Roma's second-half weakness: Gasperini identifies first real flaw

Roma have repeatedly let leads slip in recent matches, a problem that has exposed the thinness of their squad and led to worrying dips in energy, according to Corriere dello Sport. The most glaring examples came against Manchester United, Real Madrid and Inter, while the Giallorossi also dropped points or momentum against Lecce, Torino, Cagliari and Udinese, though they still managed to win those games. The data back up the trend. Roma have taken 20 fewer shots in second halves than in first halves, and their xG, ball recoveries and touches in the opposition box also decline after the interval. Defensively the cost has been clear: they have conceded just 3 goals in the first 45 minutes, 15 after the interval and 9 in the final portion of games. Management is planning to be active in January, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports, and the club will look to repeat the approach that brought Donyell Malen to the club in the winter window last year, targeting players unhappy with their minutes elsewhere. Roma have navigated the simultaneous absences of Paulo Dybala and Manu Koné better than in the past, but the spell still left its mark. The capital club is interested in Jamie Gittens and Endrick, who are in that situation. Giorgi Kvernadze and Jamie Leweling, meanwhile, are fixtures for Frosinone and Stuttgart. Roma also intend to add a central midfielder. Overall, the club have done well outside their clashes with the very best sides, but a couple more options would help a coach who likes to make changes from the bench. A midfield powerhouse would be more useful than an extra attacker, assuming Rodrigo Mora and Santiago Castro keep developing.

Roma's attack now depends almost entirely on Donyell Malen and Matías Soulé, with the pair accounting for 31 successful dribbles in the Champions League (16 and 15, with Wesley third on 6) and 23 shots on target (15 and 8, with Lorenzo Pellegrini third on 4). The Italian commentary argues that a third forward is missing from an attack that almost always lines up with three players up front. The Giallorossi's team statistics place them between 15th and 21st among Champions League clubs, including behind Sabah for successful dribbles, a sharp drop from Serie A where Roma are in the top three. The writer argues that the Champions League and Serie A are completely different in technical quality and physicality. The second half at Old Trafford reminded Roma that they can never relax, and showed again that the squad lacks the players to change the course of a match. Gasperini replaced Rodrigo Mora with Niccolò Pisilli, a decision the article describes as right or wrong depending on your view, but asks who else could have been used to exploit the space behind a Manchester side that was simply attacking. Roma have no players capable of a sudden burst of pace, and Malen and Soulé both faded mentally and physically after the break. The article says Gasperini is missing a third of his attack. Mora is an incredible talent but is not a winger, Pellegrini showed his fragility again, and neither Dybala nor Soulé is comfortable on the left flank, where they cannot cut inside onto their left foot. Gasperini had said on 30 August: "We still need one more piece there on the left to complete the squad." A high winger never arrived, and the club were left with an empty slot on the left. The writer concludes that the team remains incomplete today.

