Rosi says his Roma were stronger than this side as Giallorossi aim for win at Manchester United

Donyell Malen says Roma are ready for their Champions League fixture at Manchester United, which is the fourth matchday of the league phase, but insists the squad must be careful. Asked about United's current form, Malen said they are not getting the best results but are a good side, so Roma have to be careful. Malen is an established part of the Roma squad, and his comments come ahead of a difficult away trip in the Champions League. He is looking forward to the occasion at Old Trafford and sees the match as a test of Roma's focus against a side that remains dangerous despite its recent results. Asked whether Roma are ready, Malen said: "Yes, we are ready. I can't wait to play. It will be a great evening." On the numbers he has posted, he said: "Yes, those are good numbers. I hope I can add to them today." Asked about the atmosphere at Old Trafford, he said: "It's a fantastic stadium, I can't wait to play there. It will be a great evening."

Roma head to Old Trafford to face Manchester United, coached by Carrick, in the fourth matchday of the Champions League league phase, with Gasperini forced into a change in goal. Pierluigi Gollini has withdrawn at the last hour, so Devis Vásquez starts. Leonardo Balerdi comes in at centre-back instead of Evan N'Dicka, and Devyne Rensch is the right wing-back. Nahuel Molina and Emanuele Lulli are on the bench. The midfield and attack are unchanged, with Rodrigo Mora starting from the first minute. Manchester United line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Lammens in goal, Yoro, Maguire, Heaven and Dalot in defence, Mainoo and Baleba in midfield, Cunha, Fernandes and Diallo behind Mbeumo. Roma play a 3-4-2-1, with Vásquez; Mancini, Balerdi and Hermoso at the back; Rensch, Cristante, de Roon and Wesley in midfield; Soulé and Mora in support of Malen up front. United's bench includes Darlow, Heaton, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Mount, Tielemans, Santos, Lacey, Fletcher, Amass and Zirkzee. Roma's bench features De Marzi, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Pisilli, Ghilardi, Molina, Lulli, Di Nunzio and Castro.

Roma's Primavera side drew 1-1 with Manchester United in the fourth matchday of the UEFA Youth League, with Antonio Arena equalising from the penalty spot late in the game. Coach Mattia Scala said the result was a good point, with an excellent second half and a less convincing first half. Roma started the match well and had an early chance to score. However, they began to struggle against United's passing game, which pulled them across the pitch, and they faded. United took the lead at that moment, although they did not create many big chances. Scala said the team was sorted tactically at half-time, with the players urged to show more courage. Roma brought on three forwards to push for the win. Scala described the United side as more ready than his own. Several of their players born in 2007 were already playing with their Under-21 team, and some had already made their Premier League debuts. Roma had brought many 2009-born players, so Scala said the gap was one of experience rather than technical quality. He added that United had shown themselves to be a very good side. Scala also confirmed that Arduini and Romero Corredera were called up to train with the first team after the session on the previous day. He said the club was fully available to the first team's needs, and that the staff's preparation had not changed. Scala said the team was going through a very positive period, and that he had seen many tired players who were still ready to give everything. He said the players never give up and that some of them were disappointed not to win. He described this as a sign of maturity and growth. Roma face one more match in this mini-cycle on Sunday before recharging for the restart. Arena, who scored the 1-1 penalty late in the match, said pressure was normal when trailing 1-0 with a few minutes left. He said he approached the spot-kick with great confidence, as he always tries to do, and that the point was important, away from home against a strong side. He said Roma had played a great second half, playing together, and had deserved the equaliser. On the change after the break, Arena said United had been physical and had handled Roma's pressure well in the second half of the first half. In the second half, he said, the team showed more hunger, ran more and put United under pressure. He said those who came on had done very well, whether defenders or attackers, and that the group is united and never gives up. He added that it was not the first time they had come from behind to get back into a game. Asked about disappointment, Arena said Roma always want the three points, but that sometimes a point is good too, as the match was not simple. He said the team should be happy with the draw, having suffered and played well together. Looking ahead, he noted the squad returns to Rome after leaving there last Thursday. He described the time away as a little training camp. He said two good performances had come out of it, and that the group gets on well, which he believed had done them a lot of good.

