Gian Piero Gasperini Highlights Big Flaw In Roma Squad and Questions Giallorossi’s Chances In Europa League

Gian Piero Gasperini has highlighted a major flaw in his current Roma squad and believes the Giallorossi are far from the favorites to win the Europa League.

What Did Gian Piero Gasperini Say About Roma?

The Giallorossi have made a strong start to the 2025/26 season, winning three of their opening four league games, including a 1-0 victory over Lazio in the Derby della Capitale.

Wins against Lazio, Pisa and Bologna have moved Roma up to fourth in Serie A, as the Giallorossi have kept clean sheets in each of their three victories – conceding one goal during a defeat to Torino.

Gasperini’s side will divert their attention away from Serie A for their upcoming fixture, as Roma face Nice in the Europa League on September 24th.

Prior to this European clash, Gasperini has highlighted a key issue that his side continue to face this season, as the veteran manager believes Roma struggle after taking the lead in matches.

Gasperini said: “My analysis is that we have difficulty once we take the lead, because apart from against Torino, this team has always scored.

“Maybe the game plan changes and we end up trying to defend a 1-0, rather than looking for another goal that could give us more security. Then the games remain open, in the balance.

“We’ve often had the advantage, but don’t continue to play in the same way. When you are ahead, the conditions for scoring are much easier than when you are behind, or at 0-0.”

Although Roma have picked up nine points from the opening four league matches, the Giallorossi only hold a goal difference of two, winning 1-0 on each occasion.

Matias Soule has been a consistent threat for Roma, being directly involved in two of the Gialloross’s three league goals (1G + 1A), but the likes of Evan Ferguson and Artem Dovbyk are yet to find the back of the net.

Can Roma Win The Europa League?

Gasperini’s side will be hoping to build on their strong league form when they travel to France on September 24th, as Europe has been a successful venture for both Roma and the former Atalanta manager.

In May 2024, Gasperini clinched his first major trophy as a coach, as Atalanta clinched the Europa League trophy with a monumental 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen.

As for Roma, European competitions have been a source of enjoyment for supporters during a difficult time in Serie A, with the Giallorossi winning the Europa Conference League in 2022 and reaching the Europa League final in 2023.

This year, the Rome-based side will be looking for another strong run in Europe, but Gasperini has cooled down any talks of winning the trophy – highlighting the quality in Roma’s Europa League opponents.

Gasperini said: “This is a team that’s trying to build, and get there through a different way of playing. We’re making our way. I don’t think it’s possible to say that Roma are the favourites, or to predict what we will do in the league. It’s a team that has to grow, play better, blend together more and more and bring new players into the squad.

“This is a competition that is also very different to the one it was two or three years ago. There’s a ranking, a schedule that is not the same for everyone. Our fixture list is one of the most difficult because we’ll face very strong teams like Stuttgart and Lille at home, and we have some very tricky teams in difficult atmospheres away from home.”

Last season, Roma were eliminated by Atheltic Club in the Europa League Ro16, losing 4-3 across both legs after Mats Hummels was sent off in the deciding clash in Spain.