Roma thrash Slovan Bratislava 4-0 but Pellegrini picks up thigh injury ahead of Napoli

Former Roma striker Roberto Pruzzo has criticised Mora's display and called for the club to consider another attacker, after Roma's recent wins over Genoa and Slovan Bratislava. Speaking on Radio Radio, Pruzzo said the two games after the Real Madrid match had been needed because they gave the squad game time and satisfaction. He added that the strikers should be getting more minutes in these fixtures, and that Castro does not play. Pruzzo said: "Peccato che gli attaccanti, in queste gare, siano quelli che dovrebbero avere più spazio: Castro non gioca. Mi dispiace che Castro non giochi mai. Mora non ha approfittato dell'occasione, non è pronto per questo palcoscenico. Mi sembra sia il momento di pensare a un altro attaccante." Roma's win was described by Orsi on Radio Radio as calm and simple, with the only sour note being the injury to Pellegrini. Orsi said the game had few highlights, was too easy and too simple, and that Slovan are not much. He added: "Vittoria tranquilla e semplice. L'unica nota stonata è l'infortunio di Pellegrini. È stata una partita con pochi spunti, troppo facile e troppo semplice. Bene così: si è faticato poco, lo Slovan è poca roba. La Roma ha fatto la partita giusta, la partita che doveva fare." Carina was surprised that a side like Slovan could take part in the Champions League, saying Roma could have scored eight goals. He said Molina had not played a great game and seemed off form, and that Mora had not produced a sufficient performance, appearing to want to do too much. Carina said: "È un mistero come possa partecipare alla Champions una squadra come lo Slovan. La Roma poteva fare otto gol in un contesto del genere. Molina non fa una grandissima partita, mi è sembrato come se qualcosa non girasse al meglio. Mora non ha fatto una gara sufficiente: dà l'idea di voler sempre strafare. È bravo, ma deve giocare più semplice. Ghilardi fa una partita eccezionale. Castro, quando capiterà l'occasione, giocherà: non è un problema." Mattioli said Slovan were more Conference League material than Champions League, and that Roma had been fortunate to face manageable sides like Genoa and Slovan to regain their mental focus. In midfield, Pes told TeleRadioStereo that De Roon and Cristante have the same characteristics and he does not think they can play together. He said De Roon can handle a game from the bench, having played every match so far. Pes said: "De Roon e Cristante hanno caratteristiche uguali, non penso possano giocare insieme. De Roon una gara dalla panchina può farla, ne ha giocate tutte fino ad ora. Per me Cristante–Pisilli è la coppia giusta. Mi sembra fosse anche la coppia dell'anno scorso, perché Koné era infortunato. Se utilizzi Mora come elemento offensivo hai un cambio con Castro, e per me serve: non puoi iniziare con tutti i centrocampisti e poi non avere cambi. Se Cristante è a disposizione, inizi con Pisilli."

