AS Roma host Slovan Bratislava on Tuesday at the Stadio Olimpico, and Gian Piero Gasperini used the eve-of-match briefing to make the stakes plain. Roma have one point from their first two Champions League matches, after a 1-1 draw against Fenerbahce and a 4-3 loss to Real Madrid after leading 3-1 until the 83rd minute. Paulo Dybala’s return has been pushed back by a couple of weeks after fresh tests showed a small injury.
Gasperini's injury update
Speaking to football-italia.net, Gasperini said of Dybala: "I hoped Dybala would have recovered quicker. The tests he had yesterday showed a small injury, it will take a few more weeks." That lines up with the message from the club’s other recent updates, which all point to the forward missing more time rather than being rushed back for this fixture.
Roma do at least know the job in front of them. Gasperini was clear that they cannot treat Slovan lightly, even if the visitors arrive with 0 points from 2 matches and 9 goals conceded. He said: "We will not underestimate our opponents because we need to win."
Roma's qualification margin
The league-phase table leaves little room for error. Roma sit 25th, outside the qualifying places, while the target for the top eight has been around 10 or 11 points in recent seasons. That makes Tuesday a game Roma simply have to control at home, not one to approach as a waiting exercise for better results elsewhere.
Gasperini also described Slovan as "a dynamic team, well prepared athletically and they have some excellent players." The line is standard respect from a coach, but the competitive point is obvious enough: Roma need a cleaner night than the two they have already had, and they need it now.
The late-October schedule is not giving them much breathing room, with AS Roma vs Slovan Bratislava next on the calendar and Napoli mentioned as a possible target for Bryan Cristante’s return.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
