Roma stronger than Inter and Como, says Carina; Sabatini impressed by Balerdi's quality

Roma secured three points at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, with Donyell Malen again proving decisive by scoring the opening goal—his sixth of the Serie A season—before being replaced shortly before the hour by Santiago Castro. The Argentine striker entered with his customary intensity but made less of an impact than in previous appearances. In his post-match analysis for DAZN, Cristian Brocchi drew a striking parallel between Castro and Lautaro Martinez during his early years at Inter, when he competed for playing time alongside Mauro Icardi. Brocchi highlighted the similarities between the Malen–Castro pairing and the 2018–19 Inter front line featuring Icardi and Lautaro. The former midfielder said: "I see that player in him. He has many qualities, even if he still needs to improve in many aspects, just like that young Lautaro who arrived at Inter and nobody expected could become the player he is today." He added: "Santiago is like that and can give a lot to Roma. Malen is impressive, but Roma will play many matches and will also need Castro and his character." Brocchi was drawing on Lautaro's own trajectory: in his first Serie A season in the Inter shirt, the Argentine—then 21, Castro's current age—managed only 9 goals despite Icardi's dominant form in a campaign that yielded 29 goals in 34 appearances for the senior striker. Lautaro's breakthrough came the following season when he finished with 21 goals.

Roma's perfect start to the 2026–27 season—four wins from four matches, twelve points from twelve—mirrors an uncanny parallel from twelve years ago. The club's last identical opening came in 2014–15 under Rudi Garcia, who was also in his second season at the helm after guiding Roma back to the Champions League. Like Garcia then, Gian Piero Gasperini opened his second campaign as Roma boss with a home win against Fiorentina. The 2014 scoreline was 2–0 with goals from Nainggolan and Gervinho; this time Roma won 4–0, with Donyell Malen scoring a hat-trick and Niccolò Pisilli adding the fourth. Garcia's Roma went on to win their first five league matches, scoring nine goals and conceding just one. Gasperini's side has already registered twelve goals scored and one conceded after four games, continuing a streak of commanding physical form that allows Roma to sustain an exceptionally high tempo. The parallel deepens with Saturday's fixture against Inter at the Olimpico. Both Roma and Inter arrive unbeaten with twelve points from twelve—a scenario that echoes the Juventus-Roma clash of 5 October 2014, when both teams came to Turin on identical records. Gasperini has described Inter as "the reference team of our league". The 2014 encounter left a profound mark. Radja Nainggolan recalled: "That defeat took our energy and caused us a psychological setback. That evening we understood that we would never be able to win the Scudetto". Roma lost that match 3–2 in controversial circumstances involving referee Gianluca Rocchi. Gasperini is acutely aware of the history. He has won only five of his 36 career meetings with Inter, alongside nine draws and 22 defeats. More pressingly, he has not beaten them in 17 consecutive matches; his last victory came on 11 November 2018 when his Atalanta side won 4–1. Roma's own record at the Olimpico against Inter offers no comfort—their last home victory against the Nerazzurri dates to 2 October 2016. Gasperini told reporters: "Last year there was a difference: on the return we took a heavy defeat, but from there the real Roma was born. There was an escalation, not just in results but also in attitudes, behaviour and mentality. It is also an opportunity for us to measure ourselves and do better than in recent matches." Saturday's encounter will not decide the season, but it represents Roma's first genuine test against a team of a superior tier. The Olimpico is expected to be a cauldron of noise. Gasperini wants to understand how much his Roma have closed the gap to the Nerazzurri since last season's return fixture, when Inter inflicted a heavy defeat on the Giallorossi.

Roma face Inter at the Olimpico on Saturday with their 12-match unbeaten run on the line, but Gasperini's record against the Milan club represents the starkest obstacle to his side's title push. The Giallorossi have not tasted defeat in official competition since 5 April 2025, when Inter, managed by Chivu, won 5–2 at San Siro. That encounter epitomises Gasperini's torrid record against the Nerazzurri, one that the Roma boss must finally overturn to maintain momentum. Gasperini's struggle against Inter stands in stark contrast to his record against other Serie A heavyweights. His last victory over Inter came on 11 November 2018, when his Atalanta won 4–1 at home—nearly eight years ago. Since then, across 36 career meetings with Inter, Gasperini has secured only five wins, all at home, alongside nine draws and 22 defeats. He has never beaten Inter away from home in either the league or cup competitions. The mathematics tell a grim story: his average points per match against the Nerazzurri stands at just 0.67, markedly worse than his returns against other top sides. Against Juventus he averages 0.78 points per match, against Milan 1.31, against Lazio 1.41, and against Napoli 1.43. The quoted reflection—"He who fears the snares falls into none of them"—frames the challenge before Roma's coach as one of psychological as much as tactical significance. Saturday's fixture offers Gasperini the chance to exorcise a long-standing demon and, more immediately, to keep Roma's unbeaten streak alive while maintaining their push for the Serie A title.

