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Roma thrash Slovan Bratislava 4-0 in Champions League, but Pellegrini limps off injured
·21 October 2026·3h ago

Roma thrash Slovan Bratislava 4-0 in Champions League, but Pellegrini limps off injured

Source: Roma News

Roma secured their first win of the season in the Champions League, beating Slovan Bratislava 4-0 at the Stadio Olimpico, but Lorenzo Pellegrini had to be withdrawn with a problem to his hip flexor. Gian Piero Gasperini made changes to his starting eleven, with Ghilardi taking Mancini's place, Molina playing on the right and Mora and Pellegrini operating behind the striker.

Roma dominated from the first minute, pinning Slovan back in their own half. Hermoso opened the scoring, rising to meet a Ghilardi header from a Pellegrini set piece. Pellegrini then slipped a perfect pass through to Malen, whose shot forced Takac into a short parry, and Molina followed up to make it 2-0. Roma controlled, created and pressed until the interval, and the gap between the sides was clear.

The second half followed the same pattern, with Roma continuing to command possession. Pellegrini's injury, however, took some of the shine off the evening. Soulé came on and immediately made an impact, winning the ball on the byline and letting Malen tee up Pisilli for the 3-0. Minutes later Roma made it 4-0: Wesley won a penalty and Malen converted it coolly, his third goal of this Champions League campaign. With the result secure and rain falling on the Olimpico, Gasperini used his bench, bringing on Rensch, Castro, Koulierakis and Mancini, who finished the match in midfield in place of De Roon. Late on, Ghilardi struck a fine effort from outside the box, but it was ruled out for active offside.

The win gives Roma a convincing, wide-margin result and plenty of positives. The concern is Pellegrini's hip flexor problem, a fresh setback on the physical front as the club prepares for an important Serie A clash in the coming days.

● AI Generated Summary

This summary was generated by an AI model. Always read the source for complete and accurate information.

Story Coverage6 sources on this story

Roma beat Slovan Bratislava 4-0 at the Stadio Olimpico in their third Champions League league-phase match, their first win in the competition this season, after a 1-1 draw with Fenerbahce and a defeat to Real Madrid. Hermoso opened the scoring with a header, Molina doubled the lead, Pisilli added a third and Donyell Malen converted a penalty won by Wesley. Ghilardi had a goal ruled out for offside late on.

The main concern was Lorenzo Pellegrini, who left the pitch with a muscle problem, though the outlets differ on the details. One Roma News report places it in the right thigh flexor and puts him out for about twenty days, while another describes a hip flexor issue. GialloRossi.net quotes Gasperini saying he does not think it is serious. Dybala and Koné are also absent, and one Roma News report adds Svilar to the list. Forza Roma says Pisilli wore the captain's armband and scored, but its player ratings credit Pellegrini with wearing it.

Roma now face Napoli on Saturday at the Maradona, a side coached by Allegri. Gasperini will also have to manage the upcoming away trips to Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, which he called a serious test. Cristante is expected back, which may ease the pressure on a squad that is short in attack.

AI synthesis of all sources below — always check the originals.

Testo Originale / Source Text

“La Roma conquista la sua prima vittoria stagionale in Champions League con un netto 4-0 sullo Slovan Bratislava all’Olimpico. Una serata che rilancia il percorso europeo dei giallorossi, ma che porta anche una brutta notizia dall’infermeria. Come scrive Il Tempo, Gasperini cambia qualcosa…”

Read the full article in Italian at Roma News.

Read original on Roma News →

More Match Report

Pruzzo says Mora is not ready and calls for another striker; Pes backs Cristante and Pisilli as midfield pairing
OpinionMatch Report● AI
1h ago

Pruzzo says Mora is not ready and calls for another striker; Pes backs Cristante and Pisilli as midfield pairing

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 crush Slovan Bratislava as Gasperini gets answers from his squad depth
Match ReportEurope● AI
1h ago

Roma crush Slovan Bratislava as Gasperini gets answers from his squad depth

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 thrash Slovan Bratislava 4-0 as Pisilli, Wesley and Malen shine in the papers' ratings
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2h ago

Roma thrash Slovan Bratislava 4-0 as Pisilli, Wesley and Malen shine in the papers' ratings

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.

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Pruzzo says Mora is not ready and calls for another striker; Pes backs Cristante and Pisilli as midfield pairing
OpinionMatch Report● AI
1h ago

Pruzzo says Mora is not ready and calls for another striker; Pes backs Cristante and Pisilli as midfield pairing

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 crush Slovan Bratislava as Gasperini gets answers from his squad depth
Match ReportEurope● AI
1h ago

Roma crush Slovan Bratislava as Gasperini gets answers from his squad depth

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 short up front as Gasperini weighs Pisilli and a double striker option
InjurySquad News● AI
1h ago

Roma short up front as Gasperini weighs Pisilli and a double striker option

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.

