Stramaccioni compares Malen to Shevchenko as Roma prepare for Napoli

Former coach Andrea Stramaccioni has praised Donyell Malen, likening the Dutch forward's movement to that of Andriy Shevchenko, as Roma prepare to face Napoli at the Maradona. Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, Stramaccioni also highlighted the way Gian Piero Gasperini's side defends by attacking. Roma's form has been strong, with a clear identity, a productive attack and an effective defensive phase. Stramaccioni said: "It is impressive, ever more in tune with the verticality of Roma's final pass. His half-moon of movement away from his marker, the first controlled touch oriented forward, and the speed with which he does it remind me, with the appropriate comparisons, of the movements Andriy Shevchenko liked to make." He then turned to the team as a whole: "Roma have scored with 11 different players, and Dybala, Mancini, Wesley and Pellegrini are still missing. But the out-of-possession phase stands out more: Gasperini's side 'defends by attacking' while controlling the ball. It is the best defence in Serie A (and two of the three goals conceded came against Inter) and has the best goal difference in the league." On the Napoli fixture, Stramaccioni said: "He is too experienced, he knows that at Napoli the level of difficulty is very high. He will find a side 'wounded', which cannot afford to lose again and will play to the death in front of their very hot crowd. And Gasp knows this well. He will prepare a high-intensity match, taking time and space away from Napoli's build-up, meaning limiting Lobotka and De Bruyne. And trying to exploit the vertical spaces that may open up." He also pointed to a potential weakness. "Roma have conceded little when defending in a set shape, but have suffered from second balls from dead-ball situations: look at Inter and Real Madrid. On the other side, isolating the attackers one-on-one in open space and forcing Allegri's wide players to chase Wesley and company can cause Napoli problems." On squad depth, Stramaccioni said: "Without injuries I would have said Napoli, although they are a little short in midfield. But now, with Roma missing key players, I see them as similar. Roma's real advantage is a year of work with Gasperini: more certainty and enthusiasm." Finally, he assessed the ambitions of both clubs. "Napoli are a great potential in search of certainty, continuity and solidity. Roma are a group full of enthusiasm who have plenty of certainty, but to stay up there they must win matches like this one."

Former striker Andrea Carnevale, who played for both Roma and Napoli, expects Roma to win at the Maradona when they face Napoli, coached by Max Allegri, at 18:00 in a big match that could carry weight in the race for the top. Carnevale told Gazzetta dello Sport: "La vincerà la Roma, ha qualcosa in più" ("Roma will win it, they have something extra"). Roma go into the fixture as favourites in his view, with Gian Piero Gasperini's side looking to take three points and send a message to the league. Carnevale also looked back at Roma's Champions League clash with Real Madrid, which Roma lost after leading 3-1. He said: "La scorsa settimana ho seguito la sfida dal divano, che partitone. E che grande delusione negli ultimi minuti... È stata spettacolare, peccato averla persa dopo essere stati avanti 3-1: probabilmente neanche i giocatori stessi se lo aspettavano. Però la Champions League è questa cosa qui. E la Roma ne farà tesoro" ("Last week I watched the match from the sofa, what a game. And what a disappointment in the final minutes... It was spectacular, a shame to lose it after being 3-1 up: probably not even the players expected it. But this is the Champions League. And Roma will learn from it"). Carnevale sees Roma among the main rivals to Inter and said: "Darà fastidio a tutti" ("They will be a nuisance for everyone"). Carnevale reserved particular praise for Gasperini, saying: "Attualmente è il miglior allenatore in circolazione. Mi piace tantissimo. È preparato, moderno, ha coraggio, mette in campo una squadra che ti viene sempre ad aggredire alto, fa giocare tanto i difensori. Propone un calcio armonico e bello da vedere" ("He is currently the best coach around. I like him a lot. He is prepared, modern, has courage, puts out a team that always comes to attack you high up the pitch, and plays his defenders a lot. He proposes harmonious and beautiful football to watch").

