Stramaccioni on Gasperini: 'An absolute hammer' who brings winning mentality everywhere

Roma are on an unstoppable run, with a 5-2 away win at Udinese the latest result in a record-setting start under Gian Piero Gasperini this season. The side have scored 28 goals in their first 10 matches, surpassing the 26 scored in 1960/61 and 2016/17. Counting the end of last season, Roma have gone 17 Serie A matches unbeaten, with Gasperini now targeting the 19-match unbeaten run Claudio Ranieri achieved two seasons ago, a mark matched only by the continuous run of Liedholm and Eriksson in 1984 and Andreazzoli and Garcia in 2013. Donyell Malen is outscoring Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane and is the league's top scorer, but he is not the only source of goals. Roma are flying on the wings of their attacking midfielders, with Mora and Soulé standing out. Everyone is finding the net for Roma, although four heavyweight names are still missing from the scoresheet, including Paulo Dybala. The absence of Dybala and Manu Koné is not a problem: without them, Gasperini's side have almost doubled their points-per-game average. The focus is already shifting to Manchester United, with the club's Champions League campaign now on the horizon. Roma's first league-phase matchday is 8 September 2026, and the squad's form has given the club a strong platform heading into the European fixtures.

Roma have gone five matches without Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala and have collected 13 points in that stretch, a record that shows the squad's depth under Gasperini. Bryan Cristante was also briefly absent, and the club have coped with the losses of several key players. The article notes that Pisilli, de Roon, Rodrigo Mora, Pellegrini and Castro started on the bench at times against the most reliable opponents, which it describes as a fact that applies to every team in the world. Gasperini has insisted that "they are all starters". Even with several important names unavailable, Roma have kept their level high. Koné and Dybala are described as perhaps the two best players in the squad alongside Svilar and Malen. Last season, the French and Argentine midfielder and forward were both missing together in 9 matches across Serie A and the Europa League, and Roma collected 13 points from 3 wins, 4 draws and 2 defeats. As of Sunday 1 November, the five matches without the pair have yielded 13 points against Genoa, Napoli, Cagliari, Udinese and Slovan Bratislava. That is an average of 2.6 points per game, compared with 1.44 in the earlier spell. Cristante was also out in two of those five games. Svilar has missed seven matches, and his injury marks the last time Roma fielded their full first-choice side, on 19 September, a 2-2 draw with Inter. The article credits the squad's improved maturity and quality, partly due to the summer work of D'Amico. It describes Pisilli as having a year more experience, de Roon as a professor with a titanium physique, and Soulé as back at top level. Rodrigo Mora is raising his standard, Gollini has regained confidence in his role after a long spell without playing, Lulli is a "terrible" young talent, and Balerdi often looks like a gladiator. The overall level of the team has risen considerably. After the international break, Gasperini is expected to have all his players available for the trip to Parma.

Spanish referee Jesús Gil Manzano will officiate Manchester United against Roma in the fourth matchday of the Champions League league phase, on Tuesday 3 November at Old Trafford. The Spaniard will be returning to refereeing the Giallorossi, having already officiated them in European competition, including this season. Gil Manzano's first meeting with Roma came on 7 November 2019, when the Giallorossi lost 2-1 away to Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Europa League group stage. His second encounter came on 22 February 2024. At the Olimpico, the side then coached by Daniele De Rossi drew 1-1 with Feyenoord after extra time, then progressed to the Europa League round of 16 with a 4-2 win on penalties. This season the Spaniard also refereed Fenerbahce against Roma, played on 10 September. Manchester United also have a previous meeting with Gil Manzano, dating back to 15 September 2016, in the Europa League group stage of 2016/17. The Red Devils faced Feyenoord away in Group A and lost 1-0. For Roma, the appointment means a familiar official will take charge of a high-stakes European fixture on English soil, with the Giallorossi looking to build on their Champions League campaign.

