Roma vs Inter Milan: The Benchmark Clash in Serie A

Radja Nainggolan has no doubts about who sets the standard in Serie A right now. For him, Roma’s meeting with Inter Milan is not just a big game. It is the benchmark.

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the former Inter and Roma midfielder nailed his colours to the mast: Inter are the side everyone has to chase in the title race, armed with depth, experience and a recent habit of reaching the biggest stages in Europe.

“Inter today are a well-built team, they have reached two Champions League finals and have important reserves,” Nainggolan said. “The Scudetto that Napoli won two seasons ago was lost by Inter, in my opinion. Today they have no rivals, but respecting your opponent does not mean not attacking.”

That is the level Roma must measure themselves against. Nainggolan views this showdown at the Stadio Olimpico as the real exam for Gian Piero Gasperini’s project, a test of whether the evolution so often praised can stand up to the most complete squad in Italy.

Goalkeepers under the spotlight

For all the talk about systems and styles, Nainggolan kept circling back to one theme: defensive security. The back line and, above all, the goalkeepers.

He singled out Mile Svilar as one of Roma’s quiet pillars, a presence whose form has carried over from last season.

“Svilar did very well last year and is confirming it,” he noted, underlining the Serbian’s calm reliability.

On the other side, he sees a very different situation. Inter’s Josep Martinez is living the unforgiving reality of a first season as a starter at a club with Scudetto expectations, and recent mistakes have only sharpened the glare.

“Martinez is in his first year as a starter and you feel the pressure,” Nainggolan warned, hinting that any hesitation from the Inter keeper could tilt a tight contest.

Dybala, the difference-maker

When it comes to match-winners, Nainggolan did not hesitate. For Roma, the key lies in the left foot of Paulo Dybala.

“Dybala can make the difference in these games, he is a fantastic player,” he said.

In a match where Inter’s structure and squad depth might dominate the narrative, Nainggolan sees Dybala as the one player capable of ripping up the script with a single moment. If Roma are to break through the champions’ armour, the Argentine will almost certainly be at the heart of it.

Gasperini’s dilemma at the back

Nainggolan also weighed in on Gasperini’s selection puzzle in defence, especially the choice of who tracks Inter captain Lautaro Martinez. For him, this is not the night for experiments.

“Ndicka or Balerdi? All of Roma’s defenders are performing, but for a game like this and against such a strong opponent, playing Balerdi can be risky,” he explained. “I would play with those who are most stable.”

The message is blunt: against Lautaro and an Inter side that punishes every slip, stability must trump potential. No gambles, no romantic ideas about blooding someone on a big stage. Not in this fixture.

Nainggolan did, though, highlight how Roma’s defensive unit has grown within Gasperini’s aggressive approach. Gianluca Mancini’s forward surges, he said, have become a genuine weapon, turning a centre-back into an extra attacker when the timing is right.

A personal bond that still burns

Beneath the tactical talk, the emotional thread remains. Nainggolan’s connection to Roma has never really faded, and he admitted these clashes still stir something deeper.

Now at Patro Eisden, he looked back at the way his Roma story ended, recalling how, in his view, lies from club officials pushed him toward Inter in 2018. That departure came after he had already turned down lucrative moves to Chelsea and to China to stay in the capital.

The sense of unfinished business lingers. So does the admiration for what Gasperini is building.

Nainggolan spoke warmly of the coach’s attacking philosophy and admitted he would have relished playing in this version of Roma, especially alongside a forward like Donyell Malen, whose movement and directness fit perfectly with the high-tempo, front-foot style now in place.

All of that feeds into the stakes of this match. Inter arrive as champions and, in Nainggolan’s eyes, as the undisputed team to beat. Roma arrive with a new identity, a coach who refuses to back down and a chance to smash through a ceiling that has held them back.

The script is clear enough: title favourites against ambitious challengers, a litmus test in the capital. Now Roma have to prove they belong in Inter’s company.