Roma suffers heavy defeat in opening Wales friendly

Roma won away at Torino to record four straight victories in the opening weeks of the 2026-27 season. The result sets up a title clash against Inter that could reveal much about the club's genuine ambitions. Gasperini has the squad running smoothly, and the summer transfer activity has equipped Roma with quality depth across the bench to rotate effectively across three competitions. The manager now has high-calibre alternatives capable of stepping in at any position, strengthening the bench with experienced signings made in the current window.

Roma won 2–0 away at Torino with goals from Malen and Pisilli to remain level on points with Inter at the Serie A summit, both teams on four victories from their opening four matches. The squad returned to training at Trigoria this morning ahead of Saturday's meeting at the Stadio Olimpico against Inter, who sit joint-top with a perfect record. Lorenzo Pellegrini is available after recovering from injury and is in contention to make his seasonal debut. Inter's preparations have been hampered by injury setbacks. Midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu will miss Saturday's fixture after suffering a muscular strain of the right adductor, with Inter confirming: "Hakan Calhanoglu underwent instrumental examinations this morning which revealed a muscle strain of the right adductor. His condition will be assessed in the coming days." Defender John Stones, who departed yesterday during his competitive debut with injury, is also a doubt; his status will be monitored day by day until the match. John Galantic made his first appearance at a Lega Serie A assembly as Roma's new chief executive, sitting in on discussions regarding international broadcasting rights. The gathering featured presentations from league chief executive Luigi De Siervo and JP Morgan adviser on investment fund interest and proposals. Galantic told reporters on the sidelines: "It was a first meeting, all good." No clear consensus has emerged among clubs, who have yet to examine the specific financial proposals in detail. Former Roma striker Roberto Pruzzo praised the team's performance against Torino on Radio Radio: "I liked Roma: in the first half-hour it found solutions, exploited opponents' errors. Malen is too decisive and too dangerous, Dybala showed he is in good condition." Analyst Stefano Carina added: "Roma seems to me to have something more even compared to rivals, even Inter, who seem to have some injury problems, especially in defence. Roma instead seems well set, alongside Como. Inter don't have their attackers anywhere else in Italy: Lautaro didn't play yesterday and nobody noticed, but they have problems that Roma and Como don't have."

Paulo Dybala gave his match shirt to a young Roma supporter at the end of the club's victory away at Torino. After the final whistle, Dybala approached the section occupied by Roma's travelling supporters and spotted a child in the stands. He removed his shirt and handed it to the boy, who was overwhelmed with emotion and burst into tears before proudly raising the gift as those around him applauded. The gesture underscores the bond between Roma's players and their supporters. Roma shared video of the moment on their official social media channels, captioning it: "Much more than a simple shirt". Though the incident falls outside the result and league table, it transformed an evening already made memorable by victory into what may prove an unforgettable memory for that young fan. The club's post highlighted the human connection between team and followers that moments like these create, reminding supporters why such gestures often resonate far beyond the ninety minutes on the pitch.

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has named three Roma players in his squad for the international window at the end of September and start of October: Leonardo Balerdi, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro. Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina were omitted and will remain available to Gian Piero Gasperini during the break. Bareldi's recall comes after strong performances in Roma's defence since his arrival. The central defender has settled quickly into the giallorossi backline and his form has caught Scaloni's attention. Soulé and Castro return to the Argentina squad after being left out of the coach's recent selections, giving both players a chance to press their claims for the national team. Argentina will play Bolivia on 30 September, Burkina Faso on 3 October and Benin on 6 October. Lionel Messi is also included in the squad. The Argentina forward previously expressed his intention to leave international football and will use these three friendlies as his final opportunity to play for the Selección before his retirement from the national team. Roma will therefore release three players to Argentina while Dybala and Molina stay behind.

