Roma to attack with flair against Fiorentina in season opener

Napoli will be without David Neres for Saturday 24 October's match at the Maradona against Roma after the Brazilian winger suffered a muscular injury. Neres was forced off during Napoli's Champions League fixture against Villarreal and underwent instrumental tests this morning, which revealed a low-grade lesion of the semitendinosus muscle in his right thigh. The injury will require at least three weeks of recovery, forcing him to miss several matches. The setback comes at a critical phase of Napoli's campaign as they prepare to face Roma in Serie A. Neres has already begun his rehabilitation programme following the diagnosis at Pineta Grande Hospital. The club confirmed in a statement: "David Neres sustained a muscular strain during the match against Villarreal. The Napoli player underwent instrumental examinations at Pineta Grande Hospital, which revealed a low-grade lesion of the semitendinosus muscle in his right thigh. Neres has already begun his rehabilitation programme."

Roma aim to bounce back from a 4–3 defeat to Real Madrid when they travel to Genoa on Saturday evening. The match kicks off at 20:45 as the Giallorossi look to recover from the dramatic comeback they conceded against the Spanish side. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will hold his pre-match press conference tomorrow at 13:30 from Trigoria. The Giallorossi boss will assess the fitness of Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala before finalising his team selection for the Serie A encounter. Mile Svilar and Bryan Cristante remain unavailable for the trip.

Daniele De Rossi will face Roma for the third time as an opponent on Saturday at 18:00, with the match taking place at the Olimpico. The Genoa manager previously managed Roma and will encounter a team bruised by a midweek defeat to Real Madrid but preparing to fight back. De Rossi played Roma twice before—on 29 December 2025, when the Olimpico crowd embraced him after a 3–1 loss under Gasperini, and at Marassi in March, which Genoa won 2–1. In his pre-match press conference, De Rossi acknowledged that his prior experience facing Roma may help him stay emotionally detached: "Perhaps the fact that I've already played against Roma can help me be a bit colder, but the real difference is that I prepared the first match worse while the second one a bit better." He emphasised Roma's growth since December: "The value of Roma has increased compared to that time in December. It's an incredibly strong squad and yesterday it nonetheless gave a demonstration of that." De Rossi watched Roma's Champions League fixture against Real Madrid closely and was struck by their overall display despite the defeat. He described them as "a truly frightening team." When assessing set-piece vulnerability—Roma conceded goals from corners against Madrid—De Rossi noted that statistics show 30 per cent of goals stem from set plays, making it a wider issue than Roma alone. He pointed to Roma's strengths: "Roma is in good shape, has jumpers and a goalkeeper like Gollini." De Rossi stressed the importance of tactical preparation and respect for the opposition: "I've studied the opponent, our characteristics and assessed our players' condition this week. Roma's match yesterday evening involved great expenditure of energy, both physical and mental. We'll need to be at full strength and, why not, one thinks about changes too. We must not play based on opponents but their characteristics must be respected and fought." De Rossi will attempt to win what will always remain his home, whatever the outcome.

Rodrigo Mora made a striking impression against Real Madrid on 14 October, coming on at half-time in place of Paulo Dybala and delivering a performance that caught the attention of both Roma supporters and Blancos fans alike. The Portuguese midfielder, born in 2007, picked apart Real Madrid's midfield repeatedly and provided an assist for Donyell Malen's goal that brought Roma level at 2–1. His display was sufficiently compelling to prompt Spanish fans to praise him on social media. Mora had appeared only from the bench in earlier fixtures against Inter and Como before manager Gian Piero Gasperini handed him a starting opportunity of sorts against the Spanish giants. The 19-year-old has seen limited first-team action so far this season, rotating with Matías Soulé and Lorenzo Pellegrini on the left of Roma's attacking three. His performance against Madrid, however, gave notice of his potential and may prompt Gasperini to deploy him from the start in the forthcoming league match against Genoa. Real Madrid supporters responded enthusiastically on social media. One commented: "That Rodrigo Mora is incredible, what a player!", while another wrote: "Mora made Real dance, he has more football in him than our entire midfield." A third noted: "He cost only 25 million this summer..." Gasperini's decision to introduce Mora at the interval, replacing a player of Dybala's calibre, underscored the manager's confidence in the young Portuguese talent's ability to handle elite opposition.

