Radja Nainggolan on Roma's Challenge Against Inter: The Ultimate Litmus Test
Radja Nainggolan doesn’t see much suspense in the Scudetto race. For him, Inter are “the team to beat” – and right now, almost untouchable.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of Roma’s showdown with the reigning champions at the Stadio Olimpico, the former Inter and Roma midfielder underlined the gap he sees at the top.
“Inter today are a well-built team, they have reached two Champions League finals and have important reserves,” he 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’s the backdrop as Roma, under Gian Piero Gasperini, try to measure how far they’ve really come. For Nainggolan, this isn’t just another big game. It’s the exam.
He called it the “ultimate litmus test” for a Roma side still taking shape under their new coach, a match that will reveal whether their recent progress can hold up against a machine that knows how to reach European finals and manage a title race.
Goalkeepers under the spotlight
Nainggolan zoomed in on one area he believes could tilt the contest: the men in goal.
He applauded Mile Svilar’s rise and reliability in the Roma net, arguing that the Serbian’s calm presence has become a cornerstone of Gasperini’s team. On the other side, he sees a very different scenario for Inter’s Josep Martinez, who has stepped into the role of first-choice keeper and already felt the weight of early mistakes.
“Svilar did very well last year and is confirming it, while Martinez is in his first year as a starter and you feel the pressure,” Nainggolan noted.
In a game of tight margins, that pressure can crack or harden a goalkeeper. Nainggolan clearly believes Roma arrive with the safer pair of hands.
Dybala, the difference-maker
Then there is Paulo Dybala, the player Nainggolan singles out as Roma’s sharpest blade.
“Dybala can make the difference in these games, he is a fantastic player,” he said, leaving no doubt about who he trusts to unlock Inter’s defence.
In a match where Inter’s collective power is obvious, Roma’s hope might rest on one left foot capable of bending the script.
Gasperini’s dilemma at the back
Nainggolan also turned to the tactical chessboard, focusing on how Gasperini should handle Inter captain Lautaro Martinez.
The choice between Evan Ndicka and Leonardo Balerdi looms large, but the Belgian made his preference clear: 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.”
For Nainggolan, stability at the back comes before everything else. He wants Roma to lean on experience and certainty when dealing with one of Serie A’s deadliest forwards.
He also highlighted Roma’s tactical growth, pointing to Gianluca Mancini’s forward surges as a key part of Gasperini’s evolving approach. Those runs from deep, he suggested, give Roma another way to disrupt Inter’s structure and push them back.
A personal bond and old wounds
Beyond tactics and form, Nainggolan’s words carried the weight of someone still emotionally tied to the club.
He admitted that fixtures like Roma–Inter still stir something different in him. The Patro Eisden midfielder recalled how, in his view, lies from Roma officials pushed him toward Inter in 2018, a move he never truly sought after turning down offers from Chelsea and China to stay in the capital.
That history colours how he watches Roma now. There’s admiration, and a hint of what might have been.
He spoke warmly of Gasperini’s attacking style and even allowed himself a small daydream, saying he would have loved to play in this Roma side, especially alongside Donyell Malen in the current system. For a player who thrived in high-tempo, front-foot football, it’s not hard to see why.
The stage is set at the Olimpico: champions who look untouchable, and a Roma side trying to smash through their own ceiling. Nainggolan has already made his call on who rules Italy – now the question is whether Gasperini’s Roma can shake that certainty, or simply confirm it under the brightest lights.
