ROMA SECURES 2-0 WIN OVER BOLOGNA AS PAULO DYBALA FINALLY RETURNS
Roma secured a 2-0 win over Bologna with goals from Malen and El Aynaoui. Paulo Dybala made his long-awaited return from injury.
Roma got some revenge for their exit from the Europa League by beating Bologna 2-0 with goals from Donyell Malen and Neil El Aynaoui. Paulo Dybala also made his return.
These teams faced each other last month in the Europa League Round of 16. The first leg ended 1-1 at the Dall’Ara, and the second leg finished 3-3 at the Olimpico, with Bologna winning 4-3 in extra time.
This was the first match for the Giallorossi since they fired special advisor Claudio Ranieri due to a public dispute with Gian Piero Gasperini. While Wesley and Devyne Rensch were back and Dybala was on the bench after three months out, they still missed Manu Koné, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Artem Dovbyk, and Evan Ferguson.
The Rossoblu were without Federico Bernardeschi, Lukasz Skorupski, Thijs Dallinga, and Nicolò Casale. Surprisingly, they chose a three-man defence.
It took less than seven minutes to score the first goal. Wesley initiated the play, Neil El Aynaoui threaded a pass through, and Malen beat the oncoming Federico Ravaglia to give Roma the lead.
Malen almost scored again with a delicate finish that went just wide on an assist from Wesley. Bologna had their first real chance in the 32nd minute when Mile Svilar used his legs to deny Riccardo Orsolini’s angled shot at the near post.
Eivind Helland made a key block on Malen’s attempt, but just as Bologna were pushing for an equaliser on a corner, they were caught off guard. Roma broke on a counter-attack. Wesley’s pass was slightly overhit for Malen, but the striker chased it down and crossed from the right. El Aynaoui finished it with a soft volley from six yards.
After halftime, Orsolini shot over the bar on a counter. A powerful strike from Jens Odgaard was blocked, but Orsolini came very close an hour into the game with a shot that hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced out.
Joao Mario left the game with a muscle injury, but Dybala finally returned after three months of recovery.
Bologna had a good chance in stoppage time. Odgaard pulled the ball back from the byline for an unmarked Lorenzo De Silvestri. Svilar, however, managed to get a fingertip on it, pushing the ball away from the veteran.
REAL MADRID CONFIRMS INTENT TO TRIGGER €9M BUY-BACK CLAUSE FOR NICO PAZ
Real Madrid will trigger the €9M buy-back clause for Nico Paz this summer. Discover why the Argentine playmaker is returning home.
Nico Paz will return to Real Madrid in the summer transfer window, according to a report that highlights his current market value. The young player has also hinted at his plans.
Paz came up through the Real Madrid youth academy and made it to the first team of the Spanish and European powerhouse.
The 21-year-old midfielder scored one goal in eight appearances for Madrid’s first team before transferring to Como in the summer of 2024.
Paz’s contract with Como runs until the summer of 2028, but all signs indicate he will head back to Madrid for next season and beyond.
In November 2025, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano shared on X that Real Madrid plans to reacquire Nico Paz as their first signing for 2026, as revealed months ago.
He noted, “Understand the buy-back clause is not valid in January, and Como wants to keep him until summer. The plan is to make the deal happen in June 2026. Nico already said yes.”
This week, Spanish publication El Debate reported that Madrid has decided to bring Paz back from Como this summer.
Madrid plans to activate the €9 million (£7.8m, $10.5m) buy-back clause in Paz’s contract with Como.
The Touchline has also supported these claims on X, reporting that the 21-year-old is now valued at €65 million (£56.3m, $76.2m).
The account, which has 1.5 million followers on X, mentioned, “Nico Paz is expected to sign for Real Madrid this summer. He was worth less than €10 million when he was bought by Como. Now he’s worth €65 million. He’s the only player with over 15 goals and 15 assists since the start of the last Serie A season.”
Paz has thrived at Como since transferring from Madrid in 2024.
The Argentine midfielder has scored 19 goals and provided 17 assists in 72 appearances for the Italian club so far.
Paz told AS earlier this month about scoring for Madrid against Napoli in the Champions League in November 2023, “Pure happiness; I was a 'kid' in my second game with the first team. Scoring in the Champions League against a team like Napoli, with the giants playing in Madrid, in a stadium like the Bernabeu. When I scored, everyone was shouting and chanting my name; it was an incredible feeling.”
When asked about a possible return to Estadio Bernabéu this summer, Paz said, “I don’t want to think about those things. I’m 100% focused here in Como. I want to give my all on the pitch. Then, if an opportunity arises in the future, we’ll see.”
ANTONIO CONTE AND MASSIMILIANO ALLEGRI EMERGE AS TOP CONTENDERS FOR ITALY POST
Italy is searching for a new coach after the national team vacancy. With FIGC elections on June 22, we analyse the frontrunners to lead.
Massimiliano Allegri isn’t out of the running to become Italy’s next head coach just yet, according to some reports.
With two months left until June 22nd, when the FIGC federal elections will decide the new face of Italian football leadership, the spotlight remains on Giancarlo Abete and Giovanni Malagò, both hoping to step into the role after Gabriele Gravina's resignation.
While the election looms, the position of Italy's national team coach is still up in the air. Gennaro Gattuso has been replaced on an interim basis by Silvio Baldini, the current coach of the Italian Under-21 side, who will oversee the upcoming friendlies against Greece and Luxembourg in June.
Expect this version of Italy to be quite experimental, featuring many younger players. According to Calciomercato.com, three main contenders stand out for the permanent position: Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri, and Roberto Mancini.
Conte has openly expressed interest in returning to the national team post, having held the job before. His potential departure from Napoli doesn’t seem to raise major concerns, especially since it could relieve club president Aurelio De Laurentiis from a substantial wage bill and allow him to explore other options. This is a big factor putting Conte in a strong position.
Allegri hasn’t ruled himself out either, but has pointed out that everything depends largely on who takes charge of the federation. The Livorno-born coach is reportedly intrigued by the prospect of leading Italy again, but also aims to continue his second stint at AC Milan.
Discussions are ongoing about next season, particularly with Milan eyeing a return to the Champions League. This means Allegri’s chances might not look as bright right now, but given the regard Malagò has for him, it’s premature to dismiss him completely.
Roberto Mancini is also interested in returning to the national team after coaching stints in Saudi Arabia and Qatar’s Al Sadd. He’s waiting for the upcoming federal elections to set the stage for Italy’s future direction.
Meanwhile, a few other names deserve mention: Simone Inzaghi, currently at Al-Hilal but keen to come back to a significant role in Italy, and Stefano Pioli, who is a free agent at the moment. And of course, while it may be more of a wishlist, some eyes remain on high-profile figures like Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti.
