Roma produced a commanding tactical display to defeat Torino, with Leonardo Balerdi marshalling the defence throughout a performance that saw Gasperini's side control proceedings from the opening exchanges. Four changes from Roma's midweek Champions League fixture—Balerdi, Pisilli, Lulli and Molina—maintained the team's standard, with Pisilli closing out the match in a critical moment despite one of his less polished displays, while Lulli and Molina remained creative and showed clear room for improvement. The victory came as Roma prepare for their next major test against the Serie A champions in the coming days.
Roma's suffocating press set the tone immediately. Gasperini's team opened with an aggressive 3-4-2-1 that targeted Torino's attempts at possession-based build-up, with Cristante pressing Mandragora, Pisilli tracking Fitz-Jim, and the three centre-backs—Balerdi on Simeone, Mancini on Vlašić, and Hermoso dealing with Gineitis—marking tightly in advanced positions. The giallorossi dominated territory and possession early, disrupting Torino's passing rhythm through relentless pressure and recovering the ball high upfield for dangerous breaks. Although Roma failed to convert their early superiority into goals, a key moment came at the thirty-minute mark when Soulé and Dybala swapped positions; the fluency of Roma's football through the middle improved when these adjustments allowed Dybala to move closer to support Malen.
The breakthrough arrived late in the first half when Mancini's recovery from Torino's loose build-up released Dybala, whose through-ball found Malen. The Dutch forward's lethal instinct from a low position gave Roma the lead. Torino emerged from half-time with tactical adjustments—Abate raised Mandragora and Vlašić wider alongside Simeone, introduced the excellent Bragança to midfield control in place of Gineitis, and switched Cacciamani for Belghali—but around the hour mark, Bragança began threading meaningful patterns that loosened Roma's pressing intensity. Gasperini countered by withdrawing Soulé and Malen for Mora and Castro, shifting Roma to a 5-3-2 shape with Koné and De Roon replacing Cristante and Dybala in a conservative but decisive adjustment.
Torino's momentum faded as Balerdi, alongside De Roon—who dominated through recoveries, interceptions, dangerous passing line disruptions, and decisive individual pressure—ensured Roma's back line remained unbreakable. The match closed with Mancini orchestrating the final attacking phase, his calmness in possession setting up Pisilli's finishing touch. Gasperini later described the imminent big fixture against the defending champions as merely "an opportunity to measure ourselves," words the coach framed as releasing unnecessary tension and a reminder that a match played at the end of September cannot carry ultimate significance.
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Roma secured a commanding victory over Torino through defensive discipline and tactical execution, with Leonardo Balerdi marshalling the backline throughout a performance that established control from the opening exchanges. Four changes from Roma's midweek fixture—Balerdi, Pisilli, Lulli and Molina—maintained the team's standard without disruption. Gasperini deployed an aggressive 3-4-2-1 that targeted Torino's possession-based build-up, with Cristante pressing Mandragora, Pisilli tracking Fitz-Jim, and the three centre-backs marking tightly in advanced positions. Roma dominated territory and possession early, disrupting Torino's passing rhythm through relentless pressure and recovering the ball high upfield for dangerous breaks.
The breakthrough arrived late in the first half when Mancini's recovery released Dybala, whose through-ball found Malen for the opening goal. Torino emerged from half-time with tactical adjustments, introducing Bragança to midfield control, but around the hour mark Gasperini countered by withdrawing Soulé and Malen for Mora and Castro, shifting Roma to a 5-3-2 shape. Balerdi, alongside De Roon—who dominated through recoveries, interceptions and decisive pressure—ensured Roma's back line remained unbreakable as Torino's momentum faded.
TeleRadioStereo contextualizes Roma's defensive evolution, noting that Leonardo Balerdi's late-window arrival from Marseille has clarified the club's transfer logic following Jan Ziółkowski's departure. While some observers questioned why Ziółkowski was sold if money was then spent on a replacement, Balerdi's commanding performances have vindicated the decision. The outlet criticizes media commentators for initially dismissing Balerdi's signing while now celebrating it, and for writing off Gianluca Mancini as finished after errors in earlier fixtures. Mancini's monumental display at Turin exposed the opportunism of those quick to turn on him, demonstrating the dangers of reactive analysis divorced from sustained observation of the club's direction.
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Testo Originale / Source Text
“Ricambi in grado di mantenere il livello della squadra inalterato: un Balerdi sontuoso ministro della difesa, un Pisilli che a fronte di una delle sue gare meno brillanti trova la forza di chiudere il match in un momento delicato, e nonostante i crampi, e un Lulli e un Molina sempre propositivi e…”
Read the full article in Italian at Roma News.
