Roma thrash Trastevere 6-0 in pre-season friendly

Santiago Castro entered Roma's match against Atalanta at the 62nd minute as an unlikely substitute, replacing the league's in-form forward Donyell Malen, yet the move proved to be the turning point in a game the hosts trailed. In his brief appearance, Castro struck the post and crossbar while providing two key passes, underscoring the quality of Roma's bench and prompting head coach Gian Piero Gasperini to praise his aggression. The Argentine's introduction illustrated the gulf between Roma's attacking depth now and the crisis that plagued them throughout the previous season. Last season Gasperini struggled with inadequate backup at centre-forward. Artem Dovbyk managed only 386 minutes in the league, while Evan Ferguson accumulated 776; injuries to both forced the coach into makeshift solutions, sometimes fielding a lone striker. Malen's January arrival from Dortmund transformed the dynamic, yet even then Gasperini was stretched thin managing the Dutchman's workload in a frenetic system that demands fresh energy. Castro's arrival this summer completes the picture. The forward combines goal-scoring instinct, the ability to run channels, ball retention and defensive work rate—qualities already evident in his early outings in red and gold. Gasperini's post-match verdict captured the shift: "The changes were good and that's what we were looking for—to complete this squad with substitutes who could give important help across matches. In finishing and in the forward area we were good, but we lacked intensity. We were sometimes too neat, aside from Castro's post and crossbar." Against Atalanta, Castro fired four shots—two on target and two off the woodwork—laying down a marker as a genuine alternative to Malen. Soulé scored, Molina offered fresh options on the flank and Balerdi commanded the defence like a squad veteran. Gasperini acknowledged the possibility of using both attackers together: "Castro and Malen together? It's an idea for the future. They can coexist, definitely. They can play together. We'll see; we're doing evaluations now. We'll have many matches so there will be chances for everyone and also to vary these systems." The contrast with previous seasons is stark. Roma's manager can now turn to a bench and find genuine competition for the starting eleven rather than, as José Mourinho once lamented, mere children. The scale of available rotation across the squad—particularly in attack and defence—represents a luxury rarely seen at Trigoria in recent years.

Roma will make their Champions League debut for seven years when they travel to Istanbul to face Fenerbahçe on 8 September, their first taste of Europe's premier competition since March 2019. After winning their opening three Serie A matches, Gian Piero Gasperini's side returns to the tournament that has been absent from the Stadio Olimpico since the 2018–19 season, when Roma last played in it away to Porto in the round of 16 under Eusebio Di Francesco. The gulf between then and now is vast: that side held De Rossi as captain and featured Dzeko, Kolarov, Marcano, Manolas, Juan Jesus and Karsdorp in defence. Today, Roma take the pitch with fresh momentum and a manager ready for his 35th Champions League bench. For Gasperini, Istanbul marks a return to the tournament after his Atalanta years. Across 34 previous Champions League matches as a coach, his record stands at 12 victories, 9 draws and 13 defeats. His sole previous campaign outside Atalanta came in 2011 on Inter's bench, when he lost 1–0 to Trabzonspor at San Siro. Atalanta provided all 33 other appearances, including his finest hour: the 2019–20 quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain, a result that stings still. Atalanta had led 1–0 thanks to Pasalic until the 90th minute, before Marquinhos and Choupo-Moting scored at 90 and 93 minutes respectively. His last Champions League outing was the playoff elimination against Club Brugge in the 2024–25 season, a 5–2 aggregate defeat. For Fenerbahçe, the wait has been even longer: 18 years since they last featured in the group phase, which was the 2008–09 season. Roma's drought has lasted seven years, their previous fixture coming on 6 March 2019, a 3–1 loss after extra time to Porto. Across all European competitions, Roma have played 111 matches, recording 41 victories, 27 draws and 43 defeats, with their finest hour the 1984 European Cup final against Liverpool, decided on penalties. Fenerbahçe's best European run reached the quarter-finals in 2007–08, when they beat Chelsea 2–1 at home before elimination. The two clubs have never met in an official fixture; their only previous encounter was a friendly on 19 August 2014 at the Olimpico, which finished 3–3 before 35,000 spectators in Roma's pre-season presentation under Rudi Garcia. Totti opened the scoring from a penalty at 26 minutes; Bruno Alves equalised from a free-kick six minutes later. Kuyt and Sow put Fenerbahçe 3–1 up in the second half before Mattia Destro's double at 82 and 86 minutes secured a draw. Salih Uçan, who had transferred from Fenerbahçe to Roma weeks before, appeared for Roma in that second half. Romelu Lukaku, who spent one season at Roma as their centre-forward two years ago, will lead Fenerbahçe's attack. He scored 21 goals in 47 appearances for Roma—13 in Serie A, 7 in the Europa League and 1 in the Coppa Italia—under both Mourinho and De Rossi before joining Napoli. Mason Greenwood, the English forward who came close to signing for Roma this summer before Fenerbahçe's intervention secured his services with a substantial offer, will also feature. Mattéo Guendouzi, the French midfielder, is suspended for four match days by UEFA—two of them suspended for a year—following the incident in the playoff against Lyon, and will miss Roma's visit and the subsequent match against Aston Villa. Vedat Muriqi, the Kosovo striker who returned to Fenerbahçe after a spell at Mallorca, has already scored three goals in seven appearances this season, including the decisive strike in a 2–1 win over Lyon that sealed qualification. Jayden Oosterwolde, the defender, was due to join Roma after arriving at Ciampino on 25 August, but a medical examination revealed a serious issue with his left thigh beyond the initial diagnosis. After Roma attempted to renegotiate and Fenerbahçe refused, he returned to Istanbul and underwent surgery in Finland on 1 September; he will watch from the sidelines.

