Serie A's 2026-27 season kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico on 24 August 2026 with a fixture that means something quite different to each side. Roma come in off a third place finish and a Champions League return, while Fiorentina spent most of 2025-26 looking over their shoulder and only steadied themselves late in the season. Both start on zero points but the psychological gap between them feels considerably wider than that.
Gian Piero Gasperini took charge of Roma in June 2025, replacing Claudio Ranieri, whereas Fabio Grosso only arrived at Fiorentina in June 2026 after Paolo Vanoli departed. They have no meaningful personal record between them, though Gasperini's Atalanta sides historically gave Fiorentina plenty of problems, which at least gives the stylistic matchup some precedent even if the personal one does not.
Roma won their final five Serie A matches, including a 2-0 victory over Hellas Verona on 24 May and came into the new season with Gasperini's system clearly embedded despite a patchy pre season. Fiorentina were impressive in the second half of 2025-26, losing just once in their final 11 league matches before their pre season closed with a Coppa Italia win after a run of draws, though adjusting to a new coach when the opposition has had a full year under theirs is a brutally timed introduction.
Roma's main concern is Lorenzo Pellegrini, who is doubtful with a thigh and hamstring problem, though Wesley is available after recovering from an ankle issue. Fiorentina have the more serious absentee: losing Parisi to a cruciate before competitive football has even started leaves Grosso with a structural problem on his left flank he did not choose and cannot quickly fix. Rolando Mandragora is also uncertain with a back complaint.
Gasperini will likely set up in a 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-3, with the wing backs pushing high and a double pivot covering the centre backs, while Paulo Dybala operates in the pocket behind Donyell Malen, who leads the line. Mile Svilar playing out from the back is central to how Roma function, they build pressure deliberately and try to force errors high up the pitch rather than sitting and waiting.
Grosso's Fiorentina will want Kean involved early, with Mastantuono looking to exploit whatever space opens behind Roma's advancing wing backs. Fagioli sits between the lines to protect the back four, though without Parisi on the left, Fiorentina's shape gets narrower and more readable.
Whether Gasperini's press can disrupt Fiorentina before they settle into anything resembling a structure is the question that will probably decide the match. If Roma win the ball high repeatedly, the visitors will be defending for long stretches rather than building anything of their own. If Kean can hold up play and Mastantuono exploits the space behind Roma's advancing wing backs, Fiorentina have something to work with, though Pellegrini's potential absence already places more responsibility on Dybala, who may need to drop deeper to keep the midfield connected.
Roma have lost just three of their last 52 home league meetings against Fiorentina and the visitors have not won at the Stadio Olimpico since 2018, a run that includes the most recent clash in May 2025, which ended 4-0 to Roma. That is a long shadow to walk under.
Roma work their dead balls well and will test a Fiorentina backline that is short of its first choice left back, with Parisi's absence leaving a gap that was not part of Grosso's plan. Roma closed last season on five straight wins, Gasperini has had a full year to embed his system and they are at home. Grosso has had none of those things, walking into his first competitive fixture with a squad that has played zero competitive minutes under him.
Roma 2-0 Fiorentina. The injury to Parisi, the coaching transition and the head to head record all point the same way. A Fiorentina side still learning Grosso's structure is badly placed to play out under a press that has had a full year to be drilled and with Pellegrini potentially absent, Dybala may need to sit deeper than usual, which means Malen could see more of the ball in behind an unsettled defence. Two goals for Roma, nothing for Fiorentina and probably not much in the way of suspense after the first twenty minutes.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
