Tottenham Hotspur welcome Roma to North London for a crucial Europa League encounter on Thursday, with both sides looking to improve their standing in the competition. The match marks a return to England for Roma’s new manager Claudio Ranieri, who famously led Leicester City to a Premier League title in 2016, pipping Spurs in the process.
Spurs enter the fixture on a high after their stunning 4-0 victory over Manchester City in the Premier League. This result showcased Tottenham’s offensive prowess, as they are now the league’s top scorers. However, their defensive record remains a concern, with only three clean sheets in the league so far.
In the Europa League, Tottenham’s perfect start was halted by a 3-2 loss to Galatasaray before the international break. Despite this setback, Spurs boast an impressive home record in the competition, having won their last seven matches without conceding while scoring 19 goals.
Roma, on the other hand, find themselves in turmoil. Now on their third manager of the season, the Giallorossi have struggled both domestically and in Europe. Claudio Ranieri, coaxed out of retirement, faces an uphill battle to turn the team’s fortunes around. Roma currently sit 12th in Serie A and 20th in the Europa League standings, with their only win coming against a pointless Dynamo Kyiv.
The clash represents the first-ever competitive meeting between these two sides. Tottenham will look to capitalize on their strong home record against Italian clubs, having lost just once in 10 previous encounters. However, their overall Europa League record against Italian opposition is less impressive, with only two wins from eight matches.
Team News
Tottenham’s injury woes continue with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario sidelined after ankle surgery. The absence of first-choice center-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven means Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies are likely to start in defense. Rodrigo Bentancur is expected to feature in midfield as his domestic suspension doesn’t apply to European fixtures.
Roma may stick with the 4-4-2 formation Ranieri employed in their recent loss to Napoli. Lorenzo Pellegrini has returned from injury, while Paulo Dybala could be in line for a start. Mario Hermoso and Alexis Saelemaekers are nearing fitness, but Eldor Shomurodov remains unavailable.
Expected Starting XIs
Tottenham Hotspur: Forster; Spence, Dragusin, Davies, Gray; Sarr, Bentancur; Johnson, Maddison, Werner; Solanke
Roma: Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Hummels, Angelino; Soule, Baldanzi, Cristante, Zalewski; Dybala, Dovbyk
Match Prediction
With Roma’s poor record in England and current form, Tottenham are favored to secure a victory. Despite their inconsistencies, Spurs’ impressive European home record and recent performances suggest they should have enough quality to overcome the struggling Italian side. A 2-0 win for the hosts seems a likely outcome, which would strengthen Tottenham’s position in the Europa League while further compounding Roma’s woes.
Prediction: Spurs 2-0 Roma
