Roma struggle after international breaks: only two wins since 2024

Fabio Capello has said Inter remain the favourites for the Serie A title, while admitting he enjoys seeing both Rome and Milan at the top of the table. The former Roma manager spoke in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I have always argued that Inter were the favourites, the best-equipped squad for the Scudetto, and at the moment I have no reasons to convince me otherwise. Seeing all of Milan and all of Rome up there, however, pleases me and takes me back to my past," Capello said. Capello also compared Roma with AC Milan, and he gave Gian Piero Gasperini's side the edge. "I see Roma in better shape, because they have an established way of playing, while the Rossoneri are still searching for their definitive identity. It is not a criticism: Gasperini has been working with his players for a year, while Amorim has only just arrived, and the difference on the pitch is noticeable." His comments point to the advantage of continuity at the Giallorossi, with Gasperini's methods now bedded in across the squad. For Roma, the praise from a former coach who knows the club well is a boost as the side keeps pace with the leaders. Capello's view is that the team are playing well, even though Inter are still the team he expects to win the title.

Several Roman radio pundits have weighed in on Roma's forward options ahead of the match against Cagliari, with former striker Roberto Pruzzo calling for a new attacker in January to replace Rodrigo Mora. Francesco Balzani of Teleradiostereo said he has long admired Matías Soulé, though he was disappointed by the Argentine last year. He said Soulé is now making the step he had hoped for, and added: "Sta concludendo un mese incredibile. Sarà la serata di Mora? Mi auguro di sì." Balzani said that if Soulé can produce around 15 or 20 matches like his display against Napoli by the end of the season, he will become the player he had hoped for. He added: "Poi non è l'ultima spiaggia perché è un ragazzo giovane, però è una chance importante. Questa dev'essere la partita in cui fa vedere qualcosa in più." Balzani was not sure Donyell Malen would start and said Santiago Castro could play instead. He pointed to a busy schedule ahead, with Udine, Manchester and Sassuolo still to come, saying: "devi capire qual è la sfida in cui puoi far riposare qualcuno e credo che questa sia la più adatta." Roma therefore need to pick the right game to rest players, and Balzani believes this fixture is the right one. Pruzzo said Cagliari are in freefall and in difficulty, and that Roma must take advantage. "È importante trovare i tre punti e con la qualità dei giocatori può farcela," he said. He also stressed that Roma must start picking up points in the Champions League against Manchester United. "La Roma a gennaio deve prendere un attaccante al posto di Mora." Piero Torri of Radio Manà Manà said Roma are in the sixth match of a run of nine and he feared the physical and mental fatigue of the previous games could be felt. "La Roma deve vincere per continuare ad aggiungere consapevolezza ed autostima e spero ci riesca senza faticare troppo."

Former Roma boss Fabio Capello has said it is pleasing to see Milan and Roma near the top of Serie A, a sight that takes him back to his own past. Speaking to the Gazzetta dello Sport, the 2001 Serie A champion analysed the early form of the title contenders and reflected on the return of the capital's and Milan's clubs to the summit. "Seeing all of Milan and all of Rome up there pleases me, and it takes me back to my past," said the coach, who has managed the giallorossi as well as Milan and Juventus. Capello still considers Inter the favourites, currently top of the table alongside Lazio. "I have always argued that they were the favourites, the best-equipped squad for the Scudetto, and at the moment I have no reasons to convince me otherwise." He also praised Lazio, who have won seven of their first eight matches, and singled out the work of Gennaro Gattuso, whom he credited with building a team that is solid, vertical and not prone to needless complications in possession. Roma and Milan sit four points further back, level in third place. Asked to compare the two, Capello had no doubts: "I see Roma in better shape, because they have a game that is already tested." He attributed that preference mainly to the continuity of Gian Piero Gasperini's work, in his second season in charge of the giallorossi, compared with Rúben Amorim, who joined Milan only in the summer. In Capello's view, the rossoneri are still searching for a definitive identity, while Roma can already count on established mechanisms and a recognisable organisation of play. Capello has voiced confidence in Gasperini's project before. In the first weeks of the season he had named Roma as one of the main alternatives to Inter in the title race. Roma's subsequent form, despite some setbacks, appears to have strengthened that conviction. Seeing the two great cities of Italian football back in the fight at the top, he added, brings him back to the great Scudetto battles he lived through first-hand.

