Scalvini: Roma started the season best, but we have much to work on

Napoli host Roma in a big Serie A Matchday 8 fixture, with the match available free on DAZN. Napoli, coached by Allegri, are reeling after a heavy defeat at Venezia, although they have shown signs of recovery following their Champions League win over Bodø/Glimt. They now sit ninth in the table and cannot afford further slips. Roma, under Gasperini, bounced back well from a bitter defeat to Real Madrid, comfortably beating Genoa in Serie A and Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League. The Giallorossi are keeping pace with Inter, who currently top the table on goal difference... on two points, and they are level at the summit with Lazio, whose start has surprised many, with the Rome rivals sharing top spot with Chivu's side. The article also covers the probable line-ups and the current Serie A standings ahead of kickoff.

Ticket sales have opened for the away sector at the Stadio Armando Maradona for Napoli's match against Roma, which is scheduled for Saturday 24 October at 18:00. An absolute ban on ticket sales for residents of the Lazio region has been imposed for the fixture, covering all sectors of the stadium. The ban also extends to the away section, which will be accessible exclusively to holders of the AS Roma Fidelity Card (Tessera del Tifoso) who do not live in the Lazio region. The restriction is a key point for Roma supporters planning to travel to Naples, as it applies to the whole stadium and not just the away end. Tickets can be bought online through the ticketing platform www.ticketone.com, at a cost of 45 euros.

Napoli-Roma, scheduled for 24 October at 18:00, will be broadcast free of charge on DAZN, allowing fans without an active subscription to watch the big match. The game at the Maradona is one of the fixtures the platform has chosen to make freely available, as it has done in previous seasons for selected matches. The clash is among the most anticipated Serie A fixtures of the weekend, and the free broadcast will give a wider audience the chance to follow it. Roma and Napoli supporters can watch the match without signing up to a subscription, using the access method DAZN has set out for the free live stream. The free broadcast follows the same approach DAZN has taken with selected games in past seasons. The platform has opened up the Maradona fixture to viewers who do not hold an active subscription, and fans should follow the instructions DAZN provides for accessing the live stream.

Roma radio pundits have offered their views on the Giallorossi's selection for the upcoming match against Napoli, with several doubting that Bryan Cristante will start. Piero Torri of Radio Manà Manà Sport Roma (90.9) said: "Cristante starting? I'm not convinced. I have the feeling he won't start from the beginning. He could be an alternative during the game, both for the trequarti and for midfield." The debate covered the make-up of the attack and midfield. Francesco Balzani of Teleradiostereo (92.7) said Endrick could play in every attacking position and would fix the entire Roma attack, but added that his arrival in January depends on how much he plays in the coming months, noting he played only three minutes on Tuesday. Balzani also said Rodrigo Mora could start against Napoli, with Cristante ready to come on during the match. Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo (92.7) warned that Lorenzo Pellegrini's injury is a concern. He said that even if the problem is a mild tear, Pellegrini will certainly not return before the international break. He added that, from what has emerged, the stoppage should last a month, with a more significant tear in the same spot where he has previously had surgery, pointing to a structural muscular difficulty. Pes said Gasperini must hope to get Paulo Dybala back soon, as the latest reports suggest an attempt for Udinese. He said Roma will certainly line up with few forwards against Napoli and Cagliari, and that the best combination would be to push Cristante forward with Niccolò Pisilli in midfield, otherwise the midfield risks being flattened by the pairing of Cristante and Marten de Roon. Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio (104.5) said he does not expect Mora to play against Napoli, and suggested seeing Santiago Castro, who may build a partnership with Donyell Malen. He said he believes the coach is considering this, and that Pisilli deserves his place for what he gives, adding that he does not rule out Pisilli being deployed in a split role because there are no other alternatives. Nando Orsi of Radio Radio (104.5) argued that Mora must play whenever he has the chance, otherwise he never gets the opportunity to settle in and understand the system. He said: "The financial outlay must be confirmed, and when there is the chance he must play. I would be in favour of playing Mora, but perhaps Gasperini does not agree and does not see the things we see." He added: "I was thinking about Castro: poor thing, he will never play."