Roma dominated Slovan Bratislava from start to finish, with Hermoso and Soulé's goals and a sustained attacking display putting the Champions League side in control, and Gasperini getting the answers he was seeking from players who had previously seen less action. Gasperini changed five players from the Genoa match, lining up in a 3-4-2-1, and the Roma side swarmed the Slovan 4-3-3 from the first whistle. Quick build-up play and incisive passing saw the Giallorossi push forward continually, with the left-sided chain of Pellegrini and Wesley particularly active, Hermoso initially supporting them. Slovan struggled to break up the rhythm and pressure, and their only real source of acceleration was Camara, who was looking for long balls. Roma won the ball back immediately, often without needing any particular marking, and the play was constantly played in a 40-metre area around Takac's goal. Roma's attacking play came mainly down the left, where they regularly reached the byline. The breakthrough was slow to come, however, because of poor finishing. Pellegrini shot wide with his left foot from a Malen pass, then Pisilli sent his rebound wide, and shortly afterwards Pisilli also fired over another chance created by switches of play. Pellegrini had three wayward shots in the first 25 minutes, and Malen initially misread the channels of entry, making some poor runs. Molina, still tentative, worked more in width than in depth. The opener came from a set piece: Ghilardi acted as a target man and Hermoso buried the header. Shortly after, Wesley assisted Molina from wide, who first fluffed his effort at the far post but was then ready on Takac's imperfect rebound to make it 2-0. The double lead ended any sign of a Slovan response, with Pellegrini sound defensively and Balerdi at times almost disarming in how easily he defused danger. With the two-goal cushion, the priority became conserving energy ahead of the Napoli match. After the restart, with the same eleven players, at least another 15 minutes of intensity were needed. The change of pace came when Soulé replaced Pellegrini, who had suffered a new injury, and took up position on the left in an already devastating chain. Soon after, Pisilli won the ball from Malen and Soulé finished it off, described as "like a snack taken from a child", closing out a game that, in effect, never began for Slovan. When Malen made it 4-0, managing energy became even more important. De Roon remained surprisingly on the pitch, and Roma controlled possession, avoiding further setbacks after Pellegrini's knock. Castro and Rensch came on for Malen and Wesley, but De Roon stayed on until the 72nd minute, when Mancini replaced him in midfield, a repeat of the Fonseca emergency of 2020. Koulierakis also came on for Hermoso. Three aspects stood out late on. At 4-0, several vigorous ball recoveries by the Giallorossi showed a ferocious mentality. Castro impressed with the quality of his touch and his game management, which was truly top class. Ghilardi scored a textbook goal, a perfectly co-ordinated volley that recalled Totti at Bologna in 2001, but it was ruled out for an obvious offside by two teammates.

Roma secured a comfortable 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava, with goals from Hermoso, Molina, Pisilli and Malen. Pisilli was named UEFA's man of the match. Newspaper observers praised the performance of the whole team under Gian Piero Gasperini, who showed organisation, intensity and quality in every department. The Italian sports dailies have published their player ratings for the match. Gazzetta dello Sport gave Pellegrini and Wesley 7.5 and Ghilardi and Malen 7.5, while Pisilli, Hermoso and Molina all earned 7. Corriere dello Sport rated Pisilli, Wesley, Pellegrini and Malen at 7.5, with Hermoso also at 7.5. Il Tempo gave Pisilli and Wesley 7.5 and Malen 7, with Castro rated 6.5 after coming on. Rensch, who came on for Wesley in several papers, received a 6 from Gazzetta and Il Tempo and 6.5 from Corriere dello Sport and La Repubblica. Soulé, who replaced Pellegrini, was rated 6.5 by Gazzetta, Corriere dello Sport, Il Messaggero, La Repubblica and Il Tempo. Castro, who came on for Malen, was rated 6 by Gazzetta, Corriere dello Sport, Il Messaggero and La Repubblica. Mora received marks ranging from 5.5 to 6, with Gazzetta the lowest at 5.5 and Corriere dello Sport at 6.

