Roma’s 2‑0 response puts Dybala question in focus ahead of Napoli trip

Roma answered a “devastating” defeat by Real Madrid with a 2-0 win over Genoa, but Gian Piero Gasperini’s next selection question is whether Paulo Dybala can return for Saturday’s trip to Napoli. Dybala is listed out with a muscle injury, so Gasperini’s hope is not confirmation that he will be available.

Santiago Castro and Emanuele Lulli scored their first goals for Roma. Castro, signed from Bologna, gives Gasperini another option while Donyell Malen serves a suspension after his red card. The coach said Castro could replace Malen and that the two forwards could also play together.

Gasperini was particularly pleased with Lulli’s finish and the movement behind it. He praised the youngster for attacking the far post, saying it showed how his confidence and ability were developing. For a side playing its third match in seven days, those contributions from young players mattered beyond the goals themselves.

Roma had to adjust to Genoa’s approach. Gasperini said his side struggled in the first half to deal with Genoa’s tactics and long balls, then played better after the break. He also pushed back on the idea that Roma were simply short of nine established starters: his view was that the squad’s young players were part of the group and would have significant roles in a crowded schedule. “We need everyone to feel like a starter,” he said.

The result offered an immediate response to the Real Madrid loss, which Gasperini described to Sky Sport as “devastating”. He said Roma had made that match difficult for themselves in a five-to-seven-minute spell involving three corners, after Real had created little beforehand. Despite the defeat and several absences, he said he had expected the squad to respond.

The Genoa win was also Gasperini’s 300th in league football. Roma are third with 14 points from six games and now face Napoli away on Saturday, 24 October. Dybala’s potential return would add another option, but Castro’s display and the team’s response have already given Gasperini choices to consider. Genoa, 17th on four points, host Venezia the following day.