Roma's remarkable late comeback against Atalanta has impressed pundit Lele Adani, who analysed the performance on La Domenica Sportiva. Mario Hermoso equalised in the 89th minute before Roma scored again within three minutes, with Adani highlighting the intensity of the attack: Matías Soulé, Paulo Dybala and Santiago Castro all shot during that spell, firing once every 40 seconds in September heat at the Stadio Olimpico with the thermometer at 35 degrees. Adani drew parallels to Gasperini's Atalanta sides, describing Roma's display as an act of faith rather than conventional football. He was struck by Roma's persistence in creating chances even when the match appeared lost and the crowd's overwhelming support. The club completed 39 shots across the entire fixture, which Adani called epic football shaped by the team's determination to attack in the final minutes.

Santiago Castro entered Roma's match against Atalanta at the 62nd minute as an unlikely substitute, replacing the league's in-form forward Donyell Malen, yet the move proved to be the turning point in a game the hosts trailed. In his brief appearance, Castro struck the post and crossbar while providing two key passes, underscoring the quality of Roma's bench and prompting head coach Gian Piero Gasperini to praise his aggression. The Argentine's introduction illustrated the gulf between Roma's attacking depth now and the crisis that plagued them throughout the previous season. Last season Gasperini struggled with inadequate backup at centre-forward. Artem Dovbyk managed only 386 minutes in the league, while Evan Ferguson accumulated 776; injuries to both forced the coach into makeshift solutions, sometimes fielding a lone striker. Malen's January arrival from Dortmund transformed the dynamic, yet even then Gasperini was stretched thin managing the Dutchman's workload in a frenetic system that demands fresh energy. Castro's arrival this summer completes the picture. The forward combines goal-scoring instinct, the ability to run channels, ball retention and defensive work rate—qualities already evident in his early outings in red and gold. Gasperini's post-match verdict captured the shift: "The changes were good and that's what we were looking for—to complete this squad with substitutes who could give important help across matches. In finishing and in the forward area we were good, but we lacked intensity. We were sometimes too neat, aside from Castro's post and crossbar." Against Atalanta, Castro fired four shots—two on target and two off the woodwork—laying down a marker as a genuine alternative to Malen. Soulé scored, Molina offered fresh options on the flank and Balerdi commanded the defence like a squad veteran. Gasperini acknowledged the possibility of using both attackers together: "Castro and Malen together? It's an idea for the future. They can coexist, definitely. They can play together. We'll see; we're doing evaluations now. We'll have many matches so there will be chances for everyone and also to vary these systems." The contrast with previous seasons is stark. Roma's manager can now turn to a bench and find genuine competition for the starting eleven rather than, as José Mourinho once lamented, mere children. The scale of available rotation across the squad—particularly in attack and defence—represents a luxury rarely seen at Trigoria in recent years.

