Overview
- Roma earned their first Champions League win with a 4-0 victory over Slovan Bratislava on Tuesday, with goals from Mario Hermoso, Nahuel Molina, Niccolò Pisilli and a Donyell Malen penalty.
- Captain Lorenzo Pellegrini was withdrawn early in the second half with a muscular issue and manager Gian Piero Gasperini said the injury will likely keep him out for around 20 days.
- Gasperini praised the squad’s morale and the rotation policy that produced a dominant performance, but warned the club is short of numbers in certain positions when injuries occur.
- Donyell Malen continued his strong group form by extending a run of goal involvements to every Champions League match so far, providing attacking continuity while others recover.
- The timing of Pellegrini’s layoff heightens concern because Roma face back-to-back away Champions League tests at Manchester United and Paris Saint‑Germain and could be further strained if Paulo Dybala is not available.