Roma's pundits on Rome's radio stations were largely positive about the club's recent results, but they were divided over Mora and the January market. Roberto Pruzzo, speaking on Radio Radio, said: 'Mora is absolutely not ready for this stage, and Roma must sign Lookman. Do a six-month loan.' He also said Castro does not play when Malen is fit and that Mora did not take advantage of his chance, adding that a striker is needed in January. Mario Corsi of Tele Radio Stereo was more worried: 'I said Mora had to play to get used to his teammates, but there is a Mora problem. Do you remember Bojan Krkic? I would not want him to suffer the same fate.' Corsi said Mora was an embarrassment in front of goal, had shot at a photographer and had got everything wrong on Sunday, including his passing. The debate followed a run of matches after the heavy defeat to Real Madrid. Mario Mattioli of Radio Radio said Roma were fortunate to face Genoa and Slovan Bratislava afterwards, as they could restore their mental focus, and that Roma had taken full advantage. He described Slovan as a side who do not belong in the Champions League, suggesting they were better suited to the Europa League or Conference League. Fabio Petruzzi of Rete Sport argued that Roma make their opponents look weak: 'Genoa were weak, Slovan are weak, they are all weak... even Real Madrid were weak until ten minutes from the end. I would start saying Roma are strong.' Alessio Nardo of Tele Radio Stereo said he could hardly recall a smaller side worse than Slovan Bratislava, adding that they could not keep the ball for more than three seconds. David Rossi of Rete Sport praised the defence under Gian Piero Gasperini: 'What impresses me is that the defenders have improved most with Gasperini. Ghilardi started two matches, against Lecce and against Slovan, and I remember him more for what he does in attack than in defence. Ghilardi is a starter now. Hermoso, we did not know who to pin it on, and now he is a leader. Balerdi arrived while Marseille fans were celebrating, and here he is dominant. N'Dicka has improved a lot... Roma have a back line that I believe is the strongest in Italy.' Gianluca Piacentini of Rete Sport noted that Roma had rotated five starters in defence over the last two matches while conceding no goals. He said the comparison between Malen and Castro and Ferguson and Dovbyk was harsh. Pes argued that Gasperini had not overused Pellegrini, who had started two matches, and said Pellegrini was prone to injury, which he had always been. Pellegrini is now 30, Pes said, and the problems are getting worse. Checco Oddo Casano said Roma should consider the futures of Dybala and Pellegrini in June, after seeing how many matches they had played. The radio hosts agreed that a striker is needed, and Pruzzo said he would name the player to be signed in January. Piero Torri of Manà Manà Sport said he was supporting Manchester United against Como that evening, because a defeat for the English side would leave Roma with a final chance. He also said Roma had regrets about Fenerbahce and Real Madrid, where a result was possible, and warned that Roma could arrive at the third-last match ranked behind others in the table.

Malen and Castro have already outscored Dovbyk and Ferguson's entire Serie A campaign of last season, after just seven matchdays. The two current forwards have scored seven goals between them in Serie A this term, against one from Dovbyk and Ferguson across the whole of 2025-26. Roma have 16 points after seven rounds this season, compared with 15 at the same stage last year, so the points tally is almost identical. The difference lies in the attack. Roma have found the forwards they lacked a year ago, with the Dutchman and the Argentine both scoring and each able to make the difference when the other is missing. Last season, Ferguson and Dovbyk struggled to make an impact and to get shots away. Their combined Serie A tally that year was six goals, a figure Malen and Castro have already surpassed in only seven matches. The two strikers have also combined for nine goals in all competitions this season: eight from the Dutchman and one from the Argentine. Dovbyk and Ferguson were never really an option together, as they were too similar and too cumbersome to make a two-man attack work. Gasperini has preferred to play with a single striker, but that is not a written rule, and the head coach could now change his mind. With Dybala's physical condition a factor, Malen and Castro are in contention to start together from the first minute in the Champions League against Slovan. It would be a test of whether the pair can coexist. Their characteristics differ, but the quality is there. Castro has already shown he deserves a place, scoring a spectacular goal on his first start, and he does not want to be merely an alternative. Gasperini has recognised that. The Argentine has shown he can make an impact, and the big question now is whether Gasperini will field the two of them together against Slovan.