Donyell Malen has become the focal point of Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma, transforming the club's attack after arriving in January and dragging them to Champions League qualification. Gasperini repositioned the Dutch forward to operate between the back three and the fullback line, unlocking a decisive edge that had been missing when Roma pursued an attacker capable of running in behind during the previous summer transfer window. Since his debut against Torino, Malen has contributed 14 goals and 2 assists in Serie A, plus one Europa League goal against Bologna—15 goals in 22 matches as Roma scored 40 total (36 in the league, 4 in Europe). He accounts for 40 per cent of the club's seasonal tally. Seven of his 15 goals proved decisive, most crucially a penalty against Parma at the 100th minute. Without Malen, Roma would have accumulated 12 fewer points. Before his arrival, Roma struggled badly. In their opening 27 matches under Gasperini, they netted only 36 goals—23 in Serie A, 11 in Europa League, 2 in Coppa Italia—averaging 1.33 per game. The first summer window had brought no genuinely incisive attacking reinforcement. Malen's January arrival transformed that dynamic nearly immediately. From his debut onwards, Roma's goal-per-match average nearly doubled to 2.11. This season, Malen has added 5 goals in 3 matches, accounting for 50 per cent of Roma's 10 goals so far. He has now scored 19 times in 21 appearances for the club. The article notes that after last season's performance, some observers worried he would not sustain such output; the early 2026-27 figures have silenced those doubts.

Roma's 2–1 comeback win over Atalanta on Saturday drew widespread praise from Rome's radio commentators, who highlighted the performance as evidence of a well-rounded squad capable of competing for the Serie A title. Gianluca Piacentini (Rete Sport) called it an act of justice, saying: "I don't recall a first half so fine in recent years. Roma dominated completely, Atalanta scored on their first shot on goal, and justice was done." Fabio Petruzzi credited the introduction of Leonardo Balerdi as the turning point, noting his pace filled a gap the defence had lacked. David Rossi singled out Santiago Castro's second-half impact after Donyell Malen's poor display, with Gian Piero Gasperini removing Malen because he "was going to smash into opponents rather than pass." Mario Corsi highlighted Matías Soulé's growth, recording two goals and an assist in the last two matches, and observed: "Roma is overwhelming, one cannot deny it. It's a Roma that promises very well indeed." Daniele Lo Monaco (Radio Radio) pointed to Roma's dominance through statistics: in the Atalanta match, Roma produced roughly twice as many shots on goal as the combined total from the previous two fixtures against Fiorentina and Lecce. He noted Maurizio Sarri's post-match assessment—"Roma is an impressive squad"—as particularly significant, and said: "The value Roma has reached is truly very high, and this pleases and reassures me. Inter remains superior, and Como has the same chances of winning the Serie A title as Inter and Roma." Paolo Cosenza emphasised the depth available, claiming Gasperini has assembled a squad of 16 regular starters, with statistics showing over 35 shots on goal despite facing "not the woodcutters but a proper side like Atalanta." Piero Torri added that if Roma avoids injuries, the squad of 21 players can sustain the challenge through January, citing positive performances from Leonardo Balerdi, Santiago Castro, Nahuel Molina and Daniele Ghilardi. Roberto Pruzzo expressed reservations about Rodrigo Mora, saying: "I have doubts about Mora; he played one half, touched 10 balls, was decent on some but if he doesn't grow in level I need another player. In January we have to try to do something." Nando Orsi called Roma "a complete squad," where goals come from multiple sources: "When Malen doesn't score, others do. So it means it's a total squad, where everyone can score, then there are the more important players who resolve it." Ilario Di Giovambattista emphasised the stadium's role, stating: "It was the victory of the public. When Hermoso makes it 1–1, Roma continues because it is literally carried along by a wonderful public. Roma's fans are incredible, this must be said." He noted Paulo Dybala recorded four assists in three matches. Lorenzo Pes flagged Champions League action ahead, saying: "Thursday there is the Champions debut, and I think Dybala will want to be on the pitch." Roma faces the opening fixture of the UEFA Champions League on Thursday (9 September). The radio panel broadly agreed that sustained belief and injury avoidance are prerequisites for maintaining the early-season momentum, though Pruzzo signalled January could bring squad reinforcement depending on Mora's progress.

