Overview
After closing last season with an impressive third place, Roma started the 2026-2027 campaign in the best possible way. Hosting Fiorentina at the Olimpico, Gian Piero Gasperini's team quickly showed superiority and won convincingly.
Roma won a Champions League spot after finishing third in their first season under Gasperini. The performance against Fiorentina continued to strengthen that positive image.
Donyell Malen had an excellent match when completing a hat-trick, with all 3 goals being assisted by Paulo Dybala. Niccolo Pisilli scored a fourth goal, closing the exciting day of the home team.
This result also helps Gasperini somewhat relieve pressure after a series of unconvincing matches in the pre-season period. Roma will have to improve many aspects as the Champions League is about to return, especially after the draw brings them to face two former team leaders, Jose Mourinho and Luis Enrique, who are currently working at Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain respectively.
However, before thinking about European playgrounds, Roma needs to focus on Serie A. The away match against Lecce is an opportunity for them to extend their streak of positive results. Roma has won all three recent encounters without conceding a goal, while Lecce last defeated them in the national championship in April 2012.
If Roma is in high form, Lecce also enters the match with considerable confidence. Including the end of last season, Roma has won 6 consecutive matches in Serie A, but Lecce has also just had a 3-match winning streak, equal to their best record in the league.
After stopping early in the Coppa Italia against Palermo, Lecce immediately regained joy with a victory at the Venezia stadium. Although the home team controlled the ball more and had 2 goals disallowed, Lecce still made good use of their opportunities in the second half to score 2 goals and maintain the advantage.
That victory opens up an opportunity for Lecce to aim for a new milestone at Via del Mare. The Salento team has never won in the first 2 home matches of a Serie A season, so overcoming Roma will help them create a memorable mark.
However, history does not really favor the home team. Lecce has only won their opening home match once in the last 6 seasons in Serie A. Eusebio Di Francesco's record against his old team is also very noteworthy.
Di Francesco has faced Roma 16 times in Serie A but only won 3 points. More notably, he has lost all 10 recent encounters. With Roma's current form, Lecce will have to play with high concentration if they want to extend their winning streak and create a surprise against the capital team.
Expected lineup:
Falcone, Veiga, Gaspar, Gabriel, Ndaba, Ngom, Coulibaly, Gorter, Pierotti, Geubbels, N'Dri.
Svilar, Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso, Lulli, Kone, Cristante, Wesley, Mora, Dybala, Malen.
The match between Lecce and Roma takes place at 11:30 PM on August 31st (Vietnam time).
