Football Italia
·12 Desember 2024
In partnership with
Yahoo sportsFootball Italia
·12 Desember 2024
Roma look to Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini to get their Europa League campaign back on track as they host SC Braga.
It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico at 17.45 GMT.
The Giallorossi finally got their first win under Claudio Ranieri, their fourth coach of 2024, with the 4-1 result against Lecce on Saturday.
That followed from a last-gasp comeback to hold Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 and keep their Europa League dreams afloat, so the pressure is on now to get points on the board.
Paulo Dybala was expected to be rested, but instead he starts as a False 9 supported by Matias Soule’ and returning Pellegrini, who Ranieri had dropped until he no longer felt such intense pressure from the fans.
Niccolò Pisilli takes control in midfield, but Bryan Cristante is still on the treatment table and Leandro Paredes is not even on the bench after coming down with flu.
NAPLES, ITALY – NOVEMBER 24: Claudio Ranieri AS Roma head coach before the Serie A match between Napoli and AS Roma at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on November 24, 2024 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
SC Braga have seven points in the Europa League to Roma’s six, holding Elfsborg 1-1 in a fixture that the Giallorossi lost.
Their most recent match was an impressive 3-0 victory over TSG Hoffenheim.
Bruma is their top scorer this season with 10 goals in 23 games, but surprisingly is left out along with defender Niakaté, reportedly due to a poor attitude in training.
Paulo Oliveira and Rodrigo Zalazar are both struggling with muscular problems.
These sides met before in the Europa League in February 2021, Roma winning 3-1 at home and 2-0 away.
Roma: Svilar; Mancini, Hummels, N’Dicka; Abdulhamid, Konè, Pisilli, Zalewski; Soulè, Pellegrini; Dybala
Braga: Matheus; Joao Ferreira, Paulo Oliveira, Robson Bambu; Roger Fernandes, Gorby, Joao Moutinho, Gharbi; Gabri Martinez, El Ouazzani, Ricardo Horta
Ref: Siebert (GER)