Davide Massa will officiate AS Roma vs Inter at the Stadio Olimpico at 17.00 BST on Saturday evening, with the weekend's headline Serie A fixture already set. Both clubs still have 100% league win records, so the appointment lands on a game with genuine early-season weight.
Roma and Inter's perfect starts
AS Roma come into the match with five straight Serie A wins, and Inter are in the same position. That is the main reason this selection stands out: the two sides are matching each other stride for stride, and the table pressure is obvious even without spelling out any standings.
Football Italia reported that the full selection of referees, assistants, fourth officials and VARs has been announced for the fifth round of Serie A fixtures. Their report also noted that Roma and Inter meet as the only sides in the game with perfect league records still intact.
The recent league meeting in Rome also leans Inter's way, with the visitors winning 1-0 in the capital. That gives Saturday's game a bit more edge, even if the appointment itself is simply the appointment: Massa gets the whistle for a meeting between two teams that have started cleanly and have not given much away.
Other week 5 appointments
The rest of the round includes Juventus vs Atalanta at 17.00 BST on Sunday evening, with Luca Zufferli appointed to that match. Daniele Doveri will referee Fiorentina vs Napoli.
Juventus' recent league form is mixed at WDLWW, while Atalanta's run is LWLWD. Recent meetings between the two have been tight, with their latest league meeting in Turin finishing 1-1.
Roma vs Inter is still the one that jumps off the page, though, because both clubs arrive perfect and the referee appointment has now been confirmed for Saturday at the Stadio Olimpico.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
