Romavs
Slovan BratislavaRoma have been waiting seven years for a Champions League win, and that wait has started to feel less like an awkward statistic and more like an actual wound. Last Wednesday was supposed to be the night they finally ended it. They were 3-1 up against Real Madrid with eight minutes left. Eight minutes. Then it all fell apart in the most Roma way imaginable, conceding three times in the closing stages to lose a game they had been winning comfortably. Jose Mourinho was in the stands watching his old club implode, and his former player Antonio Rudiger scored the winner. You honestly could not write it.
Now Gian Piero Gasperini needs a response, and he needs it at Stadio Olimpico against a Slovan Bratislava side that has the worst record of any team in the history of European away football. That is not hyperbole. That is just the numbers. This fixture sets up as clearly as any you will find in the Champions League this week, and Roma will know it. The pressure to deliver is enormous.
Roma vs Slovan Bratislava Match Details
This UEFA Champions League league phase fixture takes place at Stadio Olimpico in Rome, one of the great old European grounds, and a fortress that Roma have not lost a home league game at in over ten months. Slovan arrive as heavy underdogs, without a single away win in eleven European Cup and Champions League matches on the road, with the one exception coming back in 1970. Their sole victory in Italy dates back even further than that.
Team News
Roma are carrying some notable absences in the middle of the park, which could take a little shine off what should be a comfortable evening. Gasperini is without two key midfielders and still has a goalkeeping headache to deal with.
- Bryan Cristante is still out with a knee problem and has yet to return to training
- Manu Kone picked up a thigh injury against Madrid and looks set to miss around three weeks
- Mile Svilar remains sidelined, so Pier Luigi Gollini continues in goal
- Paulo Dybala is a doubt after coming off at half time against Madrid with a muscle strain, though there is some hope he could feature
For Slovan, Yaya Toure has options up front with Roman Cerepkai, Suleiman Camara and Andraz Sporar all pushing for the centre forward role. Camara started the weekend win over Spartak Trnava so he may keep his place. Tigran Barseghyan is their most dangerous creator and will almost certainly start on the wing.
Predicted Lineups
Without Cristante and Kone, Gasperini will likely hand Nicolo Pisilli and Mats de Roon the engine room duties. Donyell Malen impressed with two goals against Madrid before the collapse and having served his domestic suspension at the weekend, he will be desperate to start and push Santiago Castro down the pecking order. Matias Soule and Lorenzo Pellegrini complete the attacking support behind the striker.
Roma: Gollini; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Lulli, De Roon, Pisilli, Wesley; Soule, Pellegrini; Malen
Toure will set Slovan up to be compact and hard to break down, knowing full well they have no realistic chance of getting at Roma on the counter with the quality differential involved. Barseghyan will carry the creative burden from the right, and Sporar is the likeliest name to lead the line given his experience at this level.
Slovan Bratislava: Takac; Blackman, Bajric, Markovic, Cruz; Pokorny, Ibrahim; Barseghyan, Martinez, Camara; Sporar
Recent Form
Roma are unbeaten in Serie A this season, which tells you something about how far Gasperini has taken this club in just over a year. Four wins from their opening four league games, then draws against Inter Milan and Como, two sides capable of hurting you, before Santiago Castro and young Emanuele Lulli got the goals to beat Genoa at the weekend. They sit just behind early leaders Inter and look like a genuine title contender in Italy.
The Champions League form is the frustrating footnote. A 1-1 draw away to Fenerbahce where they gave away a lead, then the extraordinary collapse against Madrid. One point from two games when they really should have more. The underlying performances suggest they are capable of competing at this level, but something keeps going wrong in the final moments and that is something Gasperini needs to address quickly before it becomes a habit.
Slovan’s season has been bleak on the European front. A 6-1 hiding from Paris Saint-Germain on matchday one, followed by a 3-0 defeat to Stuttgart. They became the first side to lose their opening ten Champions League games in history two years ago when they finished 35th of 36 teams, and they are tracking toward a repeat. Domestically they are only fourth in the Slovak Super Liga after ten rounds, which is not where a club of their stature expects to be. The 3-0 win over Spartak Trnava at the weekend was welcome, but it papers over some deep cracks.
