Roma's opening-day puzzle: what the statistics reveal ahead of Fiorentina

Roma will open their 2026-27 season at the Olimpico against Fiorentina on Monday, 24 August at 20:45, with director D'Amico still working to finalise the squad ahead of the summer transfer window's closure on Tuesday, 1 September at 20:00. Rodrigo Mora, a left-sided winger described as a long-term target for Gasperini, is close to joining from Porto, and the club expects at least one further reinforcement before the deadline. However, Gasperini is likely to start the campaign with roughly 10 or 11 players from last season's squad. Molina is expected to earn a starting berth against Fiorentina, but the other recent arrivals face obstacles to immediate prominence. Koulierakis is unlikely to displace Mario Hermoso in the defensive hierarchy, and Castro faces a similar challenge against Donyell Malen despite the winger's low-profile preseason. Mora, expected in Italy in the coming days, will need time to integrate into Gasperini's system; Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé are likely to retain their attacking partnership. Lorenzo Pellegrini will miss the opener through injury, while Niccolò Pisilli hopes to return in the squad and Wesley is managing a minor ankle sprain sustained in Saturday's friendly against Borussia Dortmund.

Paulo Dybala delivered a standout performance to inspire Roma to a 2-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund in a friendly on 15 August at Signal Iduna Park. The Argentine opened the scoring in the 4th minute with a solo effort, then provided a corner-kick assist for Bryan Cristante's header to give Roma a 2-0 lead within nine minutes. Dortmund rallied through goals from Ryerson in the 12th minute and Guirassy in the 28th to equalise before half-time, with the second half remaining competitive until the final whistle. Dybala played all 90 minutes and nearly snatched a late winner with a free-kick. The display provided encouragement to head coach Gian Piero Gasperini ahead of Roma's Serie A opener against Fiorentina. Donyell Malen appeared understandably short of match fitness against his former teammates, though the test offered Gasperini substantial reassurance after a heavy defeat to Brighton. Molina made his debut, Manu Koné returned to action, and 19-year-old Lulli impressed across 78 minutes, convincing the coach to integrate him permanently into the first-team squad. Roma will resume training on Wednesday morning at Trigoria ahead of their home league debut against Fiorentina on 24 August at the Olimpico.

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.