Roma skip trip home, train in Udine before Manchester United trip; Dybala set to miss Champions League clash

Roma routed Udinese with four goals in the first half, and Gasperini's side have now gone 17 matches unbeaten, a run built on 28 goals in their first 10 matches, a new club record that surpassed the 26 scored in 1960/61 and 2016/17. The win capped a stretch in which Roma have been almost unstoppable, while Udinese's coach Runjaic, whose position is increasingly under threat, saw his side heavily beaten. In the second half Roma eased off, conceded two goals, but closed the game out in stoppage time, leaving the match never really in doubt. The unbeaten run is the second club record the article highlights. Roma's last defeat was the 5-2 loss to Inter at San Siro on 5 April. Since then they have won 14 Serie A matches and drawn 3, collecting 45 points from a possible 51, an average of around 2.65 points per match in that period. The run has already secured qualification for the Champions League and opened the possibility of aiming even higher. It has surpassed the 15-match unbeaten sequence of Mazzone in 1994 and the 16 of Garcia in 2014-15. The next target is the 19-match mark set by Ranieri two seasons ago, matching the continuous run across two seasons between Liedholm and Eriksson in 1984 and the Andreazzoli-Garcia run in 2013. The podium places, at 24 under Capello in 2001-02, 25 under Ranieri in 2009-10 and 30 under Liedholm in 1980-81, look far harder to reach. The improvement over last season is clear. Gasperini has 24 points from this point compared with 21 a year ago, the best start of the Friedkin era. Goals have nearly tripled: by 31 October 2025 Roma had scored 13 across Serie A and the Europa League, while today they have 36. The task is also harder, as Roma have already faced Real Madrid in the Champions League, along with Napoli, Inter and Como in the league. Last year, the only top side they had faced by 31 October was Chivu's team.

Cristante has been named the best Roma player by Italian newspapers, rated 7.79, with the Corriere dello Sport calling his performance "sontuoso ben oltre il gol e l'assist" (superb well beyond the goal and assist). Behind him, Soulé (7.29) was praised for being consistently creative and dangerous, while Malen (7.21) and Ghilardi (7.07) also earned high marks, with Ghilardi celebrating his first Serie A goal. Ndicka and Mora both received 7.00. In an evening without any genuine failures, the lowest ratings went to Gollini and Pisilli (6.07), followed by Molina and Castro (6.21). Referee Maresca received an overall positive verdict, rated 6.00, helped by a match that Roma steered early. Gazzetta, Corriere dello Sport and Messaggero all praised him, while Il Romanista, giving him 5.5, was the only outlet to criticise his performance. The most debated moment came late in the match, when Kabasele and Castro made contact. Gazzetta and Corriere dello Sport judged the touch too light to award a penalty. Il Romanista disagreed, calling the contact "abbastanza chiaro" (fairly clear) and criticising the decision to let play continue. The ratings reflect a broadly positive picture for Roma, with the press singling out midfield and attacking contributions alongside the defensive display of Ghilardi and Ndicka. The debate over the late Kabasele-Castro incident has become the main point of discussion for the referee's performance, with the newspapers split on whether a spot-kick should have been given. The piece is a rolling round-up of short Roma news items, notes and reports published on Sunday 1 November 2026 under the Giallorossi.net flash banner.

Bryan Cristante has said Roma are genuine contenders this season and can go all the way, after a convincing away win at Udinese. Speaking in the post-match interview, the midfielder said the club know they are at the top and must keep winning to stay in touch with the leaders. Asked whether Roma can challenge for the title, he replied: "Ci proviamo, è chiaro" — "We're trying, that's clear. But if we play like this, there are chances to go all the way." Cristante is a key figure in Gian Piero Gasperini's side, and his performance at Udinese was outstanding. Despite ongoing physical discomfort that he deals with daily, and the extended absence of key players such as Koné, he delivered consistent, high-level displays, combining quantity with ten duels won, plus balls recovered and decisive plays in both attack and defence. He also scored a goal and provided an assist. His work in midfield, alongside Marten de Roon and the growing contribution of the young players, underlines the strength of Roma's central zone. Roma's form in front of goal is a major reason for their start. According to Corriere dello Sport, the club have scored 28 goals in their first 10 league matches, a figure not recorded at this stage since the 1960/61 and 2016/17 seasons. Cristante said: "Stiamo segnando tanto e creando tanto. Quando hai questa forza offensiva, vincere è più facile" — "We're scoring a lot and creating a lot. When you have this attacking strength, winning is easier." The team now travel directly to England to prepare for their Champions League clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford. Cristante added: "È sempre il Manchester United, anche se è in crisi. Parliamo di una squadra forte, che ha tantissimi giocatori di qualità e in casa loro è dura per tutti" — "It's always Manchester United, even if they are in crisis. We're talking about a strong team with plenty of quality players, and at home it's tough for everyone."

