Roma host winless Slovan Bratislava at Stadio Olimpico seeking their first UEFA Champions League (UCL) victory of the campaign to kickstart their European journey, while the struggling visitors aim to halt a nightmare continental run.
Match News and Current Form
Roma prepare for their third consecutive home fixture in quick succession, aiming to respond to last week’s dramatic 4-3 UCL defeat to Real Madrid, where they conceded three late goals in seven minutes. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side did restore some confidence with a 2-0 Serie A victory over Genoa on Saturday, snapping a three-match winless run in the process (D2, L1). The pressure is on in Europe though, with Roma taking just one point from two matches (D1, L1), and having surrendered leads in both continental fixtures this term, the Giallorossi risk becoming the first side since Montpellier in 2012/13 to open a UCL campaign by scoring first in three straight games without winning a single one!
As expected, Slovan Bratislava have struggled to adapt to Europe’s top club competition, suffering defeats in both opening fixtures, including a 3-0 loss to Stuttgart last time out to leave them bottom of the table with a -8 goal difference. They are now the first team ever to lose their first ten UCL games, while away trips offer little comfort given they have lost ten of 11 away fixtures in the competition’s history (D1). Slovan at least got back to winning ways with a 3-0 victory at fierce rivals Spartak Trnava on Saturday, yet a run of just four wins from their last ten competitive matches (D2, L4) highlights the difficulties they have faced this season.
Head-to-Head History
The sides’ only previous meetings came in the 2011/12 Europa League play-offs, where Slovan Bratislava pulled off a shock 2-1 aggregate victory over Roma to eliminate the Italian giants.
Hot Stats and Streaks
Six of Roma’s last eight home European matches saw both teams score.
Four of Roma’s last six matches produced under 2.5 goals.
Ten of Slovan’s last 12 outings saw at least three goals scored.
Slovan have scored in 11 of their 12 competitive away matches this season.
Key Players to Watch and Missing Players
Having sat out the weekend league win through suspension, Donyell Malen will be eager to build on his midweek brace against Real Madrid. The Dutch forward is in great form for Roma this season (G8), and has opened the scoring in seven of his last eight goalscoring appearances for the club. Slovan’s Rahim Ibrahim boasts a similar early impact, having scored three of his four goals across all competitions this season within the opening 30 minutes of play.
Roma will need to assess the fitness of Paulo Dybala ahead of kick-off, while Slovan Bratislava report no fresh injury concerns following their weekend action.
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Betting Analysis
Slovan leak goals at an alarming rate in the UCL, yet they have managed to find the net in nearly every away fixture this season. Pairing a Roma victory with both teams to score offers decent value.
Author: Tomáš Vlasák