a remarkable pre-season for the Argentine, who has excelled throughout the summer schedule in ways he never has before at the club. Across Roma's full pre-season campaign, Dybala has accumulated three goals in matches against Primavera and Trastevere at Trigoria, a brace and an assist in the 3–3 friendly against Cannes, a goal and assist across fixtures in Wales (goals against Cardiff, assist against Newport), and a goal in Germany. He was goalless only at Brighton. Statistically and physically, Dybala appears to have arrived for the 2026–27 season in elite condition—a stark contrast to his previous summers in a Roma shirt. In 2022, after his initial arrival, he featured in only two pre-season matches (against Tottenham, with an assist, and Shakhtar Donetsk) owing to fitness concerns. In 2023 he played four of five friendlies, scoring three goals. The summer of 2024 saw him in four of five tests with one goal, while last summer he skipped all English fixtures due to post-surgical recovery and returned only in the final pre-season match against Neom.

Roma will host Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico on Monday, 24 August at 20:45 for the opening day of the Serie A season. Gasperini's Roma will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation: Svilar in goal; Mancini, Ndicka, and Hermoso in defence; Molina, El Aynaoui, Cristante, and Wesley across midfield; Dybala and Soulé in attacking support; and Malen leading the line. Fiorentina will deploy a 4-3-3 system under Grosso, featuring De Gea in goal, with Joao Mario, Viery, Dragusin, and Valdepenas in defence, Ndour, Oulai, and Atta in midfield, and Mastantuono, Kean, and Gudmundsson in attack. Tickets for the match remain on sale through the Roma website. The fixture will be broadcast live on Dazn. Fans can also follow live text coverage on ilromanista.eu or listen to radio commentary on radioromanista.it.

Roma's final pre-season friendly ended in a 2–2 draw against Borussia Dortmund on 15 August, with Paulo Dybala and Bryan Cristante scoring for the Giallorossi. The Argentine's performance offered the most encouraging sign of the day as Roma prepared for their Serie A opener against Fiorentina on 24 August. Debutants Nahuel Molina and Konstantinos Koulierakis featured in the closing stages, while the squad showed improvement compared to earlier summer matches, though Gasperini's side remain in preparation mode ahead of the campaign. Mile Svilar made several crucial saves to prevent a defeat, earning 6.5/10 for a demanding performance. Dybala orchestrated Roma's attacking play with precision, unlocking chances with a left-foot finish to open the scoring and crafting a poetic pass for Castro in the box. Cristante doubled the lead with a header just ten minutes after Dybala's opener. Defensively, Gianluca Mancini (6.0), Evan N'Dicka (6.0), and Mario Hermoso (5.5) had mixed afternoons against Dortmund's pressure; Hermoso in particular struggled against Karetsis. Elsewhere, Devyne Rensch squandered a clear opportunity, Matías Soulé showed flashes but lacked sharpness, and Donyell Malen provided service without imposing himself heavily on the match.

Roma played their final pre-season friendly against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park on 15 August, with kickoff at 17:30. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini left Molina on the bench and deployed Lulli at left-back in Wesley's absence. Donyell Malen led the attack in a 3-4-2-1 formation that also featured Mile Svilar in goal, a back line of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso, midfielders Devyne Rensch, Neil El Aynaoui, Bryan Cristante and Lulli, with Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé in support. The match offered Gasperini a chance to assess the squad's development ahead of the new season. Dortmund lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation under coach Kovac, with Gregor Kobel in goal and Serhou Guirassy leading their attack. Roma had several players available on the bench, including De Marzi, Pierluigi Gollini, Koulierakis, Castro, Manu Koné, Molina, Jan Ziółkowski, Mannini, Reale, Robinio Vaz, Morucci and Daniele Ghilardi.