Roma seek second straight win as Gasperini eyes final reinforcements

Roma travel to Lecce tonight at 18:30 for the second Serie A matchday, seeking to build on their 4-0 opening-day victory over Fiorentina and maintain their perfect record. Gasperini's side will be bolstered by two new arrivals: Leonardo Balerdi, brought in for the bench, and Marten de Roon, officially confirmed yesterday evening and immediately integrated into the travelling squad. Gasperini described both as "captains", emphasising that their arrival adds physicality, experience and personality to a squad facing a long season. The coach defended his team's opening performance in a press conference yesterday, insisting that despite Fiorentina's subsequent 3-0 home defeat to Frosinone, Roma's display at the Olimpico was "a proof of absolute value for intensity, quality and solidity". He intends to field a very similar starting XI at the Via del Mare. Rodrigo Mora continues to impress and is on track to start again in attack, while the main tactical question centres on the right flank: Emanuele Lulli and Nahuel Molina remain in contention, with Lulli having made strong use of his opening opportunity while Molina gradually recovers his best condition. Matías Soulé also remains an option as a right-sided midfielder, a possibility Gasperini is considering but which appears to be a contingency rather than the first choice. Lecce arrive with momentum from their own opening win and will look to exploit home advantage under Eusebio Di Francesco. Roma will need rhythm, aggression and concentration to maintain their intensity; Gasperini wants a team capable of imposing its football again and confirming the mental and physical solidity shown against Fiorentina. A second consecutive victory would allow Roma to approach an increasingly demanding fixture list with genuine confidence.

Gian Piero Gasperini will look to extend Roma's perfect start when the side travels to Lecce today, hoping to claim three more points that would keep the club atop the Serie A table, at least for now. The head coach will lean heavily on the attacking pair of Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen, who impressed in Roma's opening fixture against Fiorentina. Malen is on the cusp of becoming only the second Roma player in 65 years to score at least four goals in their opening two matches. The contest promises to be difficult. Lecce will bring home-ground advantage and expected warm, humid conditions to kick-off, while the hosts' enthusiasm for the fixture will be evident. Gasperini has settled on nine of his starting eleven, leaving two key decisions unresolved: whether to deploy Nahuel Molina or Emanuele Lulli on the right flank, and whether to confirm Rodrigo Mora in the role behind Dybala and Malen. On Matías Soulé's involvement, Gasperini confirmed: "He will play as well."

Roma Primavera made it two wins from two with a 3–1 victory at Atalanta in the second round of the Primavera championship. Goals from Morucci, Arena and Falcetta secured the win, following the 3–2 opening-day triumph against Monza. Manager Mattia Scala's side remain unbeaten after two matches. Moretti opened the scoring in the 29th minute when Arena laid the ball back for him to strike from the edge of the area, beating Atalanta goalkeeper Villa. Roma doubled their lead early in the second half when Marchetti advanced down the left and found Terlizzi, who sent Arena through to finish from close range at 48 minutes. Falcetta made it 3–0 in the 58th minute, turning home Terlizzi's pass with his left foot past Villa's right hand. Atalanta pulled one back through Cojocariu in the 80th minute from a corner, but Roma held firm. Goalkeeper Kilvinger made several important saves to protect the advantage, notably denying Fugazzola one-on-one and keeping out Ciapini's powerful effort that struck the crossbar. Basile was booked in the 36th minute for Roma, with Marchetti receiving a yellow card in the 76th. The match was officiated by Marco Zini from Udine. Roma's next test comes in the third round of the Primavera championship, where maintaining their unbeaten start remains the target.

Roma are pursuing an attacking winger in the final hours of the summer transfer window, with Tony D'Amico overseeing a three-way contest between Luiz Henrique, Jamie Leweling and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has approved all three profiles, but the club must decide which deal offers the best chance of completion before the 1 September deadline. Luiz Henrique remains the closest to joining. Roma have constructed the operation with Zenit Saint Petersburg and reportedly reached an agreement with both the Russian club and the Brazilian player on a loan deal worth approximately €5 million with a purchase option set at €30 million. However, Botafogo are pressing hard to bring the player back to Brazil, though this scenario has not been confirmed as widely as other reconstructions of the talks. Roma continue to work in parallel on Jamie Leweling from Stuttgart. The club's initial proposal—approximately €5 million for the loan plus €35 million for a permanent transfer—was deemed insufficient. Stuttgart value the German international much higher, with demands reaching around €50 million. Leweling appeals for his versatility: he can play as an attacking winger but also operate as a full-back, addressing two squad needs. On Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Roma are keeping dialogue open with Chelsea in hope that in the final market hours the Blues may allow a loan with a purchase option potentially convertible to an obligation should certain conditions be met. This opening has not yet arrived, but Trigoria have not closed the door. Matías Soulé remains in the background. No Premier League offer substantial enough to trigger his departure has arrived yet, but the English market could still move in the final hours. Should a satisfactory proposal arrive and Soulé depart, the scenario would change again: Roma could pursue two attacking signings instead of one. Dybala, Malen, Castro, El Aynaoui and other squad members are unaffected by this late uncertainty.