Simone Valdarchi has argued that Roma should start Niccolò Pisilli in a more advanced role, with Bryan Cristante moving into midfield alongside Marten de Roon, rather than starting Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora together. Speaking on Radio Manà Manà, he said: "Mi aspetto la possibilità di vedere Pisilli sulla trequarti con l'inserimento in mediana di Cristante. Una coppia De Roon-Cristante contro il centrocampo del Napoli mi fa pensare a una sfida tosta per i due, ma non inserire Pisilli vorrebbe dire mettere da subito Soulé e Mora. Così facendo non avresti nessuna alternativa a gara in corso in attacco." Valdarchi's view was one of several from Radio Radio Pomeriggio pundits ahead of Roma's match against Napoli. The debate centres on the absences of Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala, which commentator Ferrajolo called heavy blows. He said Koné is the engine of the midfield and Dybala the inspiration, adding: "Speriamo che chi li sostituisce non faccia rimpiangere troppo." Ferrajolo suggested Cristante could push Pisilli further forward if he is fit to play. Pugliese also questioned the fitness picture around Lorenzo Pellegrini, saying: "Per Pellegrini non c'è ancora un esito definitivo: temo che la percezione sia quella di aver subito una lesione. Speriamo non sia grave, perché ogni grado comporta settimane di recupero." He noted that Gasperini had said before the Oslova fixture that he did not want to overhaul a team that works very well, so bringing an extra midfielder to leave Mora on the bench would be a signal. Camelio said Pellegrini would undergo checks that afternoon or the next morning, adding: "Ha un ematoma che non gli permette di fare gli esami, secondo me. È un po' giù di morale perché aveva fatto un grande recupero e contro l'Oslova stava giocando benissimo." On Mora, he said: "Se Mora parte dalla panchina non è una bocciatura: qualcosa gli manca." On the Napoli match, Melli said it was more important for Napoli, warning that a defeat would burn their season and call Allegri into question, while Roma should win. He praised the defence and said Gasperini knows how to organise a containing side, hoping someone supplies a useful ball for Malen. He added that a draw would suit both teams. Vocalelli called the match a stage in a path where Roma must perform, since it could help them pull clear of a direct Champions rival, and said Roma's athletic condition looked better, though Napoli have resources that make the game far from simple. He said he expected Mora to play. Ferrajolo said the game was open and that Napoli are technically very strong.

Lorenzo Pellegrini has joined Roma's growing injury list, with a probable biceps femoris injury expected to keep the captain out for around a month, just as the club prepare for Saturday's big match against Napoli at the Maradona. The captain had to stop early in the second half, and first checks carried out yesterday offer little optimism. The official diagnosis will follow a magnetic resonance scan due today. The news comes after Roma emerged from their Champions League fixture with four goals scored, a result that has given the coaching staff plenty to build on. The squad is already severely depleted. Svilar, Koné and Dybala were already unavailable, and Cristante was ruled out before the Slovan Bratislava match. Cristante is now back, having trained with the group since yesterday, but he is not yet at full fitness. According to Il Tempo, Gian Piero Gasperini's biggest dilemma is in the attacking midfield. Dybala is still expected to start from the bench, having been dealing with a slight calf injury. He should be fully available next week against Udinese. Without Pellegrini, Rodrigo Mora's stock is rising sharply. The 2007-born Portuguese had a difficult spell after an excellent cameo against Real Madrid, struggling to make an impact in his two starts against Genoa and Slovan Bratislava. Even so, Roma badly need his talent and unpredictability, and Gasperini, a strong supporter of his arrival in the summer, could hand him a golden chance from the first minute on Saturday alongside Matías Soulé. The midfield set-up will also shape the team. Niccolò Pisilli looks almost certain to start, whichever system Gasperini chooses behind Donyell Malen. With Cristante available but not at his best, Gasperini is weighing up whether to pair the young Roman's exuberance alongside De Roon, or to push Cristante forward into the trequartista role to add density and physical presence against Napoli's midfield. Il Tempo describes a season in which Roma are picking up two injuries a week, and the club are in a state of crisis but refusing to stop. Roma will need another display of character at Napoli, from a squad that Gasperini is shaping in his own image.