Former Roma striker Roberto Pruzzo has criticised Mora's display and called for the club to consider another attacker, after Roma's recent wins over Genoa and Slovan Bratislava. Speaking on Radio Radio, Pruzzo said the two games after the Real Madrid match had been needed because they gave the squad game time and satisfaction. He added that the strikers should be getting more minutes in these fixtures, and that Castro does not play. Pruzzo said: "Peccato che gli attaccanti, in queste gare, siano quelli che dovrebbero avere più spazio: Castro non gioca. Mi dispiace che Castro non giochi mai. Mora non ha approfittato dell'occasione, non è pronto per questo palcoscenico. Mi sembra sia il momento di pensare a un altro attaccante." Roma's win was described by Orsi on Radio Radio as calm and simple, with the only sour note being the injury to Pellegrini. Orsi said the game had few highlights, was too easy and too simple, and that Slovan are not much. He added: "Vittoria tranquilla e semplice. L'unica nota stonata è l'infortunio di Pellegrini. È stata una partita con pochi spunti, troppo facile e troppo semplice. Bene così: si è faticato poco, lo Slovan è poca roba. La Roma ha fatto la partita giusta, la partita che doveva fare." Carina was surprised that a side like Slovan could take part in the Champions League, saying Roma could have scored eight goals. He said Molina had not played a great game and seemed off form, and that Mora had not produced a sufficient performance, appearing to want to do too much. Carina said: "È un mistero come possa partecipare alla Champions una squadra come lo Slovan. La Roma poteva fare otto gol in un contesto del genere. Molina non fa una grandissima partita, mi è sembrato come se qualcosa non girasse al meglio. Mora non ha fatto una gara sufficiente: dà l'idea di voler sempre strafare. È bravo, ma deve giocare più semplice. Ghilardi fa una partita eccezionale. Castro, quando capiterà l'occasione, giocherà: non è un problema." Mattioli said Slovan were more Conference League material than Champions League, and that Roma had been fortunate to face manageable sides like Genoa and Slovan to regain their mental focus. In midfield, Pes told TeleRadioStereo that De Roon and Cristante have the same characteristics and he does not think they can play together. He said De Roon can handle a game from the bench, having played every match so far. Pes said: "De Roon e Cristante hanno caratteristiche uguali, non penso possano giocare insieme. De Roon una gara dalla panchina può farla, ne ha giocate tutte fino ad ora. Per me Cristante–Pisilli è la coppia giusta. Mi sembra fosse anche la coppia dell'anno scorso, perché Koné era infortunato. Se utilizzi Mora come elemento offensivo hai un cambio con Castro, e per me serve: non puoi iniziare con tutti i centrocampisti e poi non avere cambi. Se Cristante è a disposizione, inizi con Pisilli."

Roma dominated Slovan Bratislava from start to finish, with Hermoso and Soulé's goals and a sustained attacking display putting the Champions League side in control, and Gasperini getting the answers he was seeking from players who had previously seen less action. Gasperini changed five players from the Genoa match, lining up in a 3-4-2-1, and the Roma side swarmed the Slovan 4-3-3 from the first whistle. Quick build-up play and incisive passing saw the Giallorossi push forward continually, with the left-sided chain of Pellegrini and Wesley particularly active, Hermoso initially supporting them. Slovan struggled to break up the rhythm and pressure, and their only real source of acceleration was Camara, who was looking for long balls. Roma won the ball back immediately, often without needing any particular marking, and the play was constantly played in a 40-metre area around Takac's goal. Roma's attacking play came mainly down the left, where they regularly reached the byline. The breakthrough was slow to come, however, because of poor finishing. Pellegrini shot wide with his left foot from a Malen pass, then Pisilli sent his rebound wide, and shortly afterwards Pisilli also fired over another chance created by switches of play. Pellegrini had three wayward shots in the first 25 minutes, and Malen initially misread the channels of entry, making some poor runs. Molina, still tentative, worked more in width than in depth. The opener came from a set piece: Ghilardi acted as a target man and Hermoso buried the header. Shortly after, Wesley assisted Molina from wide, who first fluffed his effort at the far post but was then ready on Takac's imperfect rebound to make it 2-0. The double lead ended any sign of a Slovan response, with Pellegrini sound defensively and Balerdi at times almost disarming in how easily he defused danger. With the two-goal cushion, the priority became conserving energy ahead of the Napoli match. After the restart, with the same eleven players, at least another 15 minutes of intensity were needed. The change of pace came when Soulé replaced Pellegrini, who had suffered a new injury, and took up position on the left in an already devastating chain. Soon after, Pisilli won the ball from Malen and Soulé finished it off, described as "like a snack taken from a child", closing out a game that, in effect, never began for Slovan. When Malen made it 4-0, managing energy became even more important. De Roon remained surprisingly on the pitch, and Roma controlled possession, avoiding further setbacks after Pellegrini's knock. Castro and Rensch came on for Malen and Wesley, but De Roon stayed on until the 72nd minute, when Mancini replaced him in midfield, a repeat of the Fonseca emergency of 2020. Koulierakis also came on for Hermoso. Three aspects stood out late on. At 4-0, several vigorous ball recoveries by the Giallorossi showed a ferocious mentality. Castro impressed with the quality of his touch and his game management, which was truly top class. Ghilardi scored a textbook goal, a perfectly co-ordinated volley that recalled Totti at Bologna in 2001, but it was ruled out for an obvious offside by two teammates.