Roma aim to bounce back from a 4–3 defeat to Real Madrid when they travel to Genoa on Saturday evening. The match kicks off at 20:45 as the Giallorossi look to recover from the dramatic comeback they conceded against the Spanish side. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will hold his pre-match press conference tomorrow at 13:30 from Trigoria. The Giallorossi boss will assess the fitness of Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala before finalising his team selection for the Serie A encounter. Mile Svilar and Bryan Cristante remain unavailable for the trip.

Real Madrid came from behind to beat Roma 4–3 despite a poor display, scoring three goals from set-pieces in the closing stages. A performance widely criticised by fans and media for its lack of quality was masked only by the visitors' ruthlessness on dead-ball situations and Roma's defensive lapses. Sporting journalist Riccardo Trevisani was among the harshest critics, attacking Real Madrid's manager on the podcast Cronache di Spogliatoio. He said: "I saw a match devoid of logic. Real Madrid is a disgrace, it cannot be watched! The blame lies with their coach, who has a squad worth a billion four hundred million euros and lines them up like under-10s. Mourinho comes to Roma, hasn't even left and already Svilar breaks, then Koné and Dybala get injured. He has incredible luck, it's objective. That's how Mourinho wins, only that way." The collapse highlighted Roma's vulnerability to set-piece defending and their inability to control a match they initially dominated.

Rodrigo Mora made a striking impression against Real Madrid on 14 October, coming on at half-time in place of Paulo Dybala and delivering a performance that caught the attention of both Roma supporters and Blancos fans alike. The Portuguese midfielder, born in 2007, picked apart Real Madrid's midfield repeatedly and provided an assist for Donyell Malen's goal that brought Roma level at 2–1. His display was sufficiently compelling to prompt Spanish fans to praise him on social media. Mora had appeared only from the bench in earlier fixtures against Inter and Como before manager Gian Piero Gasperini handed him a starting opportunity of sorts against the Spanish giants. The 19-year-old has seen limited first-team action so far this season, rotating with Matías Soulé and Lorenzo Pellegrini on the left of Roma's attacking three. His performance against Madrid, however, gave notice of his potential and may prompt Gasperini to deploy him from the start in the forthcoming league match against Genoa. Real Madrid supporters responded enthusiastically on social media. One commented: "That Rodrigo Mora is incredible, what a player!", while another wrote: "Mora made Real dance, he has more football in him than our entire midfield." A third noted: "He cost only 25 million this summer..." Gasperini's decision to introduce Mora at the interval, replacing a player of Dybala's calibre, underscored the manager's confidence in the young Portuguese talent's ability to handle elite opposition.

Nicolò Tresoldi has attracted widespread interest after scoring a hat-trick against Inter in the most recent UEFA Champions League game, with multiple clubs preparing bids for the January transfer window. Roma attempted to sign the striker last summer with an offer of €35M, but Club Brugge rejected the bid as insufficient. The capital club has since withdrawn from the race after pivoting toward Santiago Castro to provide backup to Donyell Malen. Tresoldi, who represents Germany U-21 and has been tracked by Barcelona, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, and RB Leipzig, is now valued between €54M and €63M following his recent performances. Club Brugge's position has strengthened considerably after selling Christos Tzolis to Arsenal for €40M, which will allow them to hold out for a premium fee. The article suggests the window for Serie A clubs to acquire Tresoldi has closed: he is now beyond their financial reach, and moves abroad in January or at the end of the season are more likely. Tresoldi has bagged nine goals already this season. While he is reportedly a massive Milan fan, AC Milan have not shown serious interest, having made a splash for Gonçalo Ramos with Francesco Camarda as backup. Tresoldi stated that he remains undecided about which national team to represent, as Italy are attempting to convince him to switch from Germany U-21. He indicated he would face less competition in Jürgen Klopp's side.