Roma face Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico on 17 October at 20:45, with former Roma manager Daniele De Rossi in charge of the visitors. The fixture comes immediately after Roma's Champions League outing against Real Madrid, and represents a significant test for both sides. Genoa arrive buoyed by their first Serie A victory of the season, a 2–1 defeat of Fiorentina in their last match, in which Milutin Osmajic scored and provided an assist. That win broke a ten-match winless run stretching back to the end of the 2025–26 season and lifted Genoa clear of the relegation zone; across their last five league games they have recorded one win, one draw and three defeats. De Rossi's return to the Olimpico carries symbolic weight. The Genoa manager built his entire playing career at Roma, making 616 official appearances and scoring 63 goals—the second-highest appearance tally in the club's history behind Francesco Totti alone. He managed Roma's first team between January and September 2024, overseeing 30 matches before his dismissal, and this will be his second visit back as Genoa's coach. In last season's Serie A meetings between the clubs, Roma won 3–1 at home on 29 December 2025, with Matías Soulé, Manu Koné and Evan Ferguson among the scorers, before Genoa took the return 2–1 at the Ferraris on 8 March 2026, a result that remains their last victory over Roma. Roma have not lost at home to Genoa for 23 consecutive Serie A matches, a run stretching back to 17 January 1990. Osmajic has emerged as Genoa's principal attacking threat, scoring three goals in five Serie A appearances for the club. De Rossi is expected to deploy a 4–4–1–1 formation, with Junior Messias operating behind Osmajic and Stephan El Shaarawy on the left wing—another former Roma player. The midfield will centre on Morten Frendrup for intensity and ball recovery, alongside Hamed Traorè for build-up play. Genoa's last two consecutive Serie A victories over Roma came in 2011; De Rossi's side will hope to extend their momentum after a turbulent start to the season. Roma, managed by Gian Piero Gasperini, will be looking to restore their dominance at home. Genoa have won only once in their last five games and remain fragile defensively—the foundation on which Gasperini will build his approach to contain De Rossi's compact, counter-attacking setup.

Roma came from behind to beat Cagliari 4-2 at the Stadio Olimpico in their ninth Serie A match of the season, with Lulli, Pisilli, Mora and Malen on the scoresheet. The result was made to look harder than it was by a performance that Giallorossi.net's player ratings describe as one of the least convincing of the season. Gollini, standing in for the injured Svilar, was named the best Roma player despite conceding twice, rated 7.5 for a string of saves, including a decisive stop on Adopo in the first half and another in the second half, mainly against Mendy. Mancini was given a 5, the lowest mark in the Roma side, after being repeatedly troubled by Fadera's acceleration. Ndicka (6) struggled against Nzola and Mendy, while Koulierakis (6) was solid without standing out. Lulli was the standout of the first half, rated 7.5. He headed in the equaliser and then supplied the pass that set up Pisilli for the go-ahead goal. Pisilli (6) was a mix of error and reward: his handball gave Cagliari a penalty, before he struck a powerful right-foot shot past Caprile to put Roma back in front. The match had been levelled by Obert, who beat Rensch in the move that brought the equaliser, after Rensch (5.5) came on in the 76th minute. De Roon (5.5) had a quiet game and was replaced by Rodrigo Mora in the 56th minute. Mora's introduction changed the match. He was rated 7 after starting on the right, a position that appeared to limit him, before Gasperini moved him to the left. He first scored with a towering header, then played the ball to Malen for the 4-2. Malen, who had wasted a clear chance set up by Mora, came on in the 56th minute and was rated 7 after firing a second right-foot effort past Caprile to seal the win. Molina (6.5) had a good first half, providing the right-foot cross for Lulli's goal, and Wesley (6) was rated 6 after coming on at half-time. Soulé (6) faded after a bright start, and Cristante (5.5) and Castro (5) both had poor games. Ghilardi (7) came on in the 83rd minute and delivered the cross for Mora's winner. Gasperini was rated 6.5. The article says Roma suffered against a strong Cagliari side and often looked close to conceding, but the coach's substitutions turned the game. Its concern was his decision to start Mora on the right and Soulé on the left, which Gasperini reversed at the break, after which Mora changed the match. The reviewer concluded: "Non sarà stata una bella Roma, ma proprio per questo i tre punti valgono ancora di più."