Former Roma midfielder Gigi Di Biagio, who made 140 appearances for the club and is now in Saudi Arabia, has told La Gazzetta dello Sport that Inter remain the favourites for the Scudetto, while insisting Roma can mount a serious challenge. The interview was given a few hours before Napoli v Roma. Di Biagio, who has also been Italy's U20 and U21 coach and interim head coach of the senior national team, praised Roma's progress this season. He said he had seen a clear improvement in the team compared with last year, and he singled out the squad's depth. "I always say that it is not the starting XI that wins championships, but the 25th man, the bench," he said. "And this year Gasperini certainly has more players he can count on. Roma entertain, dominate their opponents and involve the whole squad. That makes the difference." On the title race, Di Biagio said: "Of course Roma can fight for the Scudetto. However, I have to admit that Inter remain the favourites, and have been for five or six years. If they have not won every title in that period, it is because something happened that should not have. In terms of squad, they have no equals in Italy. That said, as happened with Napoli's Scudetti, if certain dynamics come together, why not? I am very attached to both teams." On the midfield, he acknowledged the impact of Manu Koné's absence. "The emergency is certainly there. But when you put play and mentality at the centre of the project, players who have never played together, like Pisilli and De Roon, can also do well. Koné and Cristante are players of the highest level and they are missed over the long run, but Pisilli is showing he is on that path and has an incredible understanding with the Dutchman." Di Biagio also expressed sympathy over the injury to Lorenzo Pellegrini. "I feel really sorry for him. I have a soft spot for him and I simply do not understand the criticism he has faced over the years. I saw him play brilliantly against Slovan and he could also play in that role in midfield. I hope he returns as soon as possible." Finally, asked whether Gianluca Mancini could be used in midfield after he was tried there in the closing stages against Slovan, Di Biagio offered an anecdote. "Very few people know this, but Mancio was playing in midfield at 16-17 years old. When I coached him in the Under-21s he could also play that role. He has total empathy with Gasperini and he would certainly not refuse, but we are talking about an emergency situation. He is at his best as a proactive and charismatic defender, which he is."

Former coach Andrea Stramaccioni has praised Donyell Malen, likening the Dutch forward's movement to that of Andriy Shevchenko, as Roma prepare to face Napoli at the Maradona. Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, Stramaccioni also highlighted the way Gian Piero Gasperini's side defends by attacking. Roma's form has been strong, with a clear identity, a productive attack and an effective defensive phase. Stramaccioni said: "It is impressive, ever more in tune with the verticality of Roma's final pass. His half-moon of movement away from his marker, the first controlled touch oriented forward, and the speed with which he does it remind me, with the appropriate comparisons, of the movements Andriy Shevchenko liked to make." He then turned to the team as a whole: "Roma have scored with 11 different players, and Dybala, Mancini, Wesley and Pellegrini are still missing. But the out-of-possession phase stands out more: Gasperini's side 'defends by attacking' while controlling the ball. It is the best defence in Serie A (and two of the three goals conceded came against Inter) and has the best goal difference in the league." On the Napoli fixture, Stramaccioni said: "He is too experienced, he knows that at Napoli the level of difficulty is very high. He will find a side 'wounded', which cannot afford to lose again and will play to the death in front of their very hot crowd. And Gasp knows this well. He will prepare a high-intensity match, taking time and space away from Napoli's build-up, meaning limiting Lobotka and De Bruyne. And trying to exploit the vertical spaces that may open up." He also pointed to a potential weakness. "Roma have conceded little when defending in a set shape, but have suffered from second balls from dead-ball situations: look at Inter and Real Madrid. On the other side, isolating the attackers one-on-one in open space and forcing Allegri's wide players to chase Wesley and company can cause Napoli problems." On squad depth, Stramaccioni said: "Without injuries I would have said Napoli, although they are a little short in midfield. But now, with Roma missing key players, I see them as similar. Roma's real advantage is a year of work with Gasperini: more certainty and enthusiasm." Finally, he assessed the ambitions of both clubs. "Napoli are a great potential in search of certainty, continuity and solidity. Roma are a group full of enthusiasm who have plenty of certainty, but to stay up there they must win matches like this one."