Head-to-Head Record
These two sides do have some history, and it is not all in Roma’s favour. Fifteen years ago Slovan knocked the Giallorossi out of Europa League qualifying, winning the aggregate tie 2-1. That will be a nice bit of trivia to warm the Slovan travelling support, but it counts for very little in the context of where both clubs are right now.
In terms of more recent trends, Roma have won four of their last five meetings with Slovan in all competitions on Italian soil, and Slovan have won just once in Italy across all those encounters. Away from home in European competition, Slovan are essentially without a win across the last five decades outside of that one result back in 1970. The venue factor is enormous in this fixture.
Key Stats
- Slovan have conceded an average of 3.6 goals per game since entering the Champions League league phase format two years ago
- Roma have not lost a home league game at Stadio Olimpico in over ten months
- Slovan have faced more shots on target than any other side in this season’s Champions League already
- Malen has three goal involvements in just two Champions League appearances this term, plus six league goals in Serie A
Roma vs Slovan Bratislava Betting Tips
The shape of this game feels very clear. Roma are at home, they are hurting after that Madrid collapse, and they are facing a side that quite literally has not won away in European competition since the year England last hosted the World Cup. The betting angle here is heavily weighted toward the hosts winning comfortably, with the only real question being how many they score.
Both Teams To Score (BTTS) Prediction
No is the call here. Slovan have shipped goals for fun in Europe, conceding over three and a half per game, and while Barseghyan is a threat, Roma’s back four under Gasperini is well organised and hard to break down. The visitors creating enough to score against a motivated Giallorossi side at the Olimpico feels unlikely.
Correct Score Prediction
Roma 2-0 Slovan Bratislava. Gasperini’s side should control this without too much stress, with Malen the likeliest name to get on the scoresheet early. Slovan’s defensive record at this level is dreadful and the hosts will punish them, but with a makeshift midfield and a point to prove rather than needing to chase the game, two well-taken goals and a clean sheet seems the most probable outcome.
Over and Under Goals Prediction
Over 2.5 goals looks good value here. Roma should be scoring two or three without breaking a sweat given the opposition, and while Slovan are unlikely to open Roma up, the sheer volume of chances the hosts will create makes this go over 2.5 with some confidence. Slovan have conceded 3.6 per game in the Champions League, and Roma at home are no slouches in front of goal.
Cards Prediction
Over 3.5 cards looks appealing. Slovan will need to foul to stay in the game as Roma build their pressure, and frustrated defenders tend to pick up bookings as the second half wears on. Gasperini teams press with intensity and draw fouls. Expect a handful of yellow cards as Slovan try to slow Roma down once the hosts get their noses in front.
First Goalscorer Prediction
Donyell Malen is the standout pick. He scored twice against Madrid before the collapse, he has six Serie A goals already and he is absolutely flying right now. He missed the Genoa win due to a domestic ban, so he will be fully rested and motivated to make an impact. He arrives into the box from deep and reads the game well, and he should be in the thick of it from the first whistle.
Corners Prediction
Over 8.5 corners looks a solid shout. Roma are going to dominate territory and possession, which means repeated attacks down the flanks through Lulli and Wesley. When Roma get into wide areas, they tend to whip balls in and force corners. Slovan defending deep will gift the hosts plenty of set piece opportunities, and Slovan themselves may try to launch a few on the break, adding to the overall corner count.
Bet Builder Tip
| Market | Selection |
|---|---|
| Match Result | Roma to Win |
| Both Teams To Score | No |
| First Goalscorer | Donyell Malen |
Roma winning to nil with Malen opening the scoring ties together the three strongest threads of this preview into one tidy package.
Final Match Prediction
Roma 2-0 Slovan Bratislava. The hosts are too good, too motivated and too well set up at home for this to be anything other than a comfortable win. Gasperini will have had his players working hard on the training pitch this week after that Madrid nightmare, and Slovan are the perfect opponent to restore some confidence and finally end that seven-year wait for a Champions League victory.
The midfield absences are a slight concern, but Roma’s attacking quality is more than enough to carve through a Slovan backline that has been torn apart repeatedly in Europe. Toure’s side will work hard and they do have individual quality in Barseghyan, but they are not getting anything from this one. Roma to win to nil, and Malen to be the man who gets the goals rolling.
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