The new Serie A season starts with a major opening match for AS Roma. The team of Gian Piero Gasperini faces Fiorentina in the first matchday of the season. The game will take place on August 24 at 20:45 at Stadio Olimpico in Rome. For both teams, it's the first test of the 2026/2027 season, so the current table doesn't offer any advantage: every team starts with zero points. AS Roma finished last season in third place with 73 points and secured a return to Europe's premier club competition. Fiorentina had a completely different year. They finished 15th with 42 points after a season in which they spent a long time battling to avoid relegation. That's why the first league appearance matters beyond the three points themselves. AS Roma wants to immediately confirm its status as a team that belongs near the top, while Fiorentina, under new coach Fabio Grosso, are trying to show that the summer changes can bring a significantly calmer season. It's worth securing tickets in good time, especially for spectators planning a trip to Rome who need to organize transport and their journey to Stadio Olimpico in advance. ## AS Roma enters the new season with high expectations. Gian Piero Gasperini remained in charge of Roma after their third-place finish in the previous season. The end of last season showed just how competitive his team was: Roma finished the last league campaign with 73 points, and a place among the top three teams represented a major step forward. The core of the squad also remains recognizable. Mile Svilar is the first choice in goal, Gianluca Mancini and Evan Ndicka remain important in the back line, while Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné provide strength in midfield. In attack, Gasperini has several different profiles available, including Paulo Dybala, Matías Soulé, Donyell Malen and Santiago Castro. Malen is a particularly interesting name after a very strong second half of last season. After arriving during the winter transfer window, he scored 14 league goals and quickly became an important part of Roma's attack. The final test before the start of the league ended in a 2-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park. Roma took the lead as early as the fourth minute through Dybala, and Cristante doubled the advantage five minutes later after Dybala's corner. Borussia Dortmund then came back through goals from Julian Ryerson and Serhou Guirassy. The result showed both sides of Gasperini's team. Roma can attack very quickly and create chances through combinations involving their creative players, but at the same time they need to control periods of the match better when the opponent raises the tempo. ### Dybala and Soulé between the lines. In Dortmund, Gasperini started in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Dybala and Soulé behind Malen. That is an important detail for the match against Fiorentina as well. Dybala can drop towards midfield to receive the ball and open space for another attacker, while Soulé looks for situations in which he can move towards the penalty area from the right. If Fiorentina narrow their defensive line too much, Roma will try to exploit the width through the wide players. If the visitors spread out, the space between midfield and defence becomes even more interesting for Dybala. Gasperini's teams traditionally look to regain space aggressively after losing the ball. Against Fiorentina