Radja Nainggolan on Roma vs Inter: A Measuring Stick for the Scudetto

Radja Nainggolan has no doubts about who sets the standard in Serie A right now. For him, Roma’s looming clash with Inter at the Stadio Olimpico is not just a big game. It is a measuring stick.

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the former Inter and Roma midfielder nailed his colours to the mast: Inter are the team to beat for the Scudetto. He pointed straight at the depth of Cristian Chivu’s squad and the weight of their recent European runs as the reasons they sit above the rest.

“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 bar Roma must clear. And Nainggolan sees this match as the ultimate exam for Gian Piero Gasperini’s evolving side.

Goalkeepers under the spotlight

For all the talk of tactics and star forwards, Nainggolan kept circling back to one theme: defensive stability. He believes the game can tilt on the form of the two goalkeepers.

He hailed Mile Svilar’s rise as a cornerstone of Roma’s progress, contrasting it with the pressure on Inter’s Josep Martinez, who has come under scrutiny after recent 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,” he noted.

A safe pair of hands on one side. A talented but tested one on the other. In a title-chasing Inter and an ambitious Roma, that difference could be brutal.

Dybala as Roma’s trump card

Nainggolan did not hesitate when asked who could decide it for the hosts. For him, Paulo Dybala remains Roma’s sharpest weapon on nights like this.

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

If Roma are to push the champions to the limit, their No. 10 will almost certainly have to leave his mark.

“Play those who are most stable”

The battle with Inter is also, in Nainggolan’s eyes, a test of Gasperini’s pragmatism. The Belgian urged Roma’s coach to think first of solidity when choosing the central defender tasked with handling Inter captain Lautaro Martinez.

“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.”

No experiments. No romantic picks. Against Lautaro and a side that punishes every slip, Nainggolan wants Roma to trust experience and reliability.

He also highlighted how Roma have grown tactically, singling out Gianluca Mancini’s aggressive forward runs as a key part of their new identity. Those surges from the back, when timed right, can crack open even the most organised defence. Against Inter, they will need to be perfect.

Old scars, new admiration

Beneath the tactical analysis, Nainggolan’s bond with Roma still runs deep. He admitted that these fixtures still stir something different in him, a mix of pride and unfinished business.

He recalled how, in his view, lies from club officials pushed him out in 2018, forcing a move to Inter after he had already turned down offers from Chelsea and from China to stay in the capital. The episode still stings, but it has not dimmed his affection for the club or the city.

From a distance, he now looks at Gasperini’s attacking approach with clear admiration. He even admitted he would have loved to play in this Roma, especially alongside forward Donyell Malen, whose movement and directness fit perfectly with the kind of football he enjoys.

The stage is set. Inter arrive as champions and clear favourites in Nainggolan’s eyes. Roma arrive chasing their limits, trying to prove they belong on the same level.

If this really is their litmus test, the answer will come under the Olimpico lights.