Gasperini sees Roma's growth but fears lengthy Pellegrini absence
Roma beat Slovan Bratislava 4-0 for their first Champions League win, but Gian Piero Gasperini left the Stadio Olimpico more concerned about Lorenzo Pellegrini's latest injury than pleased with the scoreline.
Roma finally found their rhythm in the Champions League, beating Slovan Bratislava 4-0 at the Stadio Olimpico, but Gian Piero Gasperini's post-match reaction was shaped as much by a fresh injury concern as by the result itself.
The win, Roma's first in this season's league phase, came after a difficult start to the European campaign. They had drawn 1-1 away to Fenerbahce before suffering a damaging collapse against Real Madrid, surrendering a 3-1 lead by conceding three near-identical goals from corners inside seven minutes to lose 4-3, according to Football Italia.
Against Slovan Bratislava, a side beaten 6-1 by Paris Saint-Germain, there was no repeat of that fragility. Goals from Mario Hermoso, Nahuel Molina and Niccolò Pisilli, plus a Donyell Malen penalty, secured the three points Gasperini had demanded before kick-off.
Why Gasperini still wants more precision
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, Gasperini praised his side's application but stopped short of unqualified satisfaction. He said the team was "in good shape" but warned it "mustn't rest on its laurels," insisting Roma had to "do the essentials consistently" and be "a little more precise" even in matches they were expected to win comfortably.
That caution reflects the stakes attached to goal difference in the Champions League's league phase, where it can decide qualification positions at the margins. Hosting a team already beaten heavily by Paris Saint-Germain gave Roma a clear chance to pad that column, and Gasperini's comments suggest he felt his side could have pushed the scoreline further.
He was more unequivocal about the significance of simply winning. Gasperini said it mattered that Roma approached the game with the right mentality from the outset, both because of the need for points and because, in his words, there are no easy games in the Champions League. He added that he liked how his team played, and that rotating the squad gave them no excuse to point to fatigue.
What the rotation revealed about squad depth
Roma's team selection was shaped partly by necessity, with injuries already limiting Gasperini's options, and partly by a deliberate choice to manage the packed fixture schedule. The approach paid off in terms of performance depth, even if it could not prevent a further fitness setback.
Gasperini said he saw important responses from across the squad, noting that the schedule is demanding and that he needs every available player ready to contribute. He framed the display as evidence that Roma can now call on a wider pool of credible starters, a point that matters heading into a run of fixtures that will test squad depth further.
That depth was undermined in real time, however, by the departure of captain Lorenzo Pellegrini early in the second half with a muscular problem. Gasperini confirmed that with Bryan Cristante only just back among the substitutes, the club now risks being without Pellegrini for a longer period, a prospect he described as his only real worry from the night.
The tests still to come in Europe
The timing is awkward for Roma, who face two of the toughest fixtures left in their league phase schedule: away trips to Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain. Those games will arrive without the guaranteed presence of a player Gasperini has relied on as captain and as a creative reference point in midfield.
Gasperini chose to frame the upcoming fixtures as an opportunity rather than a threat. He described the matches against Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain as incredible tests that will let Roma grow further, and said that is the spirit in which his team will approach them.
The broader picture for Roma is one of a team still establishing its European identity after an uneven opening to the campaign. A single convincing win does not erase the memory of the capitulation against Real Madrid, but it does give Gasperini evidence that his squad can respond under pressure, provided fitness holds up where it matters most.
Whether Roma can sustain that response against sterner opposition will depend heavily on how long Pellegrini is sidelined and whether Cristante's return to full fitness can offset the loss in midfield. For now, Gasperini has the three points he needed, and two away fixtures that will tell him far more about where this Roma side truly stands.