Roma snatches dramatic late victory at Parma to keep Champions League hopes alive

Roma are expected to maintain the attacking setup Gian Piero Gasperini has adopted since preseason when they face Fenerbahçe: a central playmaker operating behind two strikers, rather than the traditional two wide attacking midfielders he has historically favoured. This tactical shift has been applied specifically against teams defending with four defenders, particularly those with a deep-lying midfielder that needs to be screened during build-up play. Every opponent Roma have faced so far this season—Fiorentina, Lecce, and Atalanta—has set up with four defenders. Fenerbahçe operates the same system, making the same approach likely for the encounter in Istanbul. The central playmaker role has primarily been filled by Matías Soulé or Rodrigo Mora, positioned behind a strike partnership of Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen. Against Lecce, Soulé operated between a central position and the flank, but the formula has remained consistent across matches. Following his strong display against Atalanta, Soulé appears to have the edge over Mora in Gasperini's selection for the upcoming fixture. The tactical flexibility—shifting from wide support to a more direct central attacking presence—reflects Gasperini's adaptation to opponents' defensive structures as he continues reshaping Roma's approach.

Paulo Dybala will make his first Champions League appearance in five years when Roma travel to Istanbul to face Fenerbahce, serving as the focal point of Gian Piero Gasperini's attack in the club's return to Europe's elite competition. The Argentine forward, who has played in seven Champions League campaigns during his career, carries the most extensive international experience in Roma's squad and will face former teammates Romelu Lukaku—his partner in attack two seasons ago in the capital—and Mason Greenwood, a target of Roma's interest during the summer transfer window. Dybala started Roma's recent Serie A victory against Atalanta despite a minor physical complaint, demonstrating full commitment over the course of the match. Gasperini intends to rely on his offensive leader whenever physical conditions allow, and with nearly five days of rest since the Atalanta win, Dybala is set to start in Roma's continental debut. The fixture carries significant weight for the Argentine, who will look to guide Roma deep into the tournament after the club's five-year absence from the Champions League.

Roma have filed an appeal against access restrictions imposed on their supporters for Monday's Serie A match at Torino, scheduled for 18:30. The club hopes to overturn or modify the measures before the fixture, after authorities implemented tight controls on ticket sales that would prevent a significant portion of Roma's travelling support from attending the match at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino. The restrictions bar all residents in the Lazio region from purchasing tickets in any stadium sector. In the away section, only Roma Fidelity Card holders are permitted to buy, but with an additional limitation: residents from the province of Rome are excluded entirely. Under the current terms, supporters from Rome province have no way to attend the match regardless of which sector they attempt to access. Roma's appeal contests these limitations, which disproportionately affect the club's fanbase and could substantially reduce their presence in Turin. The club now awaits the appeal's outcome. The decision will determine whether the restrictions remain unchanged or whether modifications are made in time to allow currently excluded supporters to purchase tickets. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's side travel to face Torino amid what has become a significant administrative battle over fan access.

Jadon Sancho has re-entered Roma's thinking more than a year after the club's pursuit of him ended with his move to Aston Villa last summer. The English winger is now a free agent and represents a potential opportunity for the Giallorossi. Roma's management are considering offering him a performance-based contract, with wages tied to appearances, to provide the right-footed winger Gian Piero Gasperini has requested to complete the attacking department. No negotiations are currently underway, but Sancho remains a concrete option to monitor over the coming weeks. Separately, Roma face travel restrictions for Monday's fixture at Torino, scheduled for 18:30 on 14 September. A ticket sales ban has been imposed for residents of Rome's province, preventing them from attending the match at the Olimpico Grande Torino. Residents elsewhere in Lazio may purchase tickets only in the away section and exclusively with an AS Roma membership card. Roma's Champions League opener against Fenerbahçe is set for Thursday at 18:45 at the Şükrü Saracoğlu in Istanbul. Fenerbahçe have returned to training following a loss to Besiktas and will be without Mateo Guendouzi, suspended by UEFA for the match after incidents in a preliminary tie against Lyon. Marco Asensio is under assessment after two weeks out with injury and has not featured in training. Fenerbahçe's coach hopes to recover Akturkoglu and to have Romelu Lukaku at full fitness, while Oosterwolde remains unavailable following surgery. Analyst Piero Torri stated: "Roma are currently unbeaten alongside Inter, and these are certainly positive responses. From now until December it will be entirely a question of injuries: if Roma are not hit by injuries, their squad is sufficient. All the same, Pisilli and Rensch remained on the bench on Saturday, and Pellegrini will return." Commentator Carina added: "Roma are finally 'Gasperini-style': they are the same Roma we saw in Gasperini's Atalanta. Three matches and three games in the Gasperini style: they never stop. It is a squad that takes your breath away. And for the first time a coach wins the match by removing two defenders: had he not taken off N'Dicka and Mancini, Roma would have suffered a second goal, because both fail to understand each other against Kristovic and run into difficulty."

