The countdown to our big match in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday is on - so it's time to take a close look at our opponents, AS Roma.
14 years long was the wait the loyal AS Roma fans had for titles. With the arrival of star coach Jose Mourinho, a sense of euphoria returned to the eternal city in 2021 along with the 2021/22 UEFA Europa Conference League.
That was balsam for Roman souls, who boast a proud list since their foundation in 1927 of three Italian titles as well as nine cup wins but had never been able to win in a UEFA competition until last year. Mourinho's football might not be known for its aesthetic value, but it certainly is effective.
The club have not yet shown any signs of building on that success this season. They found the going tough in a UEFA Europa League group against Betis Sevilla, Ludogorets Razgrad and HJK Helsinki. Only a fortunate 3-1 home win against the Bulgarians at the end of the group stage saw them through. Roma are currently fourth in Serie A and were held to a 1-1 draw against US Lecce.
Comeback boys
In the second half of the Europa League group stage, their headline signing last year, Paulo Dybala, was missed by AS Roma. The Argentine returned in the winter, and since then has nine goal involvements in ten games to his name.
Making his comeback in the draw against Lecce on Saturday was also Georginio Wijnaldum. The Dutchman broke his shin on his debut for Roma and has not been seen since August 2022. He likely won't be ready in time to start against us, so we expect the starting XI to look as follows:
Potential AS Roma starting XI on Thursday
Mourinho generally uses a back three with a compact midfield. The Portuguese coach has a near complete squad to choose from, with only Leonardo Spinazzola and Ebrima Darboe out injured, and Nicolo Zaniolo moving to Galatassary after a hectic deadline day.
Stadio Olimpico a new Circus Maximus
Rome is not know only for its numerous incredible historic sights, but also the fantastic atmosphere of the iconic Stadio Olympico in the Viale dei Gladiatori – the Ally of the Gladiators. Over 60,000 Roma fans regularly attend to cheer on their favourites. We are expecting a huge second leg there next week, and your away support is all the more important.
We expect the atmosphere at the Red Bull Arena on Thursday at 18:45 to be equally electric. Tickets are available still in our official resales scheme.