Donyell Malen is establishing himself as one of Roma's top players this season, operating at the highest level alongside Paulo Dybala. His goal against Torino demonstrated an exceptional hunger to score and underscored his impact on the squad. The Dutch forward's form reflects Roma's quality in attack during the early stages of the 2026-27 campaign. His emergence as a leading performer marks a significant development for the club's attacking options.

Roma secured three points at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, with Donyell Malen again proving decisive by scoring the opening goal—his sixth of the Serie A season—before being replaced shortly before the hour by Santiago Castro. The Argentine striker entered with his customary intensity but made less of an impact than in previous appearances. In his post-match analysis for DAZN, Cristian Brocchi drew a striking parallel between Castro and Lautaro Martinez during his early years at Inter, when he competed for playing time alongside Mauro Icardi. Brocchi highlighted the similarities between the Malen–Castro pairing and the 2018–19 Inter front line featuring Icardi and Lautaro. The former midfielder said: "I see that player in him. He has many qualities, even if he still needs to improve in many aspects, just like that young Lautaro who arrived at Inter and nobody expected could become the player he is today." He added: "Santiago is like that and can give a lot to Roma. Malen is impressive, but Roma will play many matches and will also need Castro and his character." Brocchi was drawing on Lautaro's own trajectory: in his first Serie A season in the Inter shirt, the Argentine—then 21, Castro's current age—managed only 9 goals despite Icardi's dominant form in a campaign that yielded 29 goals in 34 appearances for the senior striker. Lautaro's breakthrough came the following season when he finished with 21 goals.

Roma's perfect start to the 2026–27 season—four wins from four matches, twelve points from twelve—mirrors an uncanny parallel from twelve years ago. The club's last identical opening came in 2014–15 under Rudi Garcia, who was also in his second season at the helm after guiding Roma back to the Champions League. Like Garcia then, Gian Piero Gasperini opened his second campaign as Roma boss with a home win against Fiorentina. The 2014 scoreline was 2–0 with goals from Nainggolan and Gervinho; this time Roma won 4–0, with Donyell Malen scoring a hat-trick and Niccolò Pisilli adding the fourth. Garcia's Roma went on to win their first five league matches, scoring nine goals and conceding just one. Gasperini's side has already registered twelve goals scored and one conceded after four games, continuing a streak of commanding physical form that allows Roma to sustain an exceptionally high tempo. The parallel deepens with Saturday's fixture against Inter at the Olimpico. Both Roma and Inter arrive unbeaten with twelve points from twelve—a scenario that echoes the Juventus-Roma clash of 5 October 2014, when both teams came to Turin on identical records. Gasperini has described Inter as "the reference team of our league". The 2014 encounter left a profound mark. Radja Nainggolan recalled: "That defeat took our energy and caused us a psychological setback. That evening we understood that we would never be able to win the Scudetto". Roma lost that match 3–2 in controversial circumstances involving referee Gianluca Rocchi. Gasperini is acutely aware of the history. He has won only five of his 36 career meetings with Inter, alongside nine draws and 22 defeats. More pressingly, he has not beaten them in 17 consecutive matches; his last victory came on 11 November 2018 when his Atalanta side won 4–1. Roma's own record at the Olimpico against Inter offers no comfort—their last home victory against the Nerazzurri dates to 2 October 2016. Gasperini told reporters: "Last year there was a difference: on the return we took a heavy defeat, but from there the real Roma was born. There was an escalation, not just in results but also in attitudes, behaviour and mentality. It is also an opportunity for us to measure ourselves and do better than in recent matches." Saturday's encounter will not decide the season, but it represents Roma's first genuine test against a team of a superior tier. The Olimpico is expected to be a cauldron of noise. Gasperini wants to understand how much his Roma have closed the gap to the Nerazzurri since last season's return fixture, when Inter inflicted a heavy defeat on the Giallorossi.