Giorgio De Marzi and Devis Vásquez could suddenly find themselves in the spotlight for Roma's Champions League night against Manchester United, after Pierluigi Gollini picked up an injury following Mile Svilar's absence. Coach Gasperini may be forced to turn to one of the two goalkeepers who have so far stayed on the margins of the project, an emergency that has several precedents in Roma's history. One of the most unusual cases dates back to 1993, when Patrizio Fimiani was called upon to guard Roma's goal in the two-legged Coppa Italia final against Torino. The experience was not a happy one: Roma lost 3-0 in the first leg, and in the return at the Olimpico they lost 5-2 despite almost completing a comeback. In the 2000s, the turn fell to Carlo Zotti and Gianluca Curci. Zotti, a product of the youth sector, started as third choice behind Pelizzoli and Lupatelli and made his Serie A debut in May 2003 against Torino. The 2004/05 season proved particularly difficult for him. He alternated good performances with several errors and eventually lost his place. The main beneficiary was Curci, initially third in the pecking order. After his Coppa Italia debut against Siena, he made his Serie A debut on 19 December 2004 against Parma. Pelizzoli was injured and Zotti accidentally cut himself with a bottle of perfume, forcing Roma to rely on the young keeper from the Primavera. The most famous precedent, however, is Julio Sergio. Arriving in the capital in 2006, the Brazilian spent over three years without playing a competitive match, so much so that Spalletti described him as "the best third-choice goalkeeper in the world". His breakthrough came on 30 August 2009 against Juventus, when Doni was injured and Artur's performances had failed to convince the coach, who opted for Julio Sergio. Roma lost 3-1, but the Brazilian subsequently won the starting place under Ranieri and became one of the key figures in the team that came close to the Scudetto in 2010, a fairytale culminating in decisive saves in the derbies against Lazio. Far less fortunate was the experience of Mauro Goicoechea. Arriving in 2012 as third choice behind Stekelenburg and Lobont, the Uruguayan made his debut on 31 October against Parma, coming on at half-time for the injured Dutchman. With Lobont also unavailable, Goicoechea found himself guarding the giallorossi goal. Zeman then chose to back him, giving him a permanent place in the starting line-up. The decision did not bring the hoped-for results and culminated in a disastrous blunder on 1 February 2013 against Cagliari. Roma lost 4-2 amid whistles at the Olimpico, and the following day Zeman was sacked. More recently, Daniel Fuzato, third choice behind Pau Lopez and Mirante, made his debut on 1 August 2020 against Juventus on the final matchday of the league season, taking advantage of Fonseca's rotation. The following season he saw more game time, defending the Roma goal in the 2-0 derby win over Lazio on 15 May 2021. Pau Lopez's injury brings back memories of another emergency Roma faced at Old Trafford. On 29 April 2021, in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final against Manchester United, the Spaniard had to leave the pitch in the 28th minute with a shoulder problem. Antonio Mirante came on in his place. Roma, 2-1 up at half-time, collapsed after the break, conceding five goals and losing 6-2. Five years on, Roma again risk finding themselves in an emergency between the posts in Manchester. Everything will depend on Gollini's condition, but for Vásquez or De Marzi the opportunity could come, one that was hard to imagine only a few hours ago.

Roma goalkeeping problems deepen as Pierluigi Gollini is doubtful for the Champions League fixture against Manchester United because of a back problem. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini must now weigh his alternatives, with Giorgio De Marzi and Devis Vásquez the two options if Gollini is ruled out. Neither has yet made a debut for the club. The situation follows the injury to Mile Svilar, which has left Roma short between the posts. Vásquez's route to a possible Champions League start has been rapid. He began the season on the fringes of Gasperini's plans but was recalled after Svilar's long absence. Vásquez was born in Barranquilla on 12 May 1998. Milan bought him from Paraguay's Guaraní in January 2023, but he never made a first-team appearance for the Rossoneri. A series of loans followed, first to Sheffield Wednesday in England and then to Ascoli in Serie B. His breakthrough came in the 2024/25 season, when he became Empoli's first-choice goalkeeper in Serie A. Roma signed him on a free transfer in summer 2025, after his Milan contract ended, on a deal running until 2027. At Roma, Svilar was the undisputed first choice and Gollini the second, leaving Vásquez without a single appearance. He moved to Beşiktaş in the winter transfer window of 2026, but his spell in Turkey also brought only one league appearance. He returned to Trigoria at the end of the season. Unable to find a new club in the summer, he was initially left out of Roma's Serie A squad. Svilar's injury changed that, and Vásquez was first added to the Serie A squad for the trip to Como and later to the Champions League list.

