Andrea Stramaccioni, now a DAZN commentator, has analysed Roma's position after their match against Inter, arguing that the gap between the two clubs has narrowed significantly despite Inter remaining the stronger side overall. Speaking on Teleradiostereo, he attributed the improvement to a shift in mentality rather than marquee recruitment, pointing to Gasperini's second season at the club as the turning point. "It's not that a champion arrived who changes your eleven, but we're already in Gasperini's second year and you can see it," Stramaccioni said. "The way you recovered the match against Atalanta is a fundamental leap forward, but also how you managed the Turin game. You've increased your resources, found a fourth starting defender in Balerdi. In this I see the gap reduced."
Stramaccioni explained that Gasperini struggles specifically against Inter's 3-5-2 formation because of how Inter's attacking shape is structured. "I'm not speaking in general—I'm talking about Inter's 3-5-2," he said. "Usually he inverts the attacking fulcrum in these cases, probably one player will deal with Zielinski and he could do it with Soulé or Mora. But also by advancing Pisilli. Usually Gasperini suffers in Inter's attacking quadrilateral. Because if you lose track of those four, they hurt you." He cited last season's away match where Ndicka struggled marking opposition players and was caught out for a goal.
On Roma's own strengths, Stramaccioni identified their low build-up play as a potential weapon. "The biggest problem for Chivu is in Roma's construction from the back, because Inter rarely uses three players to press. The structure of Gasp's construction can cause more problems to a team like Inter than to Como," he explained. "If Dybala starts to move well across the pitch you take away a centre-back like Bastoni. Gasperini won't change his approach—he'll play it open-faced. If you have a chance you take it with maximum intensity. The important thing is not to come away empty because Inter's strikers don't forgive mistakes."
Stramaccioni also assessed Rodrigo Mora's potential at the club. "Gasperini wants someone with a low centre of gravity like Papu Gomez was, he tried it with Zaragoza but it went very badly. He exalts him because he sees those characteristics he needs," he said. "He hasn't had the impact Malen has, but he's also 19. There have been other short players who strengthened the physical bulk—Di Natale and Sneijder. He'll improve too; he has enormous room for growth." Finally, Stramaccioni identified Roma's lack of a ball-carrier in midfield as a key weakness. "This is Gasperini's great frustration. Roma is missing a player who in moments of tiredness attacks the depth—that player the coach expected from the transfer market. There's no one who breaks lines; they're all players you have to feed the ball to. Then you'll have to become more speculative in that sense."
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Andrea Stramaccioni, a DAZN commentator and former manager of both Roma and Inter's academies, has analysed Saturday's fixture between Roma and Inter at the Olimpico as a potential title statement. All three outlets agree that Stramaccioni identified a structural weakness in Gasperini's approach when facing Inter's 3-5-2 formation. Since January 2010, he noted, Gasperini has recorded ten losses and four draws against coaches employing this system—including Conte, Simone Inzaghi, and Chivu himself. Despite this tactical vulnerability, Stramaccioni emphasized that the gap between the clubs has narrowed considerably under Gasperini's stewardship, attributing the improvement to a shift in mentality rather than marquee signings and pointing to the coach's second season as the turning point.
On the upcoming tactical battle, Stramaccioni outlined how Roma will invert their attacking shape to control Piotr Zielinski and prevent Inter's fullbacks from building play, while Wesley faces an unusual duel with Youssouf Diouf on the flank. For Inter, he highlighted how combination play between Barella and the attacking forwards could disrupt Roma's man-marking approach. Stramaccioni praised Leonardo Balerdi, Paulo Dybala, and Donyell Malen's form this season. He also expressed concern that Malen, now a marked man, will battle Lautaro Martínez for the scoring title, with Dybala's assists proving decisive for Roma's chances. Describing the fixture as consequential despite its early timing, Stramaccioni concluded: "whoever wins will deliver the first blow to their rival, putting morale in the bank."
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Testo Originale / Source Text
“Andrea Stramaccioni analizza ancora Roma-Inter e il momento attuale della squadra di Gasperini. Lo ha fatto ai microfoni di Teladoiotokyo su Teleradiostereo. Ecco le parole dell'ex tecnico, oggi commentatore di Dazn. La riduzione del Gap tra Roma e Inter è solo nel reparto offensivo? "I numeri ci…”
Read the full article in Italian at Forza Roma.
