The UEFA Europa League kicks off its group stage on Thursday as Roma host Athletic Bilbao at the Stadio Olimpico in a highly anticipated clash between two storied clubs. This marks the first ever competitive meeting between the Italian and Spanish sides as they begin their European campaigns.
Roma enter this fixture in a state of flux, having recently parted ways with manager Daniele De Rossi after a poor start to their Serie A season. With just 3 points from 4 league matches, the Giallorossi acted swiftly to appoint Croatian coach Ivan Juric last week. Juric got off to a positive start, guiding Roma to a 3-0 win over Udinese in his debut – their first victory of the season.
Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao arrive in strong form under veteran manager Ernesto Valverde. The Basque club have won their last three La Liga matches in a row to climb to third in the table. Their most recent outing saw them defeat Celta Vigo 3-0 thanks to a brace from Gorka Guruzeta.
Roma are regular participants in European competition and have a strong recent record in the Europa League. They’ve lost just 3 of their last 18 matches in the tournament, winning half of those games. Last season saw them reach the semi-finals under Jose Mourinho before being eliminated by Bayer Leverkusen. The Giallorossi also lifted the inaugural UEFA Conference League trophy in 2022.
For Athletic Bilbao, this marks their return to European football after a 6-year absence. They last featured in the 2017/18 Europa League, where they were knocked out in the Round of 16 by Marseille. The Basque side will be eager to avoid losing a fourth straight European tie for the first time in their history.
Team News
Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini is a major doubt after picking up a knee injury against Udinese. Alexis Saelemaekers and Enzo Le Fee are also sidelined for the hosts. Ukrainian striker Artem Dovbyk will look to continue his goalscoring form after netting in back-to-back matches.
Athletic Bilbao will be without star winger Nico Williams due to an ankle sprain[1]. First-choice goalkeeper Unai Simon and defender Yeray Alvarez are also unavailable[1]. Inaki Williams is expected to feature prominently in his brother’s absence.
Expected Starting XIs
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
Match Prediction
This promises to be a tightly contested affair between two well-matched sides. Roma will be buoyed by their weekend win and home advantage, but Athletic’s excellent form makes them dangerous opponents. Both teams have the quality to find the net, so goals seem likely. A scoring draw appears the most probable outcome as these teams feel each other out in their group stage opener.
Prediction: Roma 1-1 Athletic Bilbao