Roma face an goalkeeping emergency just hours before their UEFA Champions League clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford tonight, after Pierluigi Gollini reported a back problem that puts his availability in serious doubt. The news comes after Mile Svilar was ruled out through injury, leaving Gian Piero Gasperini with a difficult choice that he will have to make at the last minute. If Gollini cannot recover, Gasperini would be forced to change goalkeeper again following Svilar's absence. The alternatives are 19-year-old Giorgio De Marzi and Devis Vásquez, who has been returned to the UEFA list specifically because of the injury to the Giallorossi number one. The situation places Roma in a real crisis in a particularly sensitive position, on the eve of one of the most demanding away trips of the season. Gollini's condition will be monitored over the coming hours. The problem could also have consequences for the next Serie A fixture against Sassuolo, the final match before the international break.

Roma head to Old Trafford to face Manchester United, coached by Carrick, in the fourth matchday of the Champions League league phase, with Gasperini forced into a change in goal. Pierluigi Gollini has withdrawn at the last hour, so Devis Vásquez starts. Leonardo Balerdi comes in at centre-back instead of Evan N'Dicka, and Devyne Rensch is the right wing-back. Nahuel Molina and Emanuele Lulli are on the bench. The midfield and attack are unchanged, with Rodrigo Mora starting from the first minute. Manchester United line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Lammens in goal, Yoro, Maguire, Heaven and Dalot in defence, Mainoo and Baleba in midfield, Cunha, Fernandes and Diallo behind Mbeumo. Roma play a 3-4-2-1, with Vásquez; Mancini, Balerdi and Hermoso at the back; Rensch, Cristante, de Roon and Wesley in midfield; Soulé and Mora in support of Malen up front. United's bench includes Darlow, Heaton, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Mount, Tielemans, Santos, Lacey, Fletcher, Amass and Zirkzee. Roma's bench features De Marzi, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Pisilli, Ghilardi, Molina, Lulli, Di Nunzio and Castro.

Roma travel to Old Trafford tonight for their fourth League Phase match of the Champions League, facing Manchester United under head coach Michael Carrick, with Gian Piero Gasperini's side looking for points after a comprehensive win over Slovan Bratislava. Roma have four points from their first three European matches, while United sit on three points and are going through a very difficult spell. Gollini has been ruled out, and Devis Vásquez will start in goal in his place. The Roma line-up is a 3-4-2-1 formation: Vásquez; Balerdi, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, De Roon, Cristante, Wesley; Soulé, Mora; Malen. Leonardo Balerdi is pushing Mancini for a place in the defence, while Rodrigo Mora is set for a starting spot. On the bench for Roma are De Marzi, Gollini, Koulierakis, Mancini, Ghilardi, Lulli, Rensch, Di Nunzio, Pisilli and Castro. Manchester United line up in a 4-2-3-1: Lammens; Yoro, Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Dalot; Mainoo, Andrey Santos; Mbeumo, Tielemans, Bruno Fernandes; Cunha. Their substitutes are Darlow, Heaton, De Ligt, Mazraoui, Heaven, Amass, Baleba, Mount, Diallo, Zirkzee and Lacey. The referee is Jesús Gil Manzano (Spain), assisted by Guadalupe Porras Ayuso and Diego Barbero, with Juan Martínez Munuera as fourth official. The VAR is Carlos del Cerro Grande, with Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez as assistant VAR.

