New Delhi: AS Roma will kick off their UEFA Europa League campaign against Athletic Bilbao at the Stadio Olimpico tonight. Roma so far holds three points on the board from four Serie A matches. They have recently sacked their manager Daniele De Rossi who led the Gillorossi to the semifinals but starting slow this term cost him his job.
Despite facing fan protests at Stadio Olimpico Roma finally managed to post their first win of the season last time out beating in-form Udinedse 3-0. After starting strong Juric will now attempt to lead his side to victory on the opening matchday.
Athletic Club, on the other hand, last featured on the European stage back in 2018 when they were knocked out in the Europa League’s last 16 by Marseille.
The Bilbao club lost their last three games of that campaign and six years on they will be looking to avoid losing four consecutive European ties for the first time in their history.
Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic Bilbao will head to Rome with confidence, aiming to extend their winning streak to four consecutive matches. The Basque side has found their form as they secured three straight La Liga victories during the latter half of September.
Having won one in nine previous trips to Itlay, Athletic Club will try to turn a new page todaybut before the action kicks off let’s take a look at which team holds the upper hand over the other.
Team News
In the AS Roma camp, Ivan Juric may consider changes between league fixtures but his options could be limited, particularly with Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini’s status uncertain for today’s match. The Italian midfielder sustained a knee injury during the game against Udinese, leaving him doubtful after missing training sessions.
Pellegrini will join Alexis Saelemaekers and Enzo Le Fee on the sidelines, with the latter aiming to recover before Sunday’s Serie A clash with Venezia.
On a more positive note, Ukrainian forward Artem Dovbyk has found the back of the net in consecutive games for Roma. However, he faces a challenge ahead, taking on Athletic Bilbao, one of the few La Liga teams he didn’t score against during his standout 2023-24 season with Girona.
In the Athletic Club camp, they will be missing key players as they head to Italy. Euro 2024 winner Nico Williams is a major doubt after suffering an ankle sprain in their recent encounter against Leganes. The absence of their star winger is a significant blow for the Basque side.
Additionally, centre-back Yeray Alvarez and first-choice goalkeeper Unai Simon are also out, meaning Julen Agirrezabala will again stand in between the posts. Inaki Williams is expected to lead the line in his brother’s likely absence while Alex Berenguer, Oihan Sancet, and Alvaro Djalo compete for positions in the attack.
Head-to-Head
AS Roma and Athletic Bilbao will meet for the first time. Roma will be meeting a 10th different Spanish team in Bilbao in UEFA competitions while Bilbao have had 20 meetings across all competitions with seven different Italian teams.
This season AS Roma have won one of their five Serie A games keeping three clean sherets. They have lost just one of their last 12 home games in the Europa League with that loss coming against Bayer Leverkusen in the semi-finals.
Athletic on the other hand, have lost their last three games in the Europa League. They have lost one game in their last seven fixtures in the competition. Bilbao have won their two away games in this month scoring five goals and conceding twice.
Predicted lineup
AS Roma: Ryan; Mancini, Hermoso, Ndicka; Celik, Kone, Cristante, El Shaarawy; Soule, Baldanzi; Dovbyk
Athletic Bilbao: Agirrezabala; Gorosabel, Vivian, Paredes, Yuri; Ruiz de Galarreta, Vesga; I. Williams, Sancet, Berenguer; Guruzeta
When, where, and how to watch the AS Roma vs Athletic Bilbao match in India?
The AS Roma vs Athletic Bilbao UEFA Europa League 2024/25 match will be telecast live on Sony Sports Network in India. Live streaming of the Champions League 2024/25 will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.
Match Prediction
After Ivan Juric has taken the reins at Roma it would be harder to beat the home side so Athletic Club will have to wait for a win on the Italian peninsular. Both teams will probably settle for one point from one of their tough league-contests with much easier and friendly fixtures awaiting either side next month.
Final Scoreline: AS Roma 1-1 Athletic Bilbao
AS Roma will host Athletic Bilbao at the Stadio Olimpico tonight. But before the action kicks off, let’s examine which team has the upper hand over the other. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
