Roma play better football than Manchester United, reckons former star of the Serie A side Mancini.

It is not a huge claim at the moment, with the Red Devils winless in nine matches and sitting 17th in the Premier League table.

In contrast, Roma have had a bright start to the campaign and are third in Serie A after a 5-2 battering of Udinese at the weekend.

Gian Piero Gasperini’s team has scored 28 goals in 10 league matches so far this season, more than they ever have at this stage of the campaign.

The difference has not been so stark in the Champions League, with Roma only boasting one more point than United’s three, although the Red Devils’ only points have come against Azerbaijani side Sabah.

Mancini, who played for Roma from 2003-08 and won nine caps for Brazil, feels there is little doubt which team is superior right now.

‘Both teams are different now,’ Mancini told FanPage.it. ‘Roma play better football than Manchester United today, and they can go to Old Trafford to win. Right now, Gasperini’s team is in better shape, as they are proving it on the field.’

Gasperini has acknowledged Manchester United’s struggles in the Premier League, but would not fall into the trap of taking them lightly ahead of a trip to Old Trafford.

‘In the league they’re going through a difficult period for results, but we can’t let ourselves be distracted,’ he said.

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‘United are still a strong team, they have players of absolute quality, and it’s a hot, difficult environment. We’re preparing as if we’re facing the best Manchester United.’

Asked for his opinion on Michael Carrick’s testing campaign so far, he said: ‘Every situation is different. I don’t know United’s exactly, but I know they have strong players. You can suffer for a certain period, but then you manage to restart. Hopefully from the day after tomorrow!’

Gasperini also gave Roma fans some cause for concern, admitting that his team is ‘short’ in midfield due to injuries.

‘We’re missing [Lorenzo] Pellegrini, [Paulo] Dybala and [Manu] Koné in the same departments, so we try to adapt a bit at certain moments,’ said the veteran boss.

‘We have [Santiago] Castro as an alternative with [Donyell] Malen, but in midfield we’re short. I hope it’s just a passing phase.’