Roman radio pundits have delivered a blunt verdict on Roma's squad after the club's recent results, with several voices arguing the thin squad is now costing the team in the Champions League. Piero Torri of Radio Manà Manà said: "La rosa della Roma è corta e lo sarà per altri due mesi, perché il mercato riaprirà a gennaio. Campionato e Champions sono impegnativi e questo lo paghi inevitabilmente. Se ci aggiungi la questione infortuni, la situazione grava ancora di più." The debate follows Roma's defeat at Manchester and their match against Como, with the pundits split on how the team performed. Ugo Trani of Tele Radio Stereo praised Gian Piero Gasperini for refusing to blame referees, saying: "Gasperini fa bene a non parlare di arbitri per non dare alibi alla squadra, i giocatori non si devono deconcentrare." Trani argued that the squad is incomplete: "La Roma non ha una squadra completa, Gasperini l'ha detto a fine mercato e anche D'Amico lo ha confermato. Entrano giocatori che in Serie A valgono e in Champions no." He added: "La crescita si fa comprando i giocatori", and said Roma need players who make the difference, not cover such as Zaragoza and Venturino. He also suggested Forbs would be useful, not only Tresoldi. Trani said Roma had changed their attitude across the whole team, not just Pisilli, and felt the match should have been settled in the first half. He noted Como are in a better position than Roma and that their absences are less damaging. On Mora, he said he was playing as a full-back at Manchester and that Gasperini chose Pisilli because he might defend better. Trani also said Como have strong players and that Valle would be a starter at Roma. Francesco Balzani of Tele Radio Stereo said Roma played a first half at Manchester similar to Como's, but that Fabregas's side did not give up in the second half, which he described as what big teams do. He called Nico Paz an above-average player in Italy. On injuries, he said Svilar would return after the international break, and that Dybala's fitness test would be assessed that day. He said it was not advisable for Koné to join up with the national team after missing so many matches. He argued the most damaging absence is Svilar's, as Gollini does not offer the same control of the defence. He said N'Dicka remains the best defender, Mancini is not at his peak and Ghilardi will find more space. Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio Pomeriggio said Sassuolo look the ideal opponent for Roma, who need to lift their heads and reach the break without forcing the return of long-term injured players. He added: "Gli infortuni fanno purtroppo parte di un calcio frenetico che costringono gli atleti a fare sforzi che un tempo non c'erano." Simone Valdarchi of Radio Manà Manà said Roma have got used to bouncing back quickly from defeats, pointing to 17 positive results as proof of their quality. He said preparation for Saturday's match would only begin that day, with training at Trigoria in the early afternoon. He said the return from Manchester had been complicated by several issues, and the usual recovery session was skipped the day before. He added that the day's work would show what to expect from the home fixture.

Roma midfielder Emanuele Lulli has been named in Italy Under-21 coach Carlo Baldini's squad for two friendlies against France and Belgium. The call-up comes during the international break, which has also brought recognition for Daniele Ghilardi and Niccolò Pisilli, who have been called up to the senior Italy squad by head coach Roberto Mancini. The Under-21 fixtures are high-profile international tests against peers from France and Belgium, and will help the young side continue its development after qualifying for the European Under-21 Championship finals, to be held in 2027 in Albania and Serbia. Lulli's inclusion is a further sign of the progress of the club's young players, with Lulli representing Roma in the Azzurrini squad. Baldini's provisional squad lists the following players. Goalkeepers: Giovanni Daffara (Parma), Diego Mascardi (Torino), Lorenzo Palmisani (Frosinone), Massimo Pessina (Bologna). Defenders: Davide Bartesaghi (Milan), Gabriele Calvani (Frosinone), Fabio Chiarodia (Borussia M'Gladbach), Pietro Comuzzo (Torino), Eddy Kouadio (Monza), Emanuele Lulli (Roma), Filippo Mane (Borussia Dortmund), Brando Moruzzi (Avellino). Midfielders: Lorenzo Amatucci (Deportivo La Coruna), Tommaso Berti (Cremonese), Matteo Cichella (Frosinone), Matteo Dagasso (Venezia), Giacomo Faticanti (Avellino), Luca Lipani (Sassuolo), Cher Ndour (Fiorentina). Forwards: Alessio Cacciamani (Torino), Francesco Camarda (Milan), Luigi Cherubini (Benevento), Jeff Ekhator (Juventus), Seydou Fini (Frosinone), Samuele Inacio (Borussia Dortmund), Dominic Vavassori (Palermo).