Gian Piero Gasperini is struggling for attacking options with five matches coming up, and Roma have only two fit senior forwards available, Rodrigo Mora and Soulé. Lorenzo Pellegrini was injured on 20 October and will be out for at least twenty days, so he will not return until after the mid-November international break. Gasperini admitted the problem bluntly: "Every match I lose a player, we are short in attack." The coach is hoping to have Paulo Dybala back for the last two games, against United and Sassuolo, but in the meantime he must find alternatives. One option is to push either Niccolò Pisilli or Bryan Cristante into the attacking midfield line and ask Marten de Roon for an extra effort, especially with Manu Koné also injured. The article notes that Roma have used this approach in some matches last season. Gasperini is also considering a double striker pairing of Donyell Malen and Santiago Castro, with either Mora or Soulé behind them. He also has younger players to call on, with Camara, Antonio Arena and Paratici mentioned first. The shortage makes a January transfer market move even more necessary. The alarm was first raised in September, when Roma lost Leweling and Luiz Henrique at the final moment of their pursuit.

Gian Piero Gasperini is struggling for attacking options with five matches coming up, and Roma have only two fit senior forwards available, Rodrigo Mora and Soulé. Lorenzo Pellegrini was injured on 20 October and will be out for at least twenty days, so he will not return until after the mid-November international break. Gasperini admitted the problem bluntly: "Every match I lose a player, we are short in attack." The coach is hoping to have Paulo Dybala back for the last two games, against United and Sassuolo, but in the meantime he must find alternatives. One option is to push either Niccolò Pisilli or Bryan Cristante into the attacking midfield line and ask Marten de Roon for an extra effort, especially with Manu Koné also injured. The article notes that Roma have used this approach in some matches last season. Gasperini is also considering a double striker pairing of Donyell Malen and Santiago Castro, with either Mora or Soulé behind them. He also has younger players to call on, with Camara, Antonio Arena and Paratici mentioned first. The shortage makes a January transfer market move even more necessary. The alarm was first raised in September, when Roma lost Leweling and Luiz Henrique at the final moment of their pursuit.

Lorenzo Pellegrini has joined Paulo Dybala on the injury list after leaving the pitch with a muscle problem during Roma's match against Slovan Bratislava, leaving Gian Piero Gasperini with only four recognised forwards. Gasperini said: "Non credo sia una cosa grave. Per quanto sia una cosa piccola, però, quando è muscolare ci vogliono 20 giorni." By that timeline, the attacking midfielder would be unavailable until after the November international break. Tests will establish the exact extent of the problem, but a return before the break currently looks difficult. The setback highlights the numerical limits of a squad Gasperini had wanted to strengthen, particularly in attack. The coach has consistently stressed the value of having more options up front, as the fixture schedule offers no respite and the risk of losing players grows. Dybala and Pellegrini, two of the men expected to provide quality between the lines, are both sidelined once again. Dybala's situation remains under careful watch. A small calf injury discovered in recent checks has pushed back his return, and his exact return date is uncertain. Gasperini hopes to have the Argentine back as soon as possible, but given Dybala's recent history and the need to avoid a relapse, his comeback may be managed with the utmost caution. For now, Roma have very few natural alternatives in the forward line. Soulé and Rodrigo Mora are the main options behind the striker, while Donyell Malen and Santiago Castro are the strikers. Pisilli can be pushed forward if necessary, though that would simply shift the problem to another area, as Cristante is returning to fitness in midfield while Koné is still out. The idea of playing Malen and Castro together could therefore move from tactical curiosity to practical necessity. Gasperini had already floated using both centre-forwards at the same time, and the emergency could accelerate that experiment, with one more mobile and free to drop a few metres away from goal, and the other providing weight and presence inside the box. Gasperini made the wider point clearly after the Slovan match: "Il reparto davanti è fondamentale ora, nei cambi, nella qualità, nel numero. Se non recuperiamo in fretta Dybala diventiamo veramente in pochi." Until now, the coach has masked absences through rotation, young players and the team's ability to stay competitive while changing many players. But depth has its limits, especially when injuries strike players from the same area at the same time. Roma face Udinese on 31 October, then Manchester United on 3 November, and Sassuolo on 7 November before the international break. Malen, Castro, Soulé and Mora will need to carry the weight of the attack in the coming weeks while Dybala returns and Pellegrini recovers from his new muscle problem.