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's remarkable late comeback against Atalanta has impressed pundit Lele Adani, who analysed the performance on La Domenica Sportiva. Mario Hermoso equalised in the 89th minute before Roma scored again within three minutes, with Adani highlighting the intensity of the attack: Matías Soulé, Paulo Dybala and Santiago Castro all shot during that spell, firing once every 40 seconds in September heat at the Stadio Olimpico with the thermometer at 35 degrees. Adani drew parallels to Gasperini's Atalanta sides, describing Roma's display as an act of faith rather than conventional football. He was struck by Roma's persistence in creating chances even when the match appeared lost and the crowd's overwhelming support. The club completed 39 shots across the entire fixture, which Adani called epic football shaped by the team's determination to attack in the final minutes.

Roma claimed a dramatic late victory against Atalanta on Saturday, with goals from Mario Hermoso and Matías Soulé securing the win in the final moments despite playing in 35-degree heat at the third matchday of the season. Lele Adani praised head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's influence on the performance during La domenica sportiva, drawing comparisons to the Atalanta teams Gasperini previously managed. Adani highlighted Roma's attacking intensity in the decisive phase. "The Roma drew level in the 89th minute with Hermoso, then scored three minutes later," Adani said. "In those minutes they shot four times, so once every 40 seconds. They shot from Soulé, Dybala, Castro, and then Matías scored. Atalanta's Gasperini used to do this because his matches are acts of faith—it wasn't a football match but a piece of history, and then the Olimpico drowns you out. Roma had 39 shots; it was an epic match."

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.

Gian Piero Gasperini hailed Roma's mental strength after a comeback victory, telling Sky Sport that losing such a match would have been difficult to process. The manager praised his players' composure when trailing, noting that they refused to panic and maintained tactical discipline throughout. "The most important aspect was the comeback itself," Gasperini said. "We didn't throw anything away, we kept the field open and played with lucidity. Even if we had lost, it would have been difficult to talk about it." Gasperini highlighted the impact of his five substitutions, particularly the defensive changes. "The substitutions were very important," he explained. "When you keep attacking like that you spend a lot of energy and risk the match taking a different turn. The changes at the back were important too – Balerdi and Ghilardi came in and we had continuity of action even though they started dangerously." He also credited goalkeeper Carnesecchi as "extraordinary" but acknowledged his side lacked clinical finishing. "We had many slow shots and were rewarded in the end," Gasperini said. On his squad depth, Gasperini noted qualitative improvements despite numerical gaps. "In terms of numbers we're missing two or three players," he said. "Qualitatively, yes – tonight's substitutes proved it. On the bench I still had De Roon, Koulierakis and Rensch, and Pellegrini is out. The important thing is to avoid injuries because numerically we don't have a Champions League squad. Qualitatively we can make changes without drops in performance." Dybala completed 98 minutes and was not injured, though Gasperini noted fatigue from the heat and the physical demands of mounting a comeback. The manager said rotation will become necessary once fixtures intensify after the international break, with potential Sunday-Wednesday-Saturday schedules ahead.

Gian Piero Gasperini highlighted Roma's character and squad depth after a 3-2 victory over Atalanta in Serie A matchday 3. Roma came from behind following a first-half deficit, managing the physical demands of the heat to secure the win. Gasperini said of the comeback: "When you win like this, they are signals that the group believes in itself." The coach emphasized the importance of his substitutions in maintaining pressure as Roma fired 39 shots across the match. "The changes were important," Gasperini explained. "When you keep attacking like that you spend a lot of energy and might not score, risking the match taking a different turn. The defensive substitutions were key—the way Ghilardi and Balerdi came in, we regained continuity of play." He credited Atalanta goalkeeper Carnesecchi with crucial saves and noted Roma lacked their usual sharpness in finishing: "We were rewarded in the end." Gasperini addressed Roma's attacking options and injury concerns. Asked whether Santiago Castro and Donyell Malen could play together, he said: "They can coexist, we'll see as we go. After the international break there will be many difficult matches with opportunities for everyone, and chances to vary our system of play." Matías Soulé came on and was "decisive," while Nahuel Molina "gave us quality." Gasperini confirmed Paulo Dybala played the full 90 minutes but was "a bit tired," adding that "playing in these conditions, having to chase, you spend a lot." He noted the squad quality had improved: "In terms of numbers, no, but qualitatively tonight's substitutions prove it—I still had Marten de Roon, Devyne Rensch and Konstantinos Koulierakis on the bench, and I have Lorenzo Pellegrini out. The important thing is we have no injuries."