Roma's goal-scoring machine rolled on with a five-goal haul at Udine, and the win piled pressure on defending champions Inter, who are no longer top of Serie A after Lazio's unstoppable run. Roma have now scored 28 league goals in their first ten matchdays, a new Serie A record, surpassing the 26 scored in 1960-61 and 2016-17. Across all competitions, the club have netted 36 goals in 13 matches, an average of three every ninety minutes. The figures put the team on course for around 100 goals this season. What stands out most is not just the total but the spread of scorers: fourteen different players have found the net out of the twenty available to Gian Piero Gasperini. Donyell Malen remains the sure thing up front, but the rest of the squad are eager to get involved. In Udine, two defenders joined the list. Evan N'Dicka scored at the stadium where, in April 2024, he suffered a serious scare after a collapse. Daniele Ghilardi scored for the first time in Serie A and in a Roma shirt, a reward for a season in which he has become increasingly central to Gasperini's plans. Only Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Wesley, Devyne Rensch, Gianluca Mancini and Konstantinos Koulierakis are yet to score this season.

Roma head to Old Trafford to face Manchester United, coached by Carrick, in the fourth matchday of the Champions League league phase, with Gasperini forced into a change in goal. Pierluigi Gollini has withdrawn at the last hour, so Devis Vásquez starts. Leonardo Balerdi comes in at centre-back instead of Evan N'Dicka, and Devyne Rensch is the right wing-back. Nahuel Molina and Emanuele Lulli are on the bench. The midfield and attack are unchanged, with Rodrigo Mora starting from the first minute. Manchester United line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Lammens in goal, Yoro, Maguire, Heaven and Dalot in defence, Mainoo and Baleba in midfield, Cunha, Fernandes and Diallo behind Mbeumo. Roma play a 3-4-2-1, with Vásquez; Mancini, Balerdi and Hermoso at the back; Rensch, Cristante, de Roon and Wesley in midfield; Soulé and Mora in support of Malen up front. United's bench includes Darlow, Heaton, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Mount, Tielemans, Santos, Lacey, Fletcher, Amass and Zirkzee. Roma's bench features De Marzi, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Pisilli, Ghilardi, Molina, Lulli, Di Nunzio and Castro.

Roma travel to Old Trafford tonight for their fourth League Phase match of the Champions League, facing Manchester United under head coach Michael Carrick, with Gian Piero Gasperini's side looking for points after a comprehensive win over Slovan Bratislava. Roma have four points from their first three European matches, while United sit on three points and are going through a very difficult spell. Gollini has been ruled out, and Devis Vásquez will start in goal in his place. The Roma line-up is a 3-4-2-1 formation: Vásquez; Balerdi, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, De Roon, Cristante, Wesley; Soulé, Mora; Malen. Leonardo Balerdi is pushing Mancini for a place in the defence, while Rodrigo Mora is set for a starting spot. On the bench for Roma are De Marzi, Gollini, Koulierakis, Mancini, Ghilardi, Lulli, Rensch, Di Nunzio, Pisilli and Castro. Manchester United line up in a 4-2-3-1: Lammens; Yoro, Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Dalot; Mainoo, Andrey Santos; Mbeumo, Tielemans, Bruno Fernandes; Cunha. Their substitutes are Darlow, Heaton, De Ligt, Mazraoui, Heaven, Amass, Baleba, Mount, Diallo, Zirkzee and Lacey. The referee is Jesús Gil Manzano (Spain), assisted by Guadalupe Porras Ayuso and Diego Barbero, with Juan Martínez Munuera as fourth official. The VAR is Carlos del Cerro Grande, with Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez as assistant VAR.

Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma face Manchester United in matchday four of the Champions League league phase, and the line-up is taking shape. Gollini is sidelined with a back problem and is set to start on the bench, leaving Vásquez in goal. Leonardo Balerdi is ahead of Gianluca Mancini in the race to complete the back three alongside Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso. On the flanks, Nahuel Molina is preferred at right-back, with Emanuele Lulli pushing for a place, while Wesley starts on the left. Marten de Roon and Bryan Cristante are set to form the central midfield pairing. Up front, Matías Soulé will play behind Donyell Malen, with Rodrigo Mora having overtaken Niccolò Pisilli in the final hours before the match for a starting berth. Roma's expected starting XI: Vásquez; Balerdi, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, De Roon, Cristante, Wesley, Soulé, Mora; Malen. The side lines up in a 3-4-2-1 formation.