Roma's rotated side bounced back from the chaotic 3-4 defeat to Real Madrid to move up to four points, and Gian Piero Gasperini's main worry now is the muscle problem suffered by Lorenzo Pellegrini. Gasperini changed six players from the Genoa match on Saturday, and the result still went Roma's way. Gasperini said: "We need everyone, when they play, to be equal to what Roma asks. These answers are important, they allow us to move forward with confidence and to widen the group of potential starters. Despite the rotations, the team was competitive." Pellegrini had to leave at the start of the second half with a muscle problem in his right hamstring. According to Daniele Aloisi in Il Messaggero, instrumental tests were carried out on Tuesday and he is at serious risk of missing the trip to Napoli and possibly more. The concern is compounded by the fact that the squad is already stretched in certain areas, with the attack a particular issue while Paulo Dybala is also needed back. Pellegrini himself offered a cautious view: "I'm worried because every time we lose a player. We got Cristante back and now Lorenzo is injured. I don't think it's serious, but even a small muscle problem can keep you out for twenty days. The attack is fundamental, and if we don't recover quickly Dybala, we will be short. We are thin in certain areas, and that is the only danger in these matches."

Roma host Slovan Bratislava tonight at 21:00 at the Stadio Olimpico in the third matchday of the Champions League league phase, and Bryan Cristante is back in Gian Piero Gasperini's squad. The midfielder had been out of the last few matches with a knee problem. His return gives Roma an extra option in midfield during a period of closely spaced fixtures. The match comes after Roma's defeat to Real Madrid, and Gasperini's side are looking to collect important points on their European campaign. Paulo Dybala is not in the squad. Gasperini confirmed at the eve-of-match press conference that the Argentine has a small muscle tear, and his recovery will take another couple of weeks. Manu Koné is also absent and does not feature in the list of players available for the European fixture. Mile Svilar is missing with a foot injury. The full squad list names Rensch, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi in defence. The midfield selection is Cristante, Pellegrini, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Mora. Alessandro Di Nunzio is a young midfielder from the youth sector, and he was also called up for the league match against Genoa. Pierluigi Gollini, Devis Vásquez and De Marzi are the goalkeepers. In attack, Gasperini can call on Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro to lead the line. More than 60,000 fans are expected at the Olimpico for the game.

Gian Piero Gasperini has named his squad for Roma's Champions League league-phase match against Slovan Bratislava, a third-matchday fixture at the Stadio Olimpico this evening at 21:00. The headline news is the return of Bryan Cristante, who is back in contention after missing recent matches with a knee problem. He has been working on a personalised programme in recent days and is available to Gasperini again. Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala are all absent. Dybala must continue his recovery from a small calf tear picked up in recent checks, while Koné remains sidelined after a muscle injury suffered against Real Madrid. Cristante's recall is significant for a midfield that has been very thin in recent weeks. Alessandro Di Nunzio has also been confirmed in the group. The young player features in the squad after making his Serie A debut against Genoa. Goalkeepers: Vasquez, De Marzi, Gollini. Defenders: Rensch, Koulierakis, Ndicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli, Ghilardi. Midfielders: Cristante, Pellegrini, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio, Mora. Forwards: Castro, Malen, Soulé.

Udinese defender David Alaba is at risk of missing the match against Roma after suffering a muscle strain in his right calf. The Giallorossi travel to the Dacia Arena on 31 October at 18:00 for the fixture. Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini will be without some players for the trip to Udine. Mile Svilar and Manu Koné are certain to miss the match against the bianconeri. Paulo Dybala's availability is also in doubt. Bryan Cristante, however, is set to return to the squad on Saturday for the match against Napoli. The absences add to the selection headaches Gasperini faces as Roma prepare for a demanding run of fixtures, with the Napoli game coming before the trip to Udinese.