Roma Cruise Past Slovan Bratislava 4-0 for First UCL Win

FolioPitch.com – 21 October 2026 | AS Roma secured their first victory of the UEFA Champions League league phase with a commanding 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday night. The UCL Roma 4-0 Slovan Bratislava Giallorossi secure first victory headline was written by goals from Mario Hermoso, Nahuel Molina, Niccolò Pisilli and Donyell Malen, easing the pressure after a heartbreaking late collapse against Real Madrid.

Roma were still reeling from their 4-3 defeat to Real Madrid, a match they had led 3-1 until the 82nd minute before conceding three late goals from corners. Paulo Dybala and Manu Koné also picked up injuries in that game, joining Mile Svilar on the treatment table, though Bryan Cristante returned to the bench after a month out. Coach Claudio Ranieri opted for a revamped defence amid squad rotation, handing starts to Daniele Ghilardi, Leonardo Balerdi and Hermoso in a back three.

Yaya Touré’s Slovan Bratislava arrived in Rome without injured trio Andraz Sporar, Roman Cerepkai and Mykola Kukharevych, and their troubles were compounded by a dominant Roma display. The visitors had already lost 6-1 to Paris Saint-Germain and 3-0 to VfB Stuttgart, and they struggled to contain the Giallorossi’s fluid attack.

Donyell Malen’s early effort was charged down from 10 yards, while Niccolò Pisilli scuffed a rebound wide, and Lorenzo Pellegrini’s half-volley flew over from a promising position. The breakthrough arrived on 22 minutes through a set play: Pellegrini’s free kick was knocked down at the back post by Ghilardi for fellow centre-back Hermoso to nod in from point-blank range.

Roma doubled their lead six minutes before the break when Malen cut inside from the left and his precise finish was palmed into the path of Nahuel Molina, who tapped in the rebound at the far post. It was a goal that underlined the UCL Roma 4-0 Slovan Bratislava Giallorossi secure first victory narrative, as the hosts went into half-time with a comfortable cushion.

Pellegrini nutmegged a defender to burst into the box at the start of the second half but sustained an injury in the process, handing the captain’s armband to Pisilli. Moments later, substitute Matias Soulé harassed Barseghyan into giving the ball away at the by-line, allowing Malen to lay it off for Pisilli to blast into the roof of the net on 53 minutes.

Wesley then went down under pressure from Blackman and Malen converted the resulting penalty into the near bottom corner on 58 minutes to make it 4-0. Rodrigo Mora failed to capitalise on a Santiago Castro roll across when one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and on the resulting corner Ghilardi volleyed in, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

Roma dominated possession with 73% of the ball and registered 26 shots to Slovan’s one, with 10 on target compared to none for the visitors. The UCL Roma 4-0 Slovan Bratislava Giallorossi secure first victory result lifts Roma’s hopes of progressing in the competition, while Slovan remain rooted at the bottom of the table.

In conclusion, Roma’s emphatic win provides a timely boost after the Real Madrid disappointment and showcases the depth of their squad despite injuries. The UCL Roma 4-0 Slovan Bratislava Giallorossi secure first victory will be remembered as a night when the Giallorossi rediscovered their scoring touch and defensive solidity, setting the stage for a crucial run of fixtures in both domestic and European competition.