D’Amico: ‘Roma learning experience at Manchester United, need new resources’

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 03: Gian Piero Gasperini, Manager of AS Roma, reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD4 match between Manchester United and AS Roma at Old Trafford on November 03, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Roma director Tony D’Amico admits the defeat to Manchester United was ‘a learning experience’ for them, confirming the need to sign ‘a forward who can do damage on the counter-attack’ when leading.

The match with Sassuolo kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s four Serie A games on the Liveblog.

The Giallorossi are still unbeaten this season in Serie A, but have twice thrown away massive leads in the Champions League for defeats to Real Madrid and now Manchester United.

That Old Trafford collapse from 2-0 up to lose 3-2 confirmed this is a recurring problem, so this evening the pressure is on to get a result against struggling Sassuolo.

Roma repeat the same mistakes

“It is a problem we realised towards the end of the transfer session, that we lack a wide forward who has pace and can do damage in those situations on the counter-attack,” D’Amico told Sky Sport Italia.

“We will try to correct that when the January window comes around, so will try to give the coach this extra characteristic that we don’t currently have.”

It has been said that Roma lack experience in the Champions League and that cost them when their heads dropped in those situations.

“In an atmosphere like Old Trafford, the fans make a big difference and they helped turn the tide of that game,” insisted D’Amico.

“What I saw in both the games against Manchester United and Real Madrid was a great Roma side that imposes its style of play on the strongest opponents. There are going to be moments of difficulty in fixtures like this.

“I don’t think enough has been said, partly because we don’t like to court controversy, but the penalty for Manchester United was more than generous. So we did have a moment of difficulty, but that penalty sparked the comeback.

“As I said after the Real Madrid defeat, these are learning experiences for a club that has not been in the Champions League for seven years, it also teaches us what resources we still need to give to the coach in order to continue this progress.”

Gianluca Mancini is the latest absentee with a flexor issue that also ruled him out of the Italy squad for the Nations League games with France and Belgium.

He joins Devyne Rensch, Pierluigi Gollini, Mile Svilar, Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini on the treatment table, but the good news is the return of Manu Koné for the first time since his muscular injury against Real Madrid on October 14, even though he wasn’t called up for France.

“We speak with all the international coaches, Koné returned to training this week, we are pleased he is back and it gives us the chance to rest someone who played nine games in 28 days.”