Donyell Malen is establishing himself as one of Roma's top players this season, operating at the highest level alongside Paulo Dybala. His goal against Torino demonstrated an exceptional hunger to score and underscored his impact on the squad. The Dutch forward's form reflects Roma's quality in attack during the early stages of the 2026-27 campaign. His emergence as a leading performer marks a significant development for the club's attacking options.

Roma produced a commanding tactical display to defeat Torino, with Leonardo Balerdi marshalling the defence throughout a performance that saw Gasperini's side control proceedings from the opening exchanges. Four changes from Roma's midweek Champions League fixture—Balerdi, Pisilli, Lulli and Molina—maintained the team's standard, with Pisilli closing out the match in a critical moment despite one of his less polished displays, while Lulli and Molina remained creative and showed clear room for improvement. The victory came as Roma prepare for their next major test against the Serie A champions in the coming days. Roma's suffocating press set the tone immediately. Gasperini's team opened with an aggressive 3-4-2-1 that targeted Torino's attempts at possession-based build-up, with Cristante pressing Mandragora, Pisilli tracking Fitz-Jim, and the three centre-backs—Balerdi on Simeone, Mancini on Vlašić, and Hermoso dealing with Gineitis—marking tightly in advanced positions. The giallorossi dominated territory and possession early, disrupting Torino's passing rhythm through relentless pressure and recovering the ball high upfield for dangerous breaks. Although Roma failed to convert their early superiority into goals, a key moment came at the thirty-minute mark when Soulé and Dybala swapped positions; the fluency of Roma's football through the middle improved when these adjustments allowed Dybala to move closer to support Malen. The breakthrough arrived late in the first half when Mancini's recovery from Torino's loose build-up released Dybala, whose through-ball found Malen. The Dutch forward's lethal instinct from a low position gave Roma the lead. Torino emerged from half-time with tactical adjustments—Abate raised Mandragora and Vlašić wider alongside Simeone, introduced the excellent Bragança to midfield control in place of Gineitis, and switched Cacciamani for Belghali—but around the hour mark, Bragança began threading meaningful patterns that loosened Roma's pressing intensity. Gasperini countered by withdrawing Soulé and Malen for Mora and Castro, shifting Roma to a 5-3-2 shape with Koné and De Roon replacing Cristante and Dybala in a conservative but decisive adjustment. Torino's momentum faded as Balerdi, alongside De Roon—who dominated through recoveries, interceptions, dangerous passing line disruptions, and decisive individual pressure—ensured Roma's back line remained unbreakable. The match closed with Mancini orchestrating the final attacking phase, his calmness in possession setting up Pisilli's finishing touch. Gasperini later described the imminent big fixture against the defending champions as merely "an opportunity to measure ourselves," words the coach framed as releasing unnecessary tension and a reminder that a match played at the end of September cannot carry ultimate significance.

Roma have shown in their opening matches that they can succeed through multiple routes, not just dominant football, a development that signals genuine progress under Gasperini. The first fixtures against Fiorentina and Lecce showcased the coach's blueprint at its clearest: high pressure, aggressive recovery, swift combinations and visible superiority through possession. But subsequent challenges have revealed deeper qualities. Against Atalanta, Roma had to sustain belief when a draw seemed inevitable, winning in the final moments with lucidity intact. The trip to Istanbul to face Fenerbahce in the Champions League added another test: no dominance, a disrupted setup with Koné injured and Dybala cramping, yet the side maintained balance and found a point that could prove valuable in the European campaign. Torino then presented the least spectacular challenge—a messy affair played without the usual intensity after the Turkish journey—and Roma won that too. The consistent theme is adaptation without loss of identity. Roma have shown they can dominate through football but do not depend exclusively on it. They have won by controlling matches, by striking late, by enduring a difficult European night, and by grinding out results when energy and automatism were depleted. Each fixture posed a different problem; each time the squad found an answer. Gasperini appears to have added swiftly to his footballing philosophy something that belongs to mature teams: the capacity to read what a match demands and adjust without abandoning core principles. Character, stubbornness, experience and management can carry a side through nights when football alone falls short. That capacity, the article suggests, is often where good squads begin to become something greater.