Daniele Ghilardi enjoyed his first Serie A goal in Roma's 4-0 win at Udinese, a result that brought smiles, records and new confidence to Gian Piero Gasperini's side. Ghilardi had earlier seen a goal ruled out for offside against Slovan Bratislava. Speaking after the match with a laugh, he said: "It's my first in A, I struck it with all the strength I had. It was the end of the game, I had cramps in my calves. I was dead, I was stretching and they didn't see me." He also teased team-mate Emanuele Lulli about goal celebrations: "I celebrated better than Emanuele because he wasn't used to it. I scored two in B and one in C. It took more than two seasons to do it in Serie A." The defender, who has moved past his early difficulties, now feels fully integrated into Gasperini's systems and into the central role he has in the team's play. Evan Ndicka also impressed at the back, scoring the decisive fourth goal and winning 100% of his duels, with four recoveries and four clearances. Ndicka said: "I'm happy, but above all for the team and for the three points. In the second half we dropped the tempo a little. When you close the first half 4-0 there is a risk of already thinking about the next games, but that didn't happen. We are all starters and each of us has his own minutes." Roma will not return to Rome straight after the win. The squad held a recovery session at Udinese's training centre, before travelling by coach to Trieste in the afternoon and then flying to England. Roma face Manchester United at Old Trafford in a demanding Champions League fixture. The medical staff have confirmed there will be no quick returns: Svilar, Dybala and Koné will not travel and are aiming to return ahead of the next fixtures before the November break.

Rodrigo Mora has been rewarded with a place in the starting line-up at Udine, four days after he came off the bench to put Roma back ahead against Cagliari, and he repaid the faith by scoring again. Gian Piero Gasperini has handed the Portuguese a first-team shirt, and Mora is responding with goals. Up to this point Mora had produced almost all of his impact from the substitutes' bench. He scored against Lecce, set up Malen against Real Madrid, and scored and assisted against Cagliari. Against Cagliari, Roma had been pegged back to 2-2 in the 81st minute. Mora then headed the new lead and created the move that led to Malen's goal for 4-2, as Marco Juric notes in La Repubblica. The 22-year-old was bought from Porto for 25 million euros, a figure the Italian report describes as currently standing. The switch to the starting XI marks a new phase. Mora is no longer simply a surprise weapon off the bench; he now has to confirm his form. In a squad built to win immediately, with Dybala and Soulé ahead of him in the pecking order, his step up is arguably the most demanding one. Gasperini continues to rely on his strongest players, but he is also widening the group of players he trusts. In short, Mora's start at Udine is both a reward and a test, and the Roma coach is showing that his trust extends beyond his established first-choice players.

Roma will not return to the capital after their away win in the league, and have instead gone straight on to Manchester for Tuesday evening's Champions League clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford. To keep travel to a minimum, the club decided to stay in the Friuli region after the victory at the Bluenergy Stadium. Gian Piero Gasperini's side spent the night in Friuli and will hold a light recovery session at the Friulian club's training centre. The squad will then travel by coach to Trieste in the afternoon before flying to England. The trip is effectively a mini training camp designed to tighten the group and avoid wasting physical energy, according to Il Tempo. Paulo Dybala is set to miss the trip's main assignment: unless he recovers in extremis, the Argentine forward will be ruled out of Tuesday's match. Sporting director Tony D'Amico backed a cautious approach before the game, saying: "Dybala needs a few more days, we will see mmidweek." Gasperini echoed that line, admitting that a return before the international break for Dybala, Koné and Svilar is a difficult goal, to be assessed day by day. The eve-of-match schedule includes Gasperini's press conference at 18:20, accompanied by a player, followed by a rehearsal on the Old Trafford pitch.