One goal in four head-to-head matches against Inter, AC Milan, Juve, and Napoli perfectly illustrates the struggles of Roma’s attack this season, especially against teams Roma will have to battle for a top-4
finish at season’s end. Roma’s attack has been an utter disappointment, yet the Giallorossi remain fourth in the table through 16 match days, thanks largely to a stalwart defense that has conceded just 10 times (best in the league).
It’s probably not what we expected when the Friedkins hired one of the best attacking minds in the Italian game, Gian Piero Gasperini, to succeed and build on Claudio Ranieri’s work. Yet despite bringing in Gasperini, whose Atalanta sides averaged 1.93 goals per match over his 9 seasons in charge of La Dea, this Roma side is off to its worst goalscoring start to a season since the 2018-19 season, the last season the Giallorossi played Champions League football.
Roma Goals Through 16 Matches
Comparing offensive output after 16 Serie A matches (2018–2025)
As you can see, the 17 goals scored are even fewer than last season’s horrid start to the campaign, when Roma fired two managers—Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric—before being reborn under Ranieri.
The ongoing lack of goalscoring has been a concern throughout the Romaverse all season, sparking numerous rumors in recent months about how Ricky Massara might tackle the issue in January. Reports indicate that the Giallorossi could overhaul their attack by shipping out both Evan Ferguson and Artem Dovbyk to create room for Giacomo Raspadori and Joshua Zirkzee.
Let’s examine why those deal moves could make sense tactically and might be more than just empty talk.
Why Roma’s Attack Looks Better on Paper Than on the Pitch
On paper, Roma has the pieces to build a strong attack. The attacking core is led by one of the most talented attacking players of the last decade in Serie A and, arguably, the most talented player to don a Roma kit since Francesco Totti hung up his #10: Paulo Dybala. Add in his heir apparent and fellow Argentine sensation, Matías Soulé, and Roma looks to have the creativity to feed its two strikers, both with proven goalscoring records. Artem Dovbyk was La Liga’s Golden Boot winner just two seasons ago, and Evan Ferguson was considered the next Harry Kane-type in Premier League circles prior to his ACL injury.
That seems like a combination likely to succeed under Gasperini’s watchful eye. However, Roma’s average of 1.06 goals per match ranks in the middle among teams. In contrast, the other top six teams have significantly outperformed the Giallorossi in scoring. Inter leads the league with 34 goals, followed by Milan (24), Bologna (23), Napoli (22), and Juve (21). A major reason for this gap is that players are underperforming in front of goal.
So far this season, out of the 17 goals scored by the Giallorossi, 10 have been contributed by the four aforementioned players, along with Lorenzo Pellegrini, who has also played a significant role in attacking midfield role. Of those five players, only Soulé is significantly outperforming his xG. Soulé leads the team with four goals on an xG of just 2.21. Otherwise, only Artem Dovbyk, with two goals on an xG of 1.90, has a goals-scored-to-xG ratio above 1. Meanwhile, Pellegrini (two, 3.10xG), Dybala (one, 2.56xG), and Ferguson (one, 1.42xG) are all statistically underperforming in front of goal.
Yes, everyone except Soulé has missed time due to injury, and when they have played, they underperform. Why? Partly because Roma’s attack has been too static.
Gasperini’s system—when firing on all cylinders—isn’t dependent on a classic number 9 but includes players who can constantly rotate positions and roles, drop between the lays, work quick combinations in attack while also aggressively counter-pressing.
In essence, Gasperini’s reliance on mobile parts removes the traditional point of reference provided by classic number nines like Dovbyk and Ferguson. Using traditional forwards like these makes it difficult to create high-quality chances while still adhering to Gasperini’s principles. To find a tactical middle ground and create more space for his attacking midfielders, Gasperini has relied on Dybala and even Tommaso Baldanzi (one goal on 1.52xG) in a false-nine role. However, even that fix hasn’t been enough, with Dybala in particular badly underperforming in front of goal.