Roma have begun preparation for their Champions League debut of the 2026–27 season with a clean bill of health. Lorenzo Pellegrini has returned to regular training with the squad and is targeting selection for the trip to Istanbul. Evan N'Dicka and Devyne Rensch are also available, allowing head coach Gian Piero Gasperini to prepare for the competition opener with a full roster. The squad trained at Trigoria on 7 September following their comeback win against Atalanta in Serie A. Roma will face Fenerbahçe at Istanbul on Thursday 10 September at 18:45. The match marks the club's entry into the Champions League group phase after qualifying third in Serie A last season. Gasperini's squad have won three consecutive league matches, a run that has lifted confidence and mood within the group. Video footage from training released on Roma's social channels showed an intense session despite the heat, with visible camaraderie among the players reflecting the positive mood after Saturday's victory. The team will train again on 8 September to continue final preparations for the Fenerbahçe fixture.

Roma's radio stations have given their verdicts on Saturday's victory over Atalanta, with commentators split between praising the performance and assessing the squad's depth ahead of the Champions League debut on Thursday. Piero Torri of Radio Manà Manà said: "For now Roma are on full points alongside Inter, and these are certainly positive responses. From now until December it will all be a question of injuries: if Roma are not hit by injuries, their squad is sufficient. In any case, Pisilli and Rensch remained on the bench on Saturday, then Pellegrini will return. Without excessive problems, then, the squad is sufficient; in January you can possibly fine-tune something at a quantitative level. In any case, you have 21 players, and good ones too: if you put them on the pitch you don't have a collapse in quality." Torri added that when a team functions well, a player rated 6 can look like an 8. Francesco Balzani highlighted Balerdi's impact as a substitute, calling it "decisive" and praising the victory as "a win in the Mourinho style with Gasperini's football." Antonio Felici stressed that the win over Atalanta showed Roma can succeed even when facing difficulty in the 90 minutes, representing "the victory of self-awareness." Simone Valdarchi echoed the praise for Gasperini's tactical substitutions, saying Balerdi in particular "changed the inertia of the match" and allowed Roma to escape the difficulties created by Krstović and return to dominating play. Nando Orsi noted Roma have scored 10 goals so far and represent "a complete team where everyone can score," calling them underperformers on 9 points in the league table. Lorenzo Pes said Gasperini's next step is convincing Dybala he can score again, noting the striker will want to feature in Thursday's Champions League debut.

Roma are expected to maintain the attacking setup Gian Piero Gasperini has adopted since preseason when they face Fenerbahçe: a central playmaker operating behind two strikers, rather than the traditional two wide attacking midfielders he has historically favoured. This tactical shift has been applied specifically against teams defending with four defenders, particularly those with a deep-lying midfielder that needs to be screened during build-up play. Every opponent Roma have faced so far this season—Fiorentina, Lecce, and Atalanta—has set up with four defenders. Fenerbahçe operates the same system, making the same approach likely for the encounter in Istanbul. The central playmaker role has primarily been filled by Matías Soulé or Rodrigo Mora, positioned behind a strike partnership of Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen. Against Lecce, Soulé operated between a central position and the flank, but the formula has remained consistent across matches. Following his strong display against Atalanta, Soulé appears to have the edge over Mora in Gasperini's selection for the upcoming fixture. The tactical flexibility—shifting from wide support to a more direct central attacking presence—reflects Gasperini's adaptation to opponents' defensive structures as he continues reshaping Roma's approach.

Gian Piero Gasperini will oversee his 35th Champions League match as a manager when Roma travel to Istanbul to face Fenerbahce. The coach has opted against rotation and will deploy his strongest available squad on the pitch of the Turkish club. The starting eleven will feature Paulo Dybala, Donyell Malen, Manu Koné and Gianluca Mancini from the first minute. The only change from the previous Serie A fixture against Atalanta concerns the right flank, where Nahuel Molina is set to replace Emanuele Lulli and bring his 37 appearances accumulated across the competition to bear. Gasperini has guided Roma back to Europe's elite competition after the club finished third in Serie A last season. The manager carries a continental record of 12 victories, 9 draws and 13 defeats across his Champions League career. Roma's squad will fly to Turkey on 9 September for a pre-match training session ahead of Gasperini's scheduled press conference at 17:00 Italian time. On the club front, Roma's sporting director Tony D'Amico was questioned by the FIGC Federal Prosecutor on 8 September to clarify an incident that occurred after the recent Serie A match against Atalanta. D'Amico provided his account of sustained insults he received from Atalanta CEO Luca Percassi near the Tribuna 1907 and in the stadium car park at the Olimpico. His testimony aligned with statements given by stewards on duty in that section.