Roma have accelerated their summer recruitment push following overnight deals that brought Gio De Roon to the capital and sent Neil El Aynaoui to Leipzig. The club are targeting at least two more signings, possibly three, with a left winger the top priority. Sporting director D'Amico is also ready to pursue opportunities for a left-sided midfielder if they arise. Matías Soulé's potential departure could unlock a further attacking reinforcement; Roma are working on multiple targets with Luiz Henrique and Leweling leading a shortlist that also includes Cole Gittens, who faces obstacles due to Chelsea's unwillingness to negotiate. The Brazilian Luiz Henrique represents a deal that is effectively stalled with Zenit at around €35 million, with player agreement still to be finalised. Stuttgart's Leweling is a closer prospect, and Roma value him as a profile who could also operate as a left-back if needed. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has suggested Soulé is likely to stay, but the Argentine would depart Roma if the right offer arrives. The situation hinges partly on Soulé's future: Gittens is now the preferred option among the targets under consideration. Separately, Robinio Vaz is awaiting clearance to join Hull City on loan, with the English club set to pay €2 million immediately plus €30 million for a right of redemption.

Marten De Roon touched down at Fiumicino at 12:00 on 31 August after leaving Atalanta following ten seasons. The midfielder, who played 358 matches alongside head coach Gian Piero Gasperini at Bergamo, joins Roma on a deal worth 1 million euros composed of bonus payments. He arrives as a replacement for Neil El Aynaoui and will find fellow Dutchmen Devyne Rensch and Donyell Malen already in the squad. Gasperini is tasked with bridging a credibility gap with the Roma fanbase. De Roon's history with the club's supporters is complicated: a middle-finger gesture as a Feyenoord supporter, footage of celebrating a goal at the Olimpico with a dedication to the Giallorossi, and a Gladiator poster reference following Nicolò Zaniolo's strike have all fuelled tension. However, many supporters trust Gasperini's judgment in selecting him. At Atalanta, De Roon was captain and symbol of the club, but felt sidelined after Sarri's arrival, prompting Atalanta president Percassi to approve his departure. De Roon benches today as Roma look to integrate their latest signing. The Dutchman's appointment hinges on restoring faith among a sceptical support base—a task only Gasperini's track record of developing him over their years together may accomplish.

Roma travel to Lecce's Via del Mare stadium on 31 August at 18:30 for the second round of Serie A fixtures, looking to build on a convincing 4–0 victory over Fiorentina. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini has few selection doubts, with Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen leading the attack. The main uncertainty lies at right-back, where Emanuele Lulli and Nahuel Molina are competing for the starting role. Gasperini will also be able to call on two new signings, Balerdi and De Roon. Multiple Italian outlets have published predicted lineups for the fixture. Most expect a 3–4–1–2 formation, with Roma's starting XI likely to feature Mile Svilar in goal, Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso in defence, Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné in midfield, Wesley at left-back, Rodrigo Mora in an attacking midfield role, and Dybala and Malen in the forward line. The key variable remains the right-back position, with some outlets favouring Molina and others backing Lulli for the role.

Roma travel to Lecce tonight at 18:30 for the second Serie A matchday, seeking to build on their 4-0 opening-day victory over Fiorentina and maintain their perfect record. Gasperini's side will be bolstered by two new arrivals: Leonardo Balerdi, brought in for the bench, and Marten de Roon, officially confirmed yesterday evening and immediately integrated into the travelling squad. Gasperini described both as "captains", emphasising that their arrival adds physicality, experience and personality to a squad facing a long season. The coach defended his team's opening performance in a press conference yesterday, insisting that despite Fiorentina's subsequent 3-0 home defeat to Frosinone, Roma's display at the Olimpico was "a proof of absolute value for intensity, quality and solidity". He intends to field a very similar starting XI at the Via del Mare. Rodrigo Mora continues to impress and is on track to start again in attack, while the main tactical question centres on the right flank: Emanuele Lulli and Nahuel Molina remain in contention, with Lulli having made strong use of his opening opportunity while Molina gradually recovers his best condition. Matías Soulé also remains an option as a right-sided midfielder, a possibility Gasperini is considering but which appears to be a contingency rather than the first choice. Lecce arrive with momentum from their own opening win and will look to exploit home advantage under Eusebio Di Francesco. Roma will need rhythm, aggression and concentration to maintain their intensity; Gasperini wants a team capable of imposing its football again and confirming the mental and physical solidity shown against Fiorentina. A second consecutive victory would allow Roma to approach an increasingly demanding fixture list with genuine confidence.

Roma travel to Lecce for their second Serie A fixture of the season on 31 August, with kickoff at 18:30 at Stadio Via del Mare. Gasperini's team aim to secure another victory and maintain top spot in the table after their opening performance against Fiorentina. The manager has requested his squad replicate that display while preparing for the intensity and atmosphere they will face in a competitive away match. Gasperini will again rely on the Dybala–Malen partnership in attack, according to reports, with the pair in excellent form and their understanding now a settled feature. Malen has a chance to achieve a notable milestone today: scoring at least four goals in the opening two matches, matching the feat achieved by Vincenzo Montella. Despite ongoing transfer speculation, Soulé will play regularly; Gasperini has confirmed the player's involvement and indicated he is ready to contribute in a demanding but crucial fixture for Roma's season. Two selection questions remain unresolved ahead of the match. A competition exists between Lulli and Molina for the right-back position, while the midfield—specifically the role behind the striker—is still being evaluated, with Mora under consideration. The squad list is otherwise settled for what promises to be a significant test of Roma's title credentials.