
Gasperini set to keep Mora as Roma prepare for Lecce trip; Molina-Lulli contest for right-back
Roma travel to Lecce on 31 August at 18:30 seeking to build on their commanding 4–0 opening-day victory over Fiorentina. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini intends to make minimal changes to the starting eleven that earned that emphatic win, with the principal uncertainty centring on the right-back slot where Nahuel Molina and Emanuele Lulli are contending for a starting place. Rodrigo Mora is favoured to retain his position in the attacking line alongside Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen, who scored a hat-trick against Fiorentina. Mile Svilar will continue in goal, with the defensive trio of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso set to remain unchanged in front of him. Wesley will operate at left-back, while Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné are expected to continue as the central midfield pairing, despite the latter finishing the Fiorentina match with minor physical discomfort. The attacking system allows the three front players considerable fluidity, with Dybala given freedom to drift between the lines and support Malen as the most advanced referential point. Two recent arrivals—Marten de Roon and Leonardo Balerdi—have been included in the travelling squad for Lecce but are unlikely to start. De Roon, officially confirmed by Roma in recent hours, and Balerdi, newly arrived, have had minimal training time with their teammates and will serve as potential substitutes. Gasperini stated that he considered Matías Soulé fully available for the Lecce fixture, though Mora currently holds the edge for the starting role. The ballottage readings suggest Molina leads Lulli 55–45 per cent, while Mora is favoured 65–35 per cent over Soulé. Lorenzo Pellegrini and Devyne Rensch remain unavailable. Roma's tactical setup is expected to mirror the successful pattern from the opening day, with ten positions clearly established and the contest between Molina and Lulli on the right flank representing the main selection dilemma Gasperini faces.