Roma travel to Old Trafford on Tuesday for their fourth league-phase Champions League match against Manchester United, kicking off at 21:00 on Tuesday 3 November. Gian Piero Gasperini's side arrive after a 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava and have four points from their first three European games. Manchester United, managed by Michael Carrick, sit on three points after a home opening win over Sabah followed by defeats to Atletico Madrid and Como, the last of them a 4-1 loss at Como. Gasperini is expected to keep most of the side that has been settled in recent weeks. Gollini starts in goal, with Svilar not due back until after the international break. Mancini, who was rested at Udinese, is expected to return to the starting line-up alongside Ndicka and Hermoso. Molina and Wesley look ahead of Lulli and Rensch on the flanks. In midfield, Cristante and de Roon offer experience, physicality and balance in a game that will demand attention above all in transitions. The main doubt concerns the position behind the striker, where Mora, who scored against both Cagliari and Udinese, is competing with Pisilli. Soulé and Malen are confirmed; both were managed in the second half of the big win in Friuli with the European fixture in mind. Roma come into the match on a strong run. They beat Udinese 5-2 at the Bluenergy Stadium in the last Serie A round, with goals from Cristante, Mora, Malen and Ndicka, and Ghilardi scored his first league goal of the season in added time. That win lifted Roma to third place with 24 points. Before the trip to Udine they had won 4-2 against Cagliari, drawn 3-3 at Napoli and beaten Slovan Bratislava 4-0. In the Champions League they have collected four points from draws with Fenerbahce and a defeat to Real Madrid, plus the win over the Slovaks. Manchester United are in a much harder spell. On Saturday they lost 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to Chelsea, extending their run of matches without a win to nine. Their European campaign has also stalled. Mancini and Hermoso are the only Roma defenders named in the probable line-up, while United's probable side is built around Bruno Fernandes, with Lammens in goal, Dalot, Maguire, De Ligt and Lisandro Martinez in defence, and Baleba, Andrey Santos, Diallo and Cunha around him. Mbeumo leads the line. Carrick's side are without Ugarte, Šeško, Shaw and Dorgu, while Yoro is suspended. Rashford, Mazraoui and Amad Diallo are doubtful. Lisandro Martinez, sent off against Chelsea in the Premier League, can play in the Champions League because his suspension applies only to domestic competitions. Roma have no fit answer yet for four players. Svilar continues his recovery from a stress fracture to the fifth toe of his left foot, and his return has been put back until after the international break. Dybala will not be risked at Old Trafford after a small calf tear. Koné remains sidelined, and Pellegrini faces a longer absence because of the muscle injury he picked up against Slovan Bratislava. Gasperini can, however, count on Cristante, who is back available on a regular basis and again central to the midfield rotation. The probable Roma line-up is a 3-4-2-1, with a contest between Mancini and Balerdi and a call on Mora against Pisilli. Six official meetings have taken place between Manchester United and Roma in UEFA competitions. United have won four, Roma one, with one draw. Old Trafford brings back two painful nights for Roma: in April 2007 United won 7-1 in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final, and in 2021 they won 6-2 in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final. In the other meeting at Manchester, in the 2007-08 Champions League, the hosts won 1-0. The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sport channels and streamed via Sky Go and NOW. Kick-off is at 21:00 on Tuesday 3 November at Old Trafford. Official line-ups are due about an hour before kick-off and will be updated live.

Roma are on an unstoppable run, with a 5-2 away win at Udinese the latest result in a record-setting start under Gian Piero Gasperini this season. The side have scored 28 goals in their first 10 matches, surpassing the 26 scored in 1960/61 and 2016/17. Counting the end of last season, Roma have gone 17 Serie A matches unbeaten, with Gasperini now targeting the 19-match unbeaten run Claudio Ranieri achieved two seasons ago, a mark matched only by the continuous run of Liedholm and Eriksson in 1984 and Andreazzoli and Garcia in 2013. Donyell Malen is outscoring Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane and is the league's top scorer, but he is not the only source of goals. Roma are flying on the wings of their attacking midfielders, with Mora and Soulé standing out. Everyone is finding the net for Roma, although four heavyweight names are still missing from the scoresheet, including Paulo Dybala. The absence of Dybala and Manu Koné is not a problem: without them, Gasperini's side have almost doubled their points-per-game average. The focus is already shifting to Manchester United, with the club's Champions League campaign now on the horizon. Roma's first league-phase matchday is 8 September 2026, and the squad's form has given the club a strong platform heading into the European fixtures.

Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma have set a club record of 28 goals after their first 10 Serie A matches, and the coach's influence is being felt in more than the table. Roma have also gone 17 league games unbeaten, a run that began seven months ago, and have scored with 14 different players. The article credits Gasperini's method, which has made a difference since last season, with improving both the collective behaviour of the team and the development of individual players, young and experienced alike. The clearest evidence of that work, the article argues, comes when Roma are under pressure. Several key players have been missing for weeks: Svilar, Koné and Dybala are all regular starters, and Pellegrini is also absent. Cristante has returned after three matches out and was a major presence at Udine. Despite the lack of players of real quality, Gasperini has kept his idea of football intact, and the team has not lost the identity that marks every match he prepares. At Udine, Gasperini made changes during the game to keep his 3-4-2-1 system without abandoning it. In the closing stages he pushed Ghilardi wide on the right, asking him to finish the match against Udinese as a winger, and moved Molina up into the attacking midfield role behind Castro and in line with Pisilli. Mancini came on for Soulé, taking Ghilardi's place in defence, and Ghilardi's move into midfield pushed Molina further forward. The attack was therefore reshaped from the starting line-up, which had Malen alongside Soulé and Mora. The second-half moves also raise the question of January reinforcements. Given the seriousness of Pellegrini's injury, added to the absence of the out-and-out striker who did not arrive in the summer, the article says Roma would benefit from two more attacking midfielders to give greater choice up front. Pisilli and Molina, a midfielder and a wide player, ended up in those positions at Udine. Gasperini is therefore expected to wait for two signings at the start of 2027. In the meantime, the article notes he has been creative in dealing with the emergency, as he did last year when he dropped Cristante into defence, and in pre-season he played Hermoso in midfield.

Roma travel to Old Trafford on Tuesday for their fourth league-phase Champions League match against Manchester United, kicking off at 21:00 on Tuesday 3 November. Gian Piero Gasperini's side arrive after a 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava and have four points from their first three European games. Manchester United, managed by Michael Carrick, sit on three points after a home opening win over Sabah followed by defeats to Atletico Madrid and Como, the last of them a 4-1 loss at Como. Gasperini is expected to keep most of the side that has been settled in recent weeks. Gollini starts in goal, with Svilar not due back until after the international break. Mancini, who was rested at Udinese, is expected to return to the starting line-up alongside Ndicka and Hermoso. Molina and Wesley look ahead of Lulli and Rensch on the flanks. In midfield, Cristante and de Roon offer experience, physicality and balance in a game that will demand attention above all in transitions. The main doubt concerns the position behind the striker, where Mora, who scored against both Cagliari and Udinese, is competing with Pisilli. Soulé and Malen are confirmed; both were managed in the second half of the big win in Friuli with the European fixture in mind. Roma come into the match on a strong run. They beat Udinese 5-2 at the Bluenergy Stadium in the last Serie A round, with goals from Cristante, Mora, Malen and Ndicka, and Ghilardi scored his first league goal of the season in added time. That win lifted Roma to third place with 24 points. Before the trip to Udine they had won 4-2 against Cagliari, drawn 3-3 at Napoli and beaten Slovan Bratislava 4-0. In the Champions League they have collected four points from draws with Fenerbahce and a defeat to Real Madrid, plus the win over the Slovaks. Manchester United are in a much harder spell. On Saturday they lost 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to Chelsea, extending their run of matches without a win to nine. Their European campaign has also stalled. Mancini and Hermoso are the only Roma defenders named in the probable line-up, while United's probable side is built around Bruno Fernandes, with Lammens in goal, Dalot, Maguire, De Ligt and Lisandro Martinez in defence, and Baleba, Andrey Santos, Diallo and Cunha around him. Mbeumo leads the line. Carrick's side are without Ugarte, Šeško, Shaw and Dorgu, while Yoro is suspended. Rashford, Mazraoui and Amad Diallo are doubtful. Lisandro Martinez, sent off against Chelsea in the Premier League, can play in the Champions League because his suspension applies only to domestic competitions. Roma have no fit answer yet for four players. Svilar continues his recovery from a stress fracture to the fifth toe of his left foot, and his return has been put back until after the international break. Dybala will not be risked at Old Trafford after a small calf tear. Koné remains sidelined, and Pellegrini faces a longer absence because of the muscle injury he picked up against Slovan Bratislava. Gasperini can, however, count on Cristante, who is back available on a regular basis and again central to the midfield rotation. The probable Roma line-up is a 3-4-2-1, with a contest between Mancini and Balerdi and a call on Mora against Pisilli. Six official meetings have taken place between Manchester United and Roma in UEFA competitions. United have won four, Roma one, with one draw. Old Trafford brings back two painful nights for Roma: in April 2007 United won 7-1 in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final, and in 2021 they won 6-2 in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final. In the other meeting at Manchester, in the 2007-08 Champions League, the hosts won 1-0. The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sport channels and streamed via Sky Go and NOW. Kick-off is at 21:00 on Tuesday 3 November at Old Trafford. Official line-ups are due about an hour before kick-off and will be updated live.