Gasperini’s best attacking sides don’t necessarily need one player scoring loads of goals, although we have seen players like Mateo Retegui and Duvan Zapata win the capocannoniere during his Atalanta tenure. But, they often rely on a variety of players interchanging and working the spaces to create quality chances by confusing defenses.
For example, during the 2019-20 record-breaking campaign, when Atalanta scored a mind-blowing 96 goals, three players scored in double figures: Zapata (18), Luis Muriel (18), and Josip Iličić (16), while creative hub Papu Gómez scored 7 and provided 16 assists. Meanwhile, wing-back Robin Gosens and midfielder Mario Pašalić each contributed nine tallies. And it’s this kind of fluidity in attack that Gasperini would love to re-create in the capital with both Zirkzee and Raspadori if reports are to be believed.
Below, we can see the heat maps of Roma’s current strikers and Gasperini’s main hitmen from the record-breaking 2019-20 campaign: Zapata and Muriel—notice the difference in the spread of touches and the concentration of hot spots.
What Roma’s Attack Is Missing—and Why Zirkzee and Raspadori Fit
As previously discussed, Gasperini’s system depends on the mobility of the front three, where the two attacking midfielders and the striker can switch roles to exploit gaps between the defensive lines. In contrast, more traditional strikers like Dovbyk and Ferguson tend to be too fixed in their movements to facilitate this. This often results in congested central areas, as they remain centrally positioned, waiting for passes. It also restricts late runs from goal-conscious midfielders such as Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante.
In an ideal world, the striker would do a few things to help Gasperini’s system click. The ideal striker would drop deep, get between the lines, and link up play. He’d also be a strong presser of the ball and contribute in transition when Roma wins back possession. Lastly, the midfielders would be made more effective by the striker’s movement and strengths.
Both Raspadori and Zirkzee, when deployed properly, can perform these roles in slightly different ways, making them more complementary than merely interchangeable. Raspadori is more of a 9/10 hybrid who can drop deep and link play—something neither Dovbyk nor Ferguson excels at. His intelligent positioning can create space for the likes of Dybala, Soulé, and Pellegrini. He also excels at creating one-touch combinations and rotational chaos that keep defenses on their heels.
Raspadori would fill a role similar to Iličić’s in Bergamo, as he’s not a traditional striker but can operate centrally or drift wide. This movement can create overloads with wingers or midfielders, while Raspadori acts as a facilitator rather than a pure finisher. Like Iličić, the Italian can drop between the lines and pull defenders out of position. He could also play a la Muriel in a free role behind the striker or as a false 9. Like Muriel, he can operate in half-spaces, link with the midfield, and make late runs into the box. Raspadori lacks Muriel’s pace, but his linking and positional intelligence are comparable.
Zirkzee, on the other hand, is more comfortable in hold-up play and more mobile in half-spaces than Roma’s current strikers. His pressing and transitional ability make him a good fit for Gapserini’s high-intensity system. His movement creates space for midfielders to make late runs and ideally contribute to the scoresheet, like Pašalić did in that 2019-20 Atalanta season.
Zirkzee would be brought in to fill Zapata’s role—a striker who could also serve as a space creator. Zirkzee can hold up the ball and lay it off to Raspadori and the current attacking mids, or to deeper-lying midfielders making late runs. He’s the more physical presence of the two, with good aerial ability and more mobility than Ferguson or Dovbyk. He’s not as physically imposing as Zapata, but his functional role in linking and creating space would be similar.
Lastly, Raspadori and Zirkzee can be deployed together and play off each other in Gasperini’s system. Their comfort playing between the lines and interchanging means that Zirkzee can be the #9, with Raspadori lining up in one of the attacking midfield roles, without relying on a lone striker. They can create unpredictability by interchanging positions and build a more complex attacking system without a fixed point of reference—Gasperini’s ideal scenario.