Roma came from behind to beat Cagliari 4-2, with Niccolò Pisilli scoring the equaliser and Mora netting a headed goal after coming on at half-time. Cagliari were awarded a penalty early on after a rash arm from Pisilli, and Nzola converted it, but Pisilli soon levelled. Pisilli was sharp for the goal, pouncing like a falcon to beat Caprile on 20 minutes for the 2-1, though the article notes he was far from flawless, with several loose touches and a sloppy second half that nearly allowed Cagliari an equaliser. The result came in a game where Roma's defence was tested repeatedly. Nzola beat Ndicka only once, from the penalty spot, while Cagliari's striker had another dangerous chance against him. Gollini was praised for his work in goal: he was beaten by the spot-kick from Nzola, but made a crucial save on Adopo close to the line and a stop on Obert shortly before half-time. In the second half he made three saves, and the match report highlights his efficiency. The rating given to Gollini was 6.5, the same as Koulierakis and Pisilli. Mancini was given a 5 for a performance that was more like an advanced winger than a central defender. He tested Caprile early on, but his attacking runs left space for Cagliari down his flank, and Fadera exploited it to pressure him throughout. Ghilardi came on for him on 82 minutes and immediately delivered a cross for Mora, earning a 6.5 rating. De Roon was rated 5.5 after a sluggish start, needing support from Cristante when Cagliari attacked through the middle, and was replaced on 56 minutes by Mora. Mora, rated 7, took the spotlight as expectations surrounded him. His first minutes were awkward, but he produced two good assists that teammates failed to convert. He then scored with his head, despite his height not being an obvious advantage, and was also involved in the build-up to Roma's fourth goal. Molina was rated 6 for his cross play, which was visible in the build-up to the equaliser, though he offered little else in the first half. Wesley came on at half-time with a 6 rating, described as clear-minded despite recent talk about social media, alleged infidelity and money. Soulè was rated 6.5 and was involved on several occasions: he released Mancini down the right after five minutes, dropped deep to create space for teammates, and came close to scoring from a free kick. Castro was rated 5.5 for struggling to provide the depth Malen offers, and Gasperini gave him another ten minutes to prove himself. Malen replaced him on 56 minutes and was rated 7, converting the chance that came his way with a powerful finish past Caprile.

Roma came from behind to beat Cagliari 4-2 at the Stadio Olimpico, with goals from Lulli, Pisilli, Mora and Malen, and remain four points behind the league leaders. Nzola had given Cagliari an early lead in the sixth minute, but Lulli equalised in the 11th minute. Gasperini made several changes ahead of the weekend trip to Udine. Koulierakis came in for Hermoso in defence, Wesley was left out with Lulli, who recently renewed his contract, taking his place, and Castro played alongside Soulé with Pisilli, the most advanced of the midfielders, behind them. Cristante and de Roon formed the midfield pairing, while Molina returned to start on the left. Roma had drawn at the Maradona against Napoli before this match. Pisilli put Roma ahead in the 21st minute. Maldini pulled one back for Cagliari in the 81st minute, but Mora scored in the 86th minute and Malen sealed the win in the 88th. Mora and Malen had come on for de Roon and Castro respectively at half-time, while Wesley replaced Molina in the 46th minute. Pisacane's Cagliari side were beaten by a Roma team that finished strongly after falling behind early.