Roma must put things right after Champions League collapse, urges Gasperini

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Gian Piero Gasperini has called on his Roma side to put things right after their Champions League loss to Real Madrid.

Roma were leading 3-1 in the 82nd minute, but Madrid scored three goals from corners in a seven-minute spell to take all three points at Stadio Olimpico.

Excluding games that went to extra time, this was the latest that an away side had been behind by at least two goals in a Champions League match and gone on to win.

It marked Roma’s first defeat of the season across all competitions, while they have drawn their last two Serie A matches.

Gasperini is seeking a big response from his side when they host Genoa in the league on Saturday.

“The psychological blow came when the score became 3-2. We need to work on that and put it right,” said Gasperini.

“This team must not feel that it necessarily has to win the Champions League, the league title, or who knows what else.

“This team needs to express itself. If you concede a goal, you cannot let your morale drop. In my opinion, performance always matters.

“We know that matches are often decided in the closing minutes, but we decided them ourselves against Parma and Atalanta. We probably suffered the opposite against Inter, Juventus and Real Madrid.

“[On Saturday] we need strength, belief and energy. We are returning to the league as one of the leading teams. We will have the spirit, mentality and energy to try to win, because winning validates the players.”

— AS Roma (@OfficialASRoma) October 16, 2026

Roma slipped from first to third in the table last weekend, while at the other end, Genoa are 17th in Serie A, though they won 2-1 against Fiorentina last time out.

Genoa boss Daniele De Rossi managed Roma in 30 matches between January and September 2024 (W13 D10 L7), while also making 616 appearances as a player, scoring 63 goals for the Giallorossi.

He ranks second for most official appearances for Roma in history, behind only Francesco Totti (786).

With top scorer Donyell Malen suspended and Paulo Dybala sidelined with injury, Matias Soule has the chance to prove his worth for Roma.

The 23-year-old impressed against Madrid, recording two assists before being replaced in the 63rd minute while Roma were 3-1 up.

Milutin Osmajic has scored three goals in five Serie A appearances for Genoa.

Only three players have netted at least four goals in their first six games for the Grifone in the three-points-for-a-win era (since 1994-95): Krzysztof Piatek (eight), Diego Milito (five) and Marco Borriello (five).

Roma have won 14 points in Serie A this season, one fewer than they had after their first six matches last term (15); they could collect at least 17 points after their first seven league games for the first time since 2014-15 (18 in that season).

Roma are unbeaten in their last 15 home Serie A matches (W11 D4), with their last home defeat in the competition dating back to 30th November 2025 against Napoli.

The Giallorossi are also unbeaten in 39 of their last 40 home Serie A matches against Genoa (W33 D6), including all of their last 23 home games (W19 D4).

Genoa’s last top-flight away victory against Roma dates back to January 1990 (1-0, with a goal from Carlos Aguilera at the Stadio Flaminio).

After a run of ten consecutive Serie A matches without a win (D3 L7), Genoa won their most recent game against Fiorentina; the Grifone could secure back-to-back victories in the competition for the first time since last April (against Sassuolo and Pisa).

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