Roma produced a commanding tactical display to defeat Torino, with Leonardo Balerdi marshalling the defence throughout a performance that saw Gasperini's side control proceedings from the opening exchanges. Four changes from Roma's midweek Champions League fixture—Balerdi, Pisilli, Lulli and Molina—maintained the team's standard, with Pisilli closing out the match in a critical moment despite one of his less polished displays, while Lulli and Molina remained creative and showed clear room for improvement. The victory came as Roma prepare for their next major test against the Serie A champions in the coming days. Roma's suffocating press set the tone immediately. Gasperini's team opened with an aggressive 3-4-2-1 that targeted Torino's attempts at possession-based build-up, with Cristante pressing Mandragora, Pisilli tracking Fitz-Jim, and the three centre-backs—Balerdi on Simeone, Mancini on Vlašić, and Hermoso dealing with Gineitis—marking tightly in advanced positions. The giallorossi dominated territory and possession early, disrupting Torino's passing rhythm through relentless pressure and recovering the ball high upfield for dangerous breaks. Although Roma failed to convert their early superiority into goals, a key moment came at the thirty-minute mark when Soulé and Dybala swapped positions; the fluency of Roma's football through the middle improved when these adjustments allowed Dybala to move closer to support Malen. The breakthrough arrived late in the first half when Mancini's recovery from Torino's loose build-up released Dybala, whose through-ball found Malen. The Dutch forward's lethal instinct from a low position gave Roma the lead. Torino emerged from half-time with tactical adjustments—Abate raised Mandragora and Vlašić wider alongside Simeone, introduced the excellent Bragança to midfield control in place of Gineitis, and switched Cacciamani for Belghali—but around the hour mark, Bragança began threading meaningful patterns that loosened Roma's pressing intensity. Gasperini countered by withdrawing Soulé and Malen for Mora and Castro, shifting Roma to a 5-3-2 shape with Koné and De Roon replacing Cristante and Dybala in a conservative but decisive adjustment. Torino's momentum faded as Balerdi, alongside De Roon—who dominated through recoveries, interceptions, dangerous passing line disruptions, and decisive individual pressure—ensured Roma's back line remained unbreakable. The match closed with Mancini orchestrating the final attacking phase, his calmness in possession setting up Pisilli's finishing touch. Gasperini later described the imminent big fixture against the defending champions as merely "an opportunity to measure ourselves," words the coach framed as releasing unnecessary tension and a reminder that a match played at the end of September cannot carry ultimate significance.

Roma's defensive department has emerged as one of the strongest in Europe through the opening weeks of the 2026-27 campaign. After finishing last season as Serie A's second-best defence behind Como, the backline under Gian Piero Gasperini has been further reinforced with the arrivals of Leonardo Balerdi and Konstantinos Koulierakis, joining established defenders Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, Mario Hermoso and Daniele Ghilardi. In this season's opening fixtures, Roma have conceded just one goal—scored by Ederson in the match against Atalanta. Comparing the opening rounds across Europe's five major leagues, Roma's defensive record is matched only by Arsenal, the runners-up in the European championship, who have also conceded a single goal in their first four matches. Freiburg in the Bundesliga has the same record but across three games played, while Real Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga have both conceded four goals and four clubs in Ligue 1 sit at two goals conceded. At shot-on-target metrics, Roma rank second in Serie A, allowing an average of three shots per match—just behind Como's 2.75—while Arsenal lead across Europe with 2.25 per game, according to Sofascore data. Goalkeeper Mile Svilar has provided crucial protection between the posts, making decisive interventions in moments of defensive vulnerability. This strong defensive performance stands in sharp contrast to Inter, Roma's next league opponent, who have already conceded six goals in their opening matches.

Leonardo Balerdi continues to generate excitement around Roma. The defender has caught the attention of prominent figures including Boniek and Cobolli, who have expressed their appreciation to Balzaretti in connection with Balerdi's arrival at the club. Gasperini now has another squad option in defence as Roma strengthen that area of the team. The club has built a defensive unit that has conceded fewer goals than any other team in European competition this season, underlining the quality of work being done at the back. The wider Roma squad continues to take shape across all departments, with players like De Roon and Molina also part of the available options for the head coach.