After an eventful summer in Rome, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men finally take the stage for a match with real consequences, against a team with more recent success than the Giallorossi. Can they start the 2025/2026 off on the right foot, or will this next iteration of Roma require a bit of lead time before it’s ready for prime time?
Here we go again. There’s fresh paint on the touchlines at the Stadio Olimpico (hopefully), a new Mister on the sideline (for the fourth time in the past twelve months), and
Roma opening at the Olimpico against last season’s Cinderella turned serious grown-up, Bologna. Under Gian Piero Gasperini, Roma’s tempo in preseason went from espresso to doppio: as we all expected, GPG’s tactics are prioritizing man-to-man pressing, verticality, and strong wingbacks on jet fuel. With that in mind—and the fact that Leon Bailey has already gone down with injury after his first training session (ridiculous)—tomorrow’s match against Bologna should be a true litmus test for how quickly Gasperini’s ideas are landing before the bruises and lactic acid set in.
For those of you who haven’t been following along with Bologna’s summer transfers, it’s been an eventful couple months for I Rossoblu. Marco Di Vaio added experience and end product on the wings by bringing Federico Bernardeschi back to Serie A from Toronto FC on a free. While he’s undoubtedly got less tread on the tires compared to when he plied his wares at Juventus, he will still happily shoot from Trastevere if you let him cut inside. Bologna also reinforced at center-back with Martin Vitík from Sparta Prague, a 22-year-old, 1.93m Czech defender who profiles as the heir to Sam Beukema’s minutes now that he’s been sold to Napoli. Beyond those higher-profile moves, Bologna added Nicolò Casale after he impressed the brass while on loan from Lazio last season, while veteran striker (and former Laziale) Ciro Immobile joined a free, because Bologna apparently collects strikers like I collect Jim Croce on vinyl.
Match Details
Date: August 23rd
Kickoff: 20:45 CET/2:45 EDT
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Roma
Referee: Luca Zufferli
That’s a lot of know-how for a squad that already showed serious mettle by winning last year’s Coppa Italia. If Roma win convincingly tomorrow, it won’t be because Bologna isn’t impressive anymore. It will be because the Giallorossi are ready to fight for Champions League qualification and more in the 2025/2026 season—for real this time.
What to Watch For
Ferguson v. Dovbyk: Who Gets the Start?
If there’s one question seemingly on everyone’s mind about players already in Roma kits, it’s whether Gian Piero Gasperini’s tactical revolution will result in Evan Ferguson or Artem Dovbyk leading the team sheet more often. Ferguson has been nothing short of sensational in pre-season, netting five goals in just 281 minutes of play, including his remarkable four-goal debut in a 9-0 thrashing of UniPomezia. In my eyes, his dynamic movement, sharp pressing, and clinical finishing have been a breath of fresh air, and you really get why Gasperini and Frederic Massara brought him in for the high-intensity system Roma will now be using. Reports indicate that Ferguson is expected to start over Dovbyk, who has only scored once in 305 pre-season minutes while struggling with fitness.
And yet I wouldn’t count out Roma’s newly-baptized number nine just yet as the nominal starting striker moving forward. Dovbyk has struggled to adapt to Gasperini’s pressing demands despite his 17-goal tally last season, but that doesn’t mean he’s doomed to a transfer out. The Ukrainian striker’s physical presence and aerial prowess are undeniable, and that could be the true difference maker, even if his fit within the new system is under scrutiny. Roma are reportedly open to offers for Dovbyk, with clubs like Napoli and Villareal showing interest. As the season progresses and the summer mercato starts to wind down, it will be certainly be intriguing to see if Dovbyk can adapt to Gasperini’s style or if Ferguson’s early form secures him a permanent spot in the starting XI.
Will El Aynaoui Be The Midfield Dynamo GPG Requires?
When Roma secured the €23 million signing of Neil El Aynaoui from Lens in July, many Romanisti were… unenthusiastic. The fanbase had been anticipating a coup-level signing of Club World Cup star Richard Rios, only for that transfer to fall apart at the last second, leading the Colombian to move to Benfica. El Aynaoui, with his relatively modest Ligue 1 pedigree, seemed like an underwhelming consolation prize.
However, the midfielder’s performances during pre-season have swiftly silenced those critics. El Aynaoui’s integration into Gian Piero Gasperini’s system has been practically seamless, showcasing his adaptability, fitness, and technical prowess. In the pre-season friendly against Everton, he was the instrumental force behind Roma’s 1-0 win, demonstrating his ability to control the tempo and link play effectively against a Premier League-level side. In addition, his versatility should allow him to operate both as a central midfielder and in more advanced roles, providing Gasperini with tactical flexibility.
Bologna’s defense will present a formidable challenge to El Aynaoui in his first meaningful match in a Roma kit. In particular, Jhon Lucumí’s physicality and aerial prowess could test El Aynaoui’s ability to dictate play under pressure. However, if he can replicate his pre-season performances, El Aynaoui has the potential to unlock Bologna’s defense and make a significant impact in his first competitive match for Roma—and given how well he handled the pressure he received from Romanisti during pre-season, some pressing from Lucumí shouldn’t be too tall an order to beat as well.