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Pruzzo says Mora is not ready and calls for another striker; Pes backs Cristante and Pisilli as midfield pairing
OpinionMatch Report● AI
1h ago

Pruzzo says Mora is not ready and calls for another striker; Pes backs Cristante and Pisilli as midfield pairing

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 crush Slovan Bratislava as Gasperini gets answers from his squad depth
Match ReportEurope● AI
1h ago

Roma crush Slovan Bratislava as Gasperini gets answers from his squad depth

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 thrash Slovan Bratislava 4-0 as Pisilli, Wesley and Malen shine in the papers' ratings
Match ReportEurope● AI
2h ago

Roma thrash Slovan Bratislava 4-0 as Pisilli, Wesley and Malen shine in the papers' ratings

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.

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Roma crush Slovan Bratislava as Gasperini gets answers from his squad depth
Match ReportEurope● AI
1h ago

Roma crush Slovan Bratislava as Gasperini gets answers from his squad depth

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 thrash Slovan Bratislava 4-0 as Wesley and Hermoso impress in Europe, Gasperini rotates without changing the game
Match ReportEurope● AI
2h ago

Roma thrash Slovan Bratislava 4-0 as Wesley and Hermoso impress in Europe, Gasperini rotates without changing the game

Roma beat Slovan Bratislava 4-0, a result that partially eases the disappointment of the defeat to Real Madrid. The Giallorossi overwhelmed their opponents and, according to the Italian press, showed they intend to make their mark in Europe as well. Italian newspaper reviews single out another strong performance from Hermoso, the return to his best form from Wesley, and praise for Pisilli's goal, scored while wearing the captain's armband. The match also drew credit for head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who changed the players but not the way the team plays. He has repeatedly said there are no first-choice players and reserves, and the side keeps moving whoever takes the pitch. The Gazzetta dello Sport rated Roma as follows: Gollini 6, Ghilardi 7.5, Balerdi 7, Hermoso 7, Molina 7, De Roon 6.5, Pisilli 7, Wesley 7.5, Mora 5.5, Pellegrini 7.5, Malen 7.5, with Gasperini on 7.5. Hermoso was replaced by Koulierakis and De Roon by Mancini in the 77th minute. Wesley was replaced by Rensch in the 58th minute, Pellegrini by Soulé in the 52nd, and Malen by Castro in the 58th. Il Corriere dello Sport gave Pisilli 7.5, Hermoso 7.5 and Wesley 7.5, with Gasperini on 7.5. Il Corriere della Sera rated Pisilli 7.5 and Wesley 7, with Gasperini on 7. Across the Italian papers, Pisilli, Wesley and Hermoso were consistently among the highest-rated Roma players, while Mora received the lowest marks, ranging from 5.5 to 6. Gollini was rated 6 by every outlet.

Roma cruise past Slovan with four goals as Gasperini's side dominate Champions League opener
Match ReportEurope● AI
3h ago

Roma cruise past Slovan with four goals as Gasperini's side dominate Champions League opener

Roma thrashed Slovan Bratislava 4-0 in the Champions League, with goals from Hermoso, Molina, Pisilli and Malen, and the result has quickly eased the sting of the ten painful minutes against Real Madrid. The Giallorossi took control early and never let go, and they could have scored far more, with a hurried final ball and some poor finishing denying them a more entertaining rout. The win came despite a sizeable rotation. Balerdi, Ghilardi, Molina, Pisilli, De Roon, Mora and Pellegrini all started, and the team still dominated. Malen was described as a force of nature who carried the side, supported by Wesley, Pisilli, a reborn and re-motivated Pellegrini, and the whole team. Ghilardi was singled out as excellent, justifying Mancini's surprise call-up. Mancini later came on to replace De Roon in midfield, while Rensch, Castro and Koulierakis also came off the bench. Writing in La Gazzetta dello Sport, Fabio Licari said the result was not just a matter of winning tricks but a total domination. He pointed to the left-hand channel, where Wesley and Pellegrini passed the ball as they pleased and delivered crosses few in Serie A can match, constantly troubling a Slovan defence that was already struggling. Four goals, two in each half, all different, showed the variety of Roma's solutions. Licari concluded: "After a year, this is Gasp's Roma." The Giallorossi now turn their attention to Saturday's match against Napoli, which Licari described as a fixture he cannot wait to watch.

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