Roma head to Naples for a Serie A eighth-round clash with Napoli, coached by Max Allegri, with Gian Piero Gasperini facing a single selection question over who will partner Matías Soulé and Donyell Malen up front. Bryan Cristante is ahead in the race, while Rodrigo Mora is expected to start on the bench. Gasperini has already set the tone, saying: "Non svegliateci" ("Don't wake us up"), as his side look to build on a superb start to the league campaign and show they are not ready to slow down. Roma have made a strong start to the season, and the Napoli fixture is a major test that will say much about the club's real ambitions. Lulli returns on the right side of the defence, with Molina among the substitutes. Behind Gollini, the established back three of Ndicka, Mancini and Hermoso is set to start. Gasperini will be without several players, including Svilar, Koné, Pellegrini and Dybala, but has two important returns in Cristante, who was already called up for the Slovan Bratislava match on Tuesday evening, and Malen, who has served his league suspension. Both are expected to start from the first minute at the Maradona. Napoli are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 with Milinkovic-Savic in goal, Di Lorenzo, Badiashile, Marín and Olivera in defence, Anguissa, De Bruyne and McTominay in midfield, and Politano, Hojlund and Lang in attack. Roma are set to play a 3-4-1-2 with Gollini; Mancini, Ndicka and Hermoso; Lulli, de Roon, Pisilli and Wesley; Cristante; and Soulé and Malen. Among the substitutes are Vásquez, De Marzi, Rensch, Koulierakis, Molina, Balerdi, Ghilardi, Di Nunzio, Mora, Castro and Camara. The match, valid for the eighth round of Serie A EniLive, kicks off at 18:00 and is broadcast live and exclusively on DAZN. Viewers will need a DAZN subscription and can access the match through a smart TV app, or on consoles such as Xbox or PlayStation. Alternatively, it can be watched on devices including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and TIM VISION Box. Live coverage is also available through Forzaroma.info's Cronaca Live and its social media channels on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The Slovan Bratislava meeting in Europe is a fixture Roma have not faced for 15 years, since their only previous meeting, in the 2011/12 Europa League play-off, when the Slovaks won 1-0 away and drew 1-1 at the Olimpico to eliminate the giallorossi. Roma's record against Slovak sides reads one win, two draws and one defeat. Their sole victory came in 2009, when they beat Košice 7-1 at the Olimpico in the Europa League qualifiers after a 3-3 draw in the first leg. Slovan Bratislava have won only one of their five away matches in Italy, drawing one and losing three. Roma are also counting on the Olimpico, having won eight of their last ten home Champions League matches.

Gian Piero Gasperini takes Roma to the Maradona on Napoli-Roma, a fixture the article describes as never ordinary, with the Roma boss dealing with a real injury emergency. He is also keen to break several long-running head-to-head tabs against Massimiliano Allegri. One player Gasperini can count on is Donyell Malen, who returned on Tuesday against Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League but was suspended for last weekend's league match against Genoa. For Napoli, the attacking burden falls on Rasmus Hojlund, a former pupil of Gasperini. Gasperini coached Hojlund at Atalanta in 2022-23, the season the Danish striker broke through by terrorising defences with his physical runs and his aggressive movement into space. After a campaign with 34 appearances, 10 goals and 4 assists, Hojlund was sold to Manchester United for a total cost of 85 million. Expectations rose sharply with that fee, and they were not met in England. He then returned to Italy, joining Napoli with the aim of rediscovering his best form after several seasons with more shadows than lights at Old Trafford. Today he is Napoli's main offensive reference point and the first threat Roma's defence must handle. Napoli supporters, however, have been critical of his performances and of the team's style under Allegri. The last meeting at the Maradona, a 2-2 draw in February, did not show Hojlund at his best. Malen took centre stage instead. He opened the scoring after 7 minutes from an assist by Zaragoza, and restored Roma's lead from the penalty spot in the 71st minute. Malen, nicknamed Bobby, wants to repeat that performance in Fuorigrotta, where he could have been playing little more than a year ago. As Il Mattino revealed, Napoli targeted the Dutch forward last January, but the interest never developed into a concrete offer. Gasperini's call, Malen's impact in Rome and the love of the Roma fans have since made the story a Giallorossi one.