Sabatini on Gasperini's Roma and the spirit of the squad

Gian Piero Gasperini is close to his 30th Serie A win as Roma coach, and he could reach that mark at Udinese in his 48th league match in charge. Roma's final week before the international break takes them to Udine, then to Old Trafford for the Champions League against Manchester United, and finally to Sassuolo. Around 5,000 Roma fans are in Friuli today. Despite a run of injuries, Roma have kept up a strong pace and fed their fans' hopes. After nine Serie A matchdays they have 21 points, the same total as at this stage last season, but the squad is better and the results carry more weight. Against the same opponents as last year, Roma have taken four more points: two against Atalanta, and draws with Inter and Como. A 30th league win would be a relative milestone for Gasperini, but a meaningful one. He can reach it sooner than several of his predecessors: Spalletti needed 54 league matchdays to reach 30 wins, Capello needed 55 and Mourinho 59. Simone Valdarchi, writing in Il Corriere della Sera, argues that the most useful measure is Roma's progress against their own record from last season, and on that count the team is raising the bar.

Niccolò Pisilli is building a reputation as a goalscorer whatever role Gian Piero Gasperini gives him, and his tally is pushing Roma's scoring machine forward. Tonight's match will be his 90th appearance in the giallorossi shirt, a milestone for a player born and raised with Roma in his heart. Three years ago he scored his first goal in Europe, in the Europa League, and ten days ago he scored his first Champions League goal while wearing the captain's armband. This season could finally be the one that confirms him as a key figure. In the pecking order he starts behind Manu Koné and Bryan Cristante, but he has a quality the other midfielders do not: he is good at scoring, which is no small thing in football. Gasperini has deployed him in midfield but also in the number ten position behind the strikers, and the results so far have been excellent. Daniele Aloisi, writing in Il Messaggero, draws a parallel with Mario Pasalic, who arrived in Bergamo to play as a trequartista and who, in 92 games under Gasperini, was often asked to play deeper, in 21 of them as a midfield anchor. The Croat's switch of role did not stop him scoring, as he found the net 16 times in that position and also provided 18 assists. Roma's status as a goal-scoring machine owes something to Pisilli, who always seems to be in the right place at the right time.

Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma are through a demanding run of nine matches in under a month, and they are sitting in a strong position as the break approaches. Gasperini is watching from the second tier of the table, with his side ready to take advantage if Lazio and Inter slip, while Milan v Inter is played tonight. Roma have around 5,000 fans travelling and face a venue that has historically not been a hostile one, while the two sides' technical and mental conditions are very different. Stefano Carina of Il Messaggero writes that another big opportunity may be emerging in Manchester. Manchester United are in freefall. Como recently beat them 4-0, and Carrick's side sit one point above the relegation zone, with the manager at risk of being sacked if they lose to Chelsea in London today. Victory in Udine would set Roma up for Tuesday's European fixture and let them look ahead to the next five matches before the derby with Lazio: Sassuolo, Parma, Monza and Bologna. Roma have already faced Atalanta, Como, Inter and Napoli in the first eight matchdays, so that run looks, on paper at least, to be getting easier. The derby is the next major fixture, and the Olimpico 18:00 kick-off will already have shaped the picture by the time Roma play in the capital. Roma must first win away in Udine and then keep the momentum going through a schedule that could help them turn the season around. For Gasperini's side, the coming weeks offer a clear chance to build on their form before the international break and to deal with the injury issues and heavy workload that have tested the squad so far.