After Roma’s midweek embarrassment against Manchester United (which I’m sure my Red Devils friends will never let me hear the end of), the Giallorossi were in dire need of a strong statement win to right the ship and continue their hunt for serious glory in Serie A. Thankfully, a struggling Sassuolo side obliged them, and thanks to some saintly performances by several players, Roma ended the day with all three points, maintaining pressure on Lazio and Inter as both sides face challenging opponents in match day eleven.
As always, a clean sheet means that there are no sinners in my book (what can I say, I’m a generous pastor in this Church of Totti). With that in mind, we definitely have some halos to hand out as well—this was a thumping, and Gasperini and his men certainly deserve praise even if Sassuolo are not the most intimidating opponent right now.
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The Saints
ROME, ITALY – NOVEMBER 07: Mario Hermoso of AS Roma celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with Nahuel Molina during the Serie A match between AS Roma and US Sassuolo at Stadio Olimpico on November 07, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mario Hermoso
At this point it’s no surprise when the Spanish international ends up as a saint. Beautiful Mario was excellent at both ends of the pitch, and his strong performance in all stages of play was rewarded by a truly strikeresque finish to open the scoring in the 27th minute. He made a truly emphatic finish—one that I’d expect to see from Paulo Dybala more than Hermoso—and it was that finish that gave Roma the breathing room they needed to take control of the match.
Hermoso was also practically flawless defensively, as has become the norm. He read the game exceedingly well, contained Sassuolo’s attack even though that was largely unnecessary, and that hard work resulted in Sky Sport naming him Man of the Match. Even with Roma’s defense feeling like an embarrassment of riches, Hermoso has clearly put himself at the top of the pecking order of Gasperini’s center-backs. His performance against Sassuolo makes it exceedingly clear why.
ROME, ITALY – NOVEMBER 07: Donyell Malen of AS Roma celebrates after scoring goal 2-0 during the Serie A match between AS Roma and US Sassuolo at Stadio Olimpico on November 07, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Silvia Lore/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Donyell Malen
No, he didn’t score today, but Malen’s excellence as the tip of the spear for Gasperini continued today thanks to his overall involvement in the Giallorossi attack. Bobby Marley had a hand in two of Roma’s three goals today, and was a constant headache for the Sassuolo defense. That’s the kind of performance you need from your world-class striker when he doesn’t find the net himself; it opens up opportunities for players like Matìas Soulé and Rodrigo Mora to shine, which only helps Malen himself find more chances to score further down the line.
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Most impressively, it was Malen’s pace and movement that repeatedly stretched Sassuolo’s backline, not just his usual strong positioning. The Dutchman forced several saves from Arijanet Muric, although he probably should have added a goal of his own after Soulé rounded the goalkeeper and attempted to square the ball to him rather than finish into an empty net. While I would’ve loved to see Roma win this one 4-0 thanks to a Malen goal, I can’t complain about a strong performance from a player who just might be the next capocannoniere.
Rodrigo Mora Carvalho of A.S. Roma celebrates after scoring the goal of 3-2 during the matchday 9 of the Serie A Championship between A.S. Roma and Cagliari Calcio at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, Italy, on October 27, 2026. (Photo by Domenico Cippitelli/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
Rodrigo Mora
From the moment rumors emerged that Tony D’Amico was interested in signing Rodrigo Mora this summer, I was dreaming of what the Portuguese wonderkid could become under the tutelage of Gian Piero Gasperini. What I didn’t dream was that by early November, Mora would become a key rotational piece for the Giallorossi, pairing with Matìas Soulé so convincingly that the 19-year-old may be setting himself up to become the next attacking superstar for the Giallorossi and for the Portuguese National Team.
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Mora’s goal in this one (his fourth goal contribution for Roma in as many matches) was a beaut, so instead of trying to describe it, just watch it again:
Beyond the sheer beauty on display in that goal, it’s his combination play with Wesley that’s particularly encouraging to me moving forward. There’s still plenty of development ahead for Mora, but he’s already showing why the Giallorossi are prepared to invest a total of €50 million in him. His goalscoring ability, his ability to receive the ball in tight spaces and create magic, and his dribbling and passing ability are the stuff that dreams are made of; while today was one of his best in a Roma kit, his performances as a sub are enough to make defenders think twice and give Roma another dimension in the final third.
The present of Roma’s attack is undoubtedly Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala; Matìas Soulé is somewhere in between present and future. It’s such a gift that Roma now have another attacking player who is straddling that divide between present and future with such ease alongside Soulé. At a minimum, it will make any Financial Fair Play related sales easier to stomach; hopefully, though, it just means that this side can grow into one that is a force to be reckoned with domestically and internationally.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