How Zirkzee and Raspadori Activate Roma’s Attacking Midfield
Just how might some of these combinations look with Zirkzee or Raspadori supported by a combination of Dybala, Soulé, and Pellegrini? Let’s take a look at how some of those trios might bring out the best in each other, unlike more static strikers like Dovbyk or Ferguson.Just how might some of these combinations look with Zirkzee or Raspadori being supported by some combination of Dybala, Soulé, and Pellegrini?
Let’s take a look at how some of those trios might bring out the best in each other, unlike more static strikers like Dovbyk or Ferguson.
Raspadori as the Connector: Unlocking Late Runs and Rotations
In a scenario where Raspadori is paired with Dybala and Pellegrini, it’s Raspadori’s ability to drop into the half-spaces that makes Pellegrini’s late runs matter. For example, when Raspadori drops into the left half-space and Dybala floats to the right (pulling CBs), Pellegrini can arrive late in the box, ready to pounce on a cutback pass. This recreates a classic Gasperini pattern in which the false 9 vacates and the mezzala/AM attacks.
In another scenario, with Raspadori lining up with Dybala and Soulé, Roma likely becomes its most dynamic version up front. Raspadori can pin CBs just long enough before drifting. While this is happening, Dybala can dictate the tempo centrally, and Soulé can aggressively attack the right half-spaces. This forces defenses to stay unsettled because Raspadori activates the two Argentines. If the defense steps up on Raspadori, Dybala is free. If they track Soulé, Raspadori can receive the ball between the lines. Pick your poison.
Zirkzee as the Reference Point: Structure Without Stagnation
Zirkzee adds a different yet equally effective complement to Roma’s current attacking midfield trio. He’s a higher reference point than Raspadori but not as static as Dovbyk or Ferguson.
In a scenario with Dybala and Pellegrini, Zirkzee could drop deep to receive the ball under pressure. Then Dybala could play off second balls and lay-offs while Pellegrini timed his runs into the box. This would be reminiscent of Zapata holding up play with Gómez or Iličić playing off his lay-offs, with players like De Roon or Pessina making late runs.
How about Zirkzee with the two Argentines? Roma becomes explosive as Zirkzee draws the center-backs’ attention, allowing Dybala to float freely into the right half-spaces and Soulé to attack isolated fullbacks or gaps in the half-spaces. Here, Zirkzee’s ability to play with his back to goal allows a margin of error in the timing and spacing of the two 10s.
Gasperini’s Ideal Scenario: No Fixed Point of Reference
In another scenario, these two could play alongside one of the current attacking mids. Let’s use Soulé as the third player as an example. In this hypothetical, Zirkzee is the gravity point, Soulé is the vertical runner, and Raspadori is the connective playmaker. Here, Roma could replicate the best parts of Gasperini’s Atalanta front three: one who draws markers, one who breaks lines, and one who binds everything together.
These are just a few of the many combinations Gasperini could assemble if both players are brought in. And, of course, there’s plenty more tactical nuance involved in planning for the different tactics and set-ups that opposing sides will use to counter Gasperini. However, what we see here is just a few examples of how these two would revolutionize the Roma attack and give Dybala (freedom to roam), Soulé (combinations, not isolation), and Pellegrini (vacated space to attack) what they need to thrive. These are things they don’t always have with the current, more static and central strikers.
Final Thoughts
Bringing players in midseason is always a tricky proposition because there’s little pre-season time to integrate them into the side and develop an understanding of their teammates. However, it’s a risk Roma is likely to take because the current attacking output is unsustainable for a side aiming to qualify for Champions League places and to compete for Europa League silverware.
But the potential rewards far outweigh the risks.
If Zirkzee and Raspadori are brought in and can develop chemistry with Dybala, Soulé, and Pellegrini on the fly, then Roma’s attack, and in turn the overall game, would soar to new heights. For this reason, the potential synergy between the two proposed signings and the current crop of attacking mids far outweighs the risks of starting fresh midseason.
