Roma’s assignment for tomorrow’s match is a relatively straightforward one. Gian Piero Gasperini’s men need to get the job done against an Udinese side that has struggled mightily to start the season. The other Bianconeri of Serie A sit in the relegation zone with just five points from nine matches. Although they managed to stop the bleeding with a 0-0 draw against Parma in midweek, they haven’t won a Serie A match since August. That means that this is about as favorable a fixture as Roma could ask
for on paper, especially given the Giallorossi coming off an entertaining 4-2 victory over Cagliari. Yet as any Romanista knows, these are the kinds of matches that Roma have a habit of making more difficult than they need to be.
While it hasn’t hurt them too much in the past few weeks, there is the additional wrinkle that Gasperini won’t have anything close to a full squad at his disposal. Paulo Dybala, Manu Koné, Mile Svilar, and Lorenzo Pellegrini are all set to miss tomorrow’s match, leaving some pretty significant holes in the starting eleven. With Roma also facing a Champions League trip to Manchester next week, GPG will need to balance keeping players fresh with the very real possibility that he’ll have to lean on some of his less experienced options once again at Old Trafford. The good news is that those options have hardly looked out of place lately. Pierluigi Gollini has done a more than respectable job filling in for Svilar, while Emanuele Lulli has taken advantage of his opportunities in spectacular fashion.
Match Details
Date: Halloween 🎃
Kickoff: 18:00 CET/1:00 EDT
Venue: Friuli/Bluenergy Stadium, Udine
Referee: Fabio Moresca
With that in mind, tomorrow is another chance for Roma’s younger players and rotational options to show that their recent performances weren’t just flashes in the pan. Lulli has now scored in consecutive Serie A appearances, Rodrigo Mora is continuing to work his way into Gasperini’s plans, and players like Niccolò Pisilli and Santiago Castro will have opportunities to shoulder more responsibility with some of the usual starters unavailable. Roma should have more than enough quality to get three points out of this one, but that doesn’t mean those points will come automatically. If the Giallorossi keep playing with the energy and confidence we’ve seen from them in recent weeks, there’s little reason to think they can’t return to Rome with another victory under their belts.
What To Watch For
Can Soulé Cement Himself as Roma’s Star Forward?
Don’t look now, but Matías Soulé is making a startlingly compelling case that Roma’s attack should run through him for the extended future, even with Paulo Dybala healthy. After spending much of the summer being seen as a natural Financial Fair Play sacrifice, the Argentine forward has responded with the best stretch of football we’ve seen from him in a Roma shirt.
Soulé has three goals and three assists across all competitions over 770 minutes of play. Most importantly, he’s delivering magic in the moments when Roma need him most. He’s looking more decisive on the ball, more willing to take defenders on, and increasingly comfortable carrying the creative burden in an attack that regularly relied on Dybala to make things happen and looked aimless when he was unavailable.
Tomorrow’s match against Udinese is a great opportunity for Mati to strengthen the argument that he is a star for the moment, not just for the future. With Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini both unavailable, Soulé will undoubtedly be one of Gasperini’s most important attacking players, and he’ll likely play behind Donyell Malen in the attack in a pairing with a more centrally located Rodrigo Mora. He’s coming up against an Udinese defense that has conceded 18 goals in nine league matches, which means that there should be ample opportunities for Soulé to exploit their vulnerabilities in the final third.
The looming question over Soulé‘s strong play is whether it’s sustainable for an entire season. After all, Soulé looked like a world beater last fall too, only for injuries to derail his season and cause many to believe he was transfer bait. His improved pressing, defensive work, and decision-making have made him a much better fit for Gasperini’s system, as has his consistent availability this season. If he can keep adding goals and assists to those contributions, Roma will have found their next creative superstar.