Roma must quickly put behind the disappointment of conceding a late comeback against Real Madrid, who scored twice in the final minutes to win 4–3. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will address the media tomorrow at 13:30 ahead of the Genoa fixture. Gasperini will be without five players for the match. Bryan Cristante, Donyell Malen, Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala are all unavailable. Koné and Dybala will undergo instrumental tests tomorrow to establish their recovery timescale.

Rodrigo Mora made a striking impression against Real Madrid on 14 October, coming on at half-time in place of Paulo Dybala and delivering a performance that caught the attention of both Roma supporters and Blancos fans alike. The Portuguese midfielder, born in 2007, picked apart Real Madrid's midfield repeatedly and provided an assist for Donyell Malen's goal that brought Roma level at 2–1. His display was sufficiently compelling to prompt Spanish fans to praise him on social media. Mora had appeared only from the bench in earlier fixtures against Inter and Como before manager Gian Piero Gasperini handed him a starting opportunity of sorts against the Spanish giants. The 19-year-old has seen limited first-team action so far this season, rotating with Matías Soulé and Lorenzo Pellegrini on the left of Roma's attacking three. His performance against Madrid, however, gave notice of his potential and may prompt Gasperini to deploy him from the start in the forthcoming league match against Genoa. Real Madrid supporters responded enthusiastically on social media. One commented: "That Rodrigo Mora is incredible, what a player!", while another wrote: "Mora made Real dance, he has more football in him than our entire midfield." A third noted: "He cost only 25 million this summer..." Gasperini's decision to introduce Mora at the interval, replacing a player of Dybala's calibre, underscored the manager's confidence in the young Portuguese talent's ability to handle elite opposition.

Roma face Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday 17 October at 20:45 in Serie A matchday seven, aiming to return to winning ways after a 4–3 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid. The Giallorossi drew 0–0 against Como and 0–0 against Inter before the Real Madrid loss; they have not won since facing Torino. Genoa, managed by Daniele De Rossi, won their first match of the season last time out, beating Fiorentina 2–1. Gasperini will make changes to his squad following injuries sustained against Real Madrid. Manu Koné left the pitch in the first half with a muscle problem, while Paulo Dybala was substituted at half-time with a muscular strain; both remain under assessment as of 15 October, with recovery timings unclear. Mile Svilar is out with a fractured toe, Bryan Cristante with a knee problem, and Donyell Malen suspended following his red card against Como. Roma last won on matchday six against Torino. In Gasperini's 3–4–2–1 formation, Pierluigi Gollini will start in goal with Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso in the three-man defence. Emanuele Lulli and Wesley are set for the full-back positions, with Marten de Roon and Niccolò Pisilli in midfield. Santiago Castro will lead the attack in place of the suspended Malen, Matías Soulé will play behind him, and Rodrigo Mora is favoured to complete the attacking line if Dybala cannot recover; Lorenzo Pellegrini is an alternative. De Rossi's Genoa are likely to line up in a 4–4–1–1 with goalkeeper Bijlow, but a 3–5–2 with Vitinha alongside the striker remains possible. Roma hold a dominant record at the Olimpico against Genoa: across 65 official matches played in the capital, the Giallorossi have won 48, Genoa 9, with 8 draws. Most recently Roma won 3–1 on 29 December 2025; before that, on 17 January 1990, Genoa last won at the Olimpico, prevailing 1–0. The official lineups will be confirmed before kickoff. The match will be broadcast on DAZN and Sky Sport, with streaming available through NOW and Sky Go according to subscription level.

Roma turn focus to Genoa after Wednesday's Champions League defeat to Real Madrid, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini due to face the media on Saturday at 13.30 ahead of the match at the Olimpico. Genoa, managed by Daniele De Rossi, visit Rome on Saturday. Gasperini will be without Bryan Cristante, Donyell Malen and Mile Svilar through injury, while Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala are almost certain to miss out pending medical assessment. Koné and Dybala will undergo instrumental tests on Saturday morning to determine their recovery timescale, with particular concern surrounding Koné's condition—the French midfielder risks being sidelined for multiple matches. Santiago Castro and Rodrigo Mora stand ready to lead the attack in their absence.