Roma vs Fiorentina: Away fans banned from Olimpico

Mario Hermoso has established himself as an indispensable fixture in Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma defence, ranking second only to Bryan Cristante in minutes played under the manager. The Spanish defender has appeared in 509 of Roma's 540 available minutes—94.2 per cent—and Gasperini has described him as a statue in the position. Hermoso's defensive output backs up his importance. He leads Serie A with 16 interceptions, a remarkable tally achieved through aggressive pressing and constant anticipation that fits seamlessly into Gasperini's tactical system. His discipline is equally striking: he has committed only 3 fouls in Serie A this season, fewer than half the tally of fellow Roma defenders Evan N'Dicka (8 fouls) and Gianluca Mancini (7 fouls). The former Atlético Madrid player has developed into an absolute leader at the club, accompanying offensive actions with progressive passes towards the opposition goal. Squawka's data collection shows Hermoso shares his interception record with Frendurp of Genoa.

Roberto Donadoni, the former Italy national team commissioner, assessed the Serie A title race on Radio Uno this morning, offering praise for Roma's work and backing Inter as the league's favourites. Donadoni said: "The Scudetto race? Inter, in terms of potential, is unquestionably the favourite—they are the team that gives the strongest impression of being a consolidated group with the strength to overturn matches. Roma is showing they have absorbed their coach's philosophy in an environment like Rome's which is not easy, and Lazio are also doing well. We are at the beginning, there is a long way to go, but Inter are the favourites." He recognised Roma's adaptation to their head coach's approach in a demanding setting but emphasised Inter's consolidation as a unit and their capacity to shift results in their favour.

Santiago Castro is preparing for a key phase of his Roma career after the international break, armed with encouragement from Francesco Totti and a fresh Argentina call-up. The 21-year-old Argentine forward has made an immediate impression since joining the club, hitting two posts and building strong rapport with the dressing room, though he has yet to open his account in giallorosso. Castro is now with Argentina, where he has returned following his sole previous call-up in March 2025, during which he did not take the field. His manager Gasperini will hope to deploy him as an additional attacking option alongside Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala, who are considered undroppable. Castro deliberately chose Roma despite knowing the calibre of the competition for places, and the intensity of October's fixture list may provide his breakthrough moment. Last autumn at Bologna, he scored three goals and supplied one assist across a 30-day span at the start of the season, establishing a template for what is possible. He will miss Argentina's friendlies against Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin in the coming days but will return only three days before Roma's trip to Como alongside fellow squad members Leonardo Balerdi and Matías Soulé. Castro, who was recommended by Totti, faces competition from Lautaro at international level but shows no sign of being daunted by it. The premature nature of his return will limit his recovery time, though the calendar's demands may force Gasperini's hand in rotating his forward line.