Roma's supporters delivered a vital performance in the final half-hour against Atalanta, providing what the article describes as a 'cardiac massage to the hope' of a team that deserved better. Gian Piero Gasperini's side produced an assured display under constant, relentless pressure, with Manu Koné orchestrating the midfield and Bryan Cristante directing operations. The team's quality merited victory even before the goals arrived. Matías Soulé scored a deserved goal that crowned a summer of redemption for a player who had battled through earlier difficulties. Gasperini's endorsement of the winger's progress underlined his return to form. Santiago Castro made an immediate impact, showing hunger and clarity in his play, though finishing proved elusive. Artem Dovbyk scored Bologna's goal, salvaging their display after a complex sequence of play. Donyell Malen's performance was erratic; the article suggests he had uneven moments throughout the match. The week's verdicts also included criticism of Luca Percassi's conduct as 'undignified and deplorable, regardless of context', and sharp judgement of the decision to sack Grosso, with the editorial noting that ending a manager's tenure and forcing another coach to restart from zero serves only to worsen matters. Juventus's match against Milan drew unflattering comparison to a sleeping aid, relieved only briefly by Cissè and Gatti.

Roma are expected to maintain the attacking setup Gian Piero Gasperini has adopted since preseason when they face Fenerbahçe: a central playmaker operating behind two strikers, rather than the traditional two wide attacking midfielders he has historically favoured. This tactical shift has been applied specifically against teams defending with four defenders, particularly those with a deep-lying midfielder that needs to be screened during build-up play. Every opponent Roma have faced so far this season—Fiorentina, Lecce, and Atalanta—has set up with four defenders. Fenerbahçe operates the same system, making the same approach likely for the encounter in Istanbul. The central playmaker role has primarily been filled by Matías Soulé or Rodrigo Mora, positioned behind a strike partnership of Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen. Against Lecce, Soulé operated between a central position and the flank, but the formula has remained consistent across matches. Following his strong display against Atalanta, Soulé appears to have the edge over Mora in Gasperini's selection for the upcoming fixture. The tactical flexibility—shifting from wide support to a more direct central attacking presence—reflects Gasperini's adaptation to opponents' defensive structures as he continues reshaping Roma's approach.

Paulo Dybala will make his first Champions League appearance in five years when Roma travel to Istanbul to face Fenerbahce, serving as the focal point of Gian Piero Gasperini's attack in the club's return to Europe's elite competition. The Argentine forward, who has played in seven Champions League campaigns during his career, carries the most extensive international experience in Roma's squad and will face former teammates Romelu Lukaku—his partner in attack two seasons ago in the capital—and Mason Greenwood, a target of Roma's interest during the summer transfer window. Dybala started Roma's recent Serie A victory against Atalanta despite a minor physical complaint, demonstrating full commitment over the course of the match. Gasperini intends to rely on his offensive leader whenever physical conditions allow, and with nearly five days of rest since the Atalanta win, Dybala is set to start in Roma's continental debut. The fixture carries significant weight for the Argentine, who will look to guide Roma deep into the tournament after the club's five-year absence from the Champions League.

Gian Piero Gasperini will oversee his 35th Champions League match as a manager when Roma travel to Istanbul to face Fenerbahce. The coach has opted against rotation and will deploy his strongest available squad on the pitch of the Turkish club. The starting eleven will feature Paulo Dybala, Donyell Malen, Manu Koné and Gianluca Mancini from the first minute. The only change from the previous Serie A fixture against Atalanta concerns the right flank, where Nahuel Molina is set to replace Emanuele Lulli and bring his 37 appearances accumulated across the competition to bear. Gasperini has guided Roma back to Europe's elite competition after the club finished third in Serie A last season. The manager carries a continental record of 12 victories, 9 draws and 13 defeats across his Champions League career. Roma's squad will fly to Turkey on 9 September for a pre-match training session ahead of Gasperini's scheduled press conference at 17:00 Italian time. On the club front, Roma's sporting director Tony D'Amico was questioned by the FIGC Federal Prosecutor on 8 September to clarify an incident that occurred after the recent Serie A match against Atalanta. D'Amico provided his account of sustained insults he received from Atalanta CEO Luca Percassi near the Tribuna 1907 and in the stadium car park at the Olimpico. His testimony aligned with statements given by stewards on duty in that section.