Roma defender Emanuele Lulli has been called up by Italy Under-21 coach Baldini for two prestigious friendlies against France and Belgium, after Italy qualified for the 2027 European Championship in Albania and Serbia. While Ghilardi and Pisilli have been summoned by Roberto Mancini to the senior national team, Lulli is the only Roma player in the Under-21 group. Baldini's squad includes three players making their first Under-21 appearance: Bologna goalkeeper Massimo Pessina, Monza defender Eddy Kouadio and Borussia Dortmund striker Samuele Inacio, all of whom came through the senior Italy set-up last October. Filippo Mane of Borussia Dortmund returns in defence, while Lorenzo Amatucci returns in midfield. Three players return in attack: Alessio Cacciamani of Torino, who has been absent since March 2026, Jeff Ekhator and Dominic Vavassori. The full squad is as follows. Goalkeepers: Giovanni Daffara (Parma), Diego Mascardi (Torino), Lorenzo Palmisani (Frosinone), Massimo Pessina (Bologna). Defenders: Davide Bartesaghi (Milan), Gabriele Calvani (Frosinone), Fabio Chiarodia (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Pietro Comuzzo (Torino), Eddy Kouadio (Monza), Emanuele Lulli (Roma), Filippo Mane (Borussia Dortmund), Brando Moruzzi (Avellino). Midfielders: Lorenzo Amatucci (Deportivo La Coruña), Tommaso Berti (Cremonese), Matteo Cichella (Frosinone), Matteo Dagasso (Venezia), Giacomo Faticanti (Avellino), Luca Lipani (Sassuolo), Cher Ndour (Fiorentina). Forwards: Alessio Cacciamani (Torino), Francesco Camarda (Milan), Luigi Cherubini (Benevento), Jeff Ekhator (Juventus), Seydou Fini (Frosinone), Samuele Inacio (Borussia Dortmund), Dominic Vavassori (Palermo).

Manu Koné is on course to return for Roma's Saturday evening clash with Sassuolo at the Olimpico, while Devyne Rensch has been ruled out with a first-degree tear of the right adductor longus. Roma are preparing for the match against Sassuolo, coached by former Roma player Alberto Aquilani, with the aim of putting behind them the setback of their latest slip in the Champions League. Gian Piero Gasperini is hoping for positive news from the treatment room to widen his rotation options, after a squad that has been put under severe strain over the past month by numerous physical setbacks. Paulo Dybala's situation is still in doubt, but there is more optimism over Koné, who has overcome a muscle problem in his thigh and could be included in the squad. The medical staff will, however, proceed with caution, also with an eye on his call-up for the French national team. Gollini's condition is improving after he missed the game at Manchester for a back problem. Rensch was forced off after just 20 minutes of the match against Manchester United because of a muscle problem. Tests revealed a first-degree tear of the right adductor longus. The Dutchman will therefore not be available against Sassuolo. The aim is for him to be back available immediately after the international break. Italy coach Roberto Mancini has named his squad for the Nations League matches against France and Belgium, scheduled for Thursday 12 November at San Siro and Sunday 15 November at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels respectively. Three Roma players have been called up: Gianluca Mancini, Daniele Ghilardi and Niccolò Pisilli. Evan Ndicka will also depart, called up by Ivory Coast for their African Cup of Nations qualifiers. Marten de Roon is the subject of a new interview conducted by Idealista in collaboration with Roma. The midfielder spoke about his arrival at the club, how he lives football day to day and his relationship with the dressing room. "When the coach called me I already knew it would be a difficult move, partly because of the history between Roma and Atalanta, partly because of what was said on social media about Roma; but at a certain point we had decided, and I had no doubts," the Dutchman said. "In the dressing room I am still looking for my role, so I don't joke around much, but the atmosphere is healthy, it seems like an 'easy' dressing room. Years ago I thought it was very difficult, even playing against it; now that I've come in, I've seen that it is healthy, warm, welcoming." Roma's many injuries have also been a talking point on Rome's airwaves. Roberto Pruzzo told Radio Radio: "Sassuolo are probably the right opponent for a Roma side that needs to get back up and reach the break without forcing the return of those who have been sidelined for a long time. Injuries, unfortunately, are now part of an increasingly frenetic game." Piero Torri added on Radio Manà Manà Sport: "Roma's squad is short and will stay that way for a couple of months yet, because the market only reopens in January. Serie A and the Champions League demand a lot, and this inevitably takes its toll. If we add the problem of injuries, the weight on the team becomes even more evident."