Argentina head coach Scaloni has selected three Roma players for the national team's forthcoming friendlies: Leonardo Balerdi, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro. The trio will feature in matches against Bolivia on 30 September, Burkina Faso on 3 October and Benin on 6 October. Balerdi has impressed in Roma's defence, while Soulé and Castro return to the squad after falling out of the technical staff's rotation. Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina have been omitted from the selection. Lionel Messi has also been included in the squad. The Argentine legend, who previously announced his retirement from international football, will bid farewell to supporters in the final match against Benin at the Monumental before departing the Selección.

Roma won 2–0 away at Torino with goals from Malen and Pisilli to remain level on points with Inter at the Serie A summit, both teams on four victories from their opening four matches. The squad returned to training at Trigoria this morning ahead of Saturday's meeting at the Stadio Olimpico against Inter, who sit joint-top with a perfect record. Lorenzo Pellegrini is available after recovering from injury and is in contention to make his seasonal debut. Inter's preparations have been hampered by injury setbacks. Midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu will miss Saturday's fixture after suffering a muscular strain of the right adductor, with Inter confirming: "Hakan Calhanoglu underwent instrumental examinations this morning which revealed a muscle strain of the right adductor. His condition will be assessed in the coming days." Defender John Stones, who departed yesterday during his competitive debut with injury, is also a doubt; his status will be monitored day by day until the match. John Galantic made his first appearance at a Lega Serie A assembly as Roma's new chief executive, sitting in on discussions regarding international broadcasting rights. The gathering featured presentations from league chief executive Luigi De Siervo and JP Morgan adviser on investment fund interest and proposals. Galantic told reporters on the sidelines: "It was a first meeting, all good." No clear consensus has emerged among clubs, who have yet to examine the specific financial proposals in detail. Former Roma striker Roberto Pruzzo praised the team's performance against Torino on Radio Radio: "I liked Roma: in the first half-hour it found solutions, exploited opponents' errors. Malen is too decisive and too dangerous, Dybala showed he is in good condition." Analyst Stefano Carina added: "Roma seems to me to have something more even compared to rivals, even Inter, who seem to have some injury problems, especially in defence. Roma instead seems well set, alongside Como. Inter don't have their attackers anywhere else in Italy: Lautaro didn't play yesterday and nobody noticed, but they have problems that Roma and Como don't have."

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.

Roma have conceded just one goal in Serie A this season, matching Arsenal's record among Europe's top five leagues and establishing themselves as the continent's tightest defence. The solitary goal came from Atalanta's Ederson in one of the few attempts the visitors managed. Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, Mario Hermoso, Daniele Ghilardi and Konstantinos Koulierakis form the core of a defensive unit reinforced by Leonardo Balerdi's recent arrival. Last season Roma's defence was the best in Europe for much of the campaign before finishing second in Serie A behind Como. Germany's Freiburg has also conceded one goal but from three matches, while Real Madrid and Barcelona share Spain's best record with four. France has four teams on two goals conceded. Roma rank first across Italy for shots faced, with goalkeeper Mile Svilar proving decisive when danger arrives—a stark contrast to Inter, who have already conceded six goals this season.

Roma lined up in a 3-4-2-1 formation for their Serie A match at Torino on 14 September 2026, with Niccolò Pisilli and Emanuele Lulli in the starting eleven. Matías Soulé was preferred to Rodrigo Mora in the forward line, while Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen completed the attacking unit. Gianluca Mancini, Mario Hermoso and Leonardo Balerdi formed the back three, with Bryan Cristante and Pisilli operating in midfield alongside Nahuel Molina and the left-side defender. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini named Mile Svilar in goal. The bench included several squad options: De Marzi, Gollini, Koulierakis, Ghilardi, Wesley, Devyne Rensch, Marten de Roon, Manu Koné, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Santiago Castro and Mora. Torino, managed by Abate, deployed a 3-5-1-1 formation led by Simeone in attack, with Vlasic supporting. The match was refereed by Maresca, with Tegoni and Fontani as assistants, Sozza as fourth official, and Aureliano on VAR duties with Ghersini as assistant VAR.