Roma have scored 28 goals in their first ten Serie A matches, a club record after the 5-2 win at Udinese, beating the previous high of 26. Five different players scored in the win, including two defenders, and the coach Gian Piero Gasperini's side have already turned their attention to the Champions League trip to Manchester United. Roma will not return to the capital. The squad will train in Udine and travel directly to England to prepare for the Champions League fixture at Old Trafford. Mancini could return to the starting line-up from the first minute, while Pisilli is pushing Mora for a place in the attacking midfield area. Svilar, Koné and probably Dybala remain unavailable, and there could be changes for the match against Sassuolo. Manchester United are in crisis, having taken nine matches without a win and collecting just seven points in the Premier League. Michael Carrick, who scored twice in the infamous 7-1 defeat of Roma in 2007, is under pressure, and Tuesday's game against the Giallorossi could be decisive for his future. The Spanish referee Gil Manzano will take charge of Manchester United against Roma on Tuesday evening. Roma drew 1-1 with Fenerbahçe under him, a game marked by refereeing controversy. Del Cerro Grande will be the VAR, with Fernandez as assistant. In Serie A, Lazio came from behind to beat Cagliari 2-1, with goals from Isaksen and Pinamonti, moving up to 28 points. Roma stay third on 24 points, behind Inter as well. Two penalty appeals were turned down at the Olimpico, fuelling debate. Frosinone beat Torino 2-0 in the other afternoon match. Como, coached by Fabregas, beat Venezia 1-0 with a Da Cunha penalty to move to 23 points, one behind Roma, after a spot-kick first awarded to the visitors was overturned by VAR for a handball by Milla. Udinese have sacked Runjaic after a disastrous start, leaving them second from bottom with five points from ten matches. Paolo Zanetti is the leading candidate to replace him, with contacts already under way.

Roma are on an unstoppable run, with a 5-2 away win at Udinese the latest result in a record-setting start under Gian Piero Gasperini this season. The side have scored 28 goals in their first 10 matches, surpassing the 26 scored in 1960/61 and 2016/17. Counting the end of last season, Roma have gone 17 Serie A matches unbeaten, with Gasperini now targeting the 19-match unbeaten run Claudio Ranieri achieved two seasons ago, a mark matched only by the continuous run of Liedholm and Eriksson in 1984 and Andreazzoli and Garcia in 2013. Donyell Malen is outscoring Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane and is the league's top scorer, but he is not the only source of goals. Roma are flying on the wings of their attacking midfielders, with Mora and Soulé standing out. Everyone is finding the net for Roma, although four heavyweight names are still missing from the scoresheet, including Paulo Dybala. The absence of Dybala and Manu Koné is not a problem: without them, Gasperini's side have almost doubled their points-per-game average. The focus is already shifting to Manchester United, with the club's Champions League campaign now on the horizon. Roma's first league-phase matchday is 8 September 2026, and the squad's form has given the club a strong platform heading into the European fixtures.