Gian Piero Gasperini admitted he is still understanding Roma's squad limitations, even after securing their fourth win of the season with a 2-0 victory over Hellas Verona. This win brought Roma to 12 points
from their first five Serie A matches, a feat last achieved under Jose Mourinho in the 2021-22 season. Despite the win, Gasperini acknowledged challenges faced by his team.
Roma began strongly with Artem Dovbyk scoring a header from Zeki Celik's cross in the seventh minute. However, Verona responded well and nearly equalised in the 28th minute when Gift Orban's shot hit the woodwork. The hosts managed only one shot on target during the first half, indicating a struggle to maintain dominance.
Despite Verona's efforts to level the score, Matias Soule sealed Roma's victory with a goal 11 minutes before full-time. Gasperini expressed dissatisfaction with his team's performance, noting an expected goals (xG) total of just 0.98 compared to Verona's 1.35 from their attempts. "I was well aware of the difficulties that several players were having," he told DAZN Italia.
Gasperini highlighted that this was their first week with three games this season, which affected player recovery. He noted unexpected issues and emphasised the need for reflection and evaluation moving forward. Some players struggled with sharpness, allowing Verona to pass more easily than usual.
On a positive note, Roma maintained four clean sheets in their first five Serie A matches for only the sixth time in history. This defensive record was last matched in the 2014-15 season under Rudi Garcia. Additionally, for only the fourth time in Serie A history, Roma conceded no more than one goal in their first five matches.
Mile Svilar played a crucial role in maintaining this defensive record by making three significant saves against Verona. "If Roma have such a good defensive record, a lot of that is down to Svilar," Gasperini stated. He praised Svilar not only for his saves but also for his ability to initiate play from the back.
Fiorentina's Struggles
Elsewhere in Serie A, Fiorentina continued their search for a first league win of the 2025-26 season after drawing goalless against Pisa. This marks only the fourth time Fiorentina has failed to win any of their first five Serie A games in a campaign, previously occurring in 1935-36, 1946-47, and 1977-78.
The match highlighted both strengths and areas needing improvement for Roma as they navigate this season's challenges while aiming to build on their solid start defensively.
