Svilar: Roma will play Champions League and Gasperini's impact has been huge

The rivalry between Gian Piero Gasperini and Cesc Fabregas will reignite on the pitch this Sunday when Roma travel to Como, with the two managers having already traded barbs away from the field. Fabregas, attending the Festival dello Sport in Trento, used a Subbuteo table-top football game to demonstrate his tactical approach to stopping Roma, focusing on man-to-man pressing and how the Giallorossi compress forward. When shown footage of the demonstration, Gasperini responded with a quip: "He beat me at Subbuteo and Como won. Hopefully Sunday will be different," the Roma manager said with a smile. Gasperini has substantial respect for Como's recent trajectory. In an interview with Sky Sport, he acknowledged their evolution: "Anyone who follows football appreciates Como's development. It isn't simply a product of wealthy ownership investment, but also the quality of football they express. It's a blend of components that means Como rank among the best teams in the league." On the title race, Gasperini offered a frank assessment: "The Scudetto? I don't know—Inter are superior to everyone. But Como are certainly among those who can compete for it." The tension between the managers stems from last season's encounter, which ended in a heated exchange. After the match, Fabregas accused Gasperini: "Gasperini showed me disrespect." Gasperini's response was equally pointed: "Como are a strong team, but I don't respect their behaviour, on the pitch and on the bench." That confrontation arose from a failed handshake. Sunday's fixture represents another chapter in a rivalry that has elevated Como into the status of a genuine big-match opponent in Serie A.

Italy will face Turkey at Bologna's Stadio Renato Dall'Ara at 20:45 tonight in the Nations League, with Gianluca Mancini set to return to the starting XI in central defence after sitting out Italy's match at the Stade de France. The Roma defender will partner Scalvini, with Kayode challenging Di Lorenzo for the right-back role and the former Roma player Calafiori on the left. Donnarumma captains and keeps goal. Mancini's recall comes as Italy manager Roberto Mancini rotates his squad following four consecutive matches in the international break. Having won one, drawn one and lost one in the cycle so far, Italy beat Turkey 4–1 in Bursa earlier in the competition. The rapid turnaround between the France fixture and tonight's game has forced widespread changes. Mancini told the press: "I believe Turkey is an excellent team, made up of very skilled players. Tomorrow we must finish in style, but four games in quick succession are too exhausting, especially for the players." In midfield, Sandro Tonali is rested after playing in all three previous matches, with Doumbia, Niccolò Barella and Davide Frattesi forming the trio. Moise Kean's injury absence opens the door for Gianluca Scamacca as the centre-forward, flanked in the attack by two of Sebastiano Esposito, Cambiaghi and Raspadori. The manager confirmed: "Moise is unfortunately unwell and tonight we are sending him home." Turkey, managed by former Roma boss Vincenzo Montella, arrive depleted. They will be without injured players Kenan Yildiz and Hakan Calhanoglu, plus suspended pair Arda Guler and Baris Alper Yilmaz. Montella's side have lost to both France and Belgium in the group alongside their earlier defeat to Italy.

Cesc Fabregas used a tabletop football game during the Trento Sports Festival, organised by La Gazzetta dello Sport, to analyse how Roma deploy their defensive press under Gasperini ahead of Como's visit on Sunday. The Como manager arranged the Subbuteo pieces to demonstrate how Roma moves when pressing to win the ball in the opponent's half, highlighting the man-to-man pressing intensity of Gasperini's side and how the team compacts forward to reduce space for the opposing build-up. Fabregas showed how Como must find solutions to escape Roma's pressing and develop their own play without losing possession in dangerous areas.

Roma's defensive record has become one of the Serie A's most impressive assets under Gian Piero Gasperini, continuing the momentum built in the previous season. The team has conceded just 5 goals in the opening 6 matches of the 2026-27 campaign, averaging 0.83 per game—a rate that mirrors the defensive solidity of last season, when Roma finished with the second-best defence in the league after shipping 31 goals across the campaign. The strength lies not in defensive caution but in an aggressive approach to ball recovery. Roma leads Serie A in regains on the attacking third, averaging 11.8 balls won per match in the final third of the pitch. This high pressing directly feeds the attack: the side has created 17 shots directly from possession won in advanced areas. Mile Svilar has anchored a centre-back unit that Gasperini can rotate among six centrals of comparable quality—a tactical advantage as Roma juggle domestic and European fixtures. Ahead of the trip to Como, international commitments will shape team selection. Evan N'Dicka is primed for a starting berth at centre-back after representing Ivory Coast, expected back at Roma's training ground Trigoria on Tuesday and able to complete a full week under Gasperini's staff. Leonardo Balerdi will not arrive until Thursday following Argentina's South American duties, limiting his availability. Konstantinos Koulierakis, who has managed only 22 minutes of action so far, stands to gain further opportunity as the congested fixture schedule develops across the coming weeks.

Gian Piero Gasperini has praised Roma's defensive unit as a group of "gladiators", a characterization that reflects the rearguard's emergence as one of Serie A's strongest this season. After five matches, Roma's defence ranks among the league's best, a position earned through sustained excellence rather than a single run of form. Roma's back line finished last season in second place defensively, conceding 31 goals across the campaign—an average of 0.82 per match—behind only Como, who managed 29. Como, however, has since conceded six goals in five matches this season, underlining the durability of Roma's defensive structure. The strength of the unit rests on both tactical discipline and personnel. Roma's high pressing game, played man-to-man across the pitch, generates consistent pressure. The four central defenders—Evan N'Dicka, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi and Mario Hermoso—represent an exceptional collection; no other Serie A club, including defending champions Inter, can match that calibre at centre-back. Supporting them is goalkeeper Mile Svilar. The defensive setup is further bolstered by fullbacks Daniele Ghilardi and Konstantinos Koulierakis, creating a unit built to sustain both offensive recovery and positional solidity.

Radio pundit Piero Torri has voiced concern that Bryan Cristante's injury could be more serious than initially thought, and has outlined how he would approach Roma's upcoming fixtures if the midfielder is unavailable. Speaking on Radio Manà Manà Sport Roma (90.9), Torri said: "I'm afraid Cristante's injury may not be a short one. If he's not fit, I wouldn't risk trying to get him back for Real Madrid. I would play de Roon at Como and Pisilli against Real Madrid." Torri also reflected on head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's handling of Paulo Dybala's minutes, saying the manager's approach has shifted his perspective. "What Gasperini said about Dybala struck me—it erased my previous beliefs about his playing time and management. And so far he's been proved right," Torri noted. He suggested Roma should begin discussions about Gasperini's contract intentions, given that the coach's deal will expire at the end of the season. Former Roma striker Roberto Pruzzo, speaking on Radio Radio Mattino (104.5), praised goalkeeper Mile Svilar's importance to the team: "Svilar is a world-class goalkeeper for Roma, I have no doubt about it. If there's a normal goalkeeper, it's easy to lose 3–1. But with him it's different."