Roma vs Servette preview, team news, line-ups and prediction

The finalists of the previous Europa League campaign, Roma, will host Servette at the Stadio Olimpico for their second group stage match in the Europa League on Thursday.

The Giallorossi commenced their Europa League campaign with a 2-1 victory against Sheriff Tiraspol. Currently, they occupy the second place in Group G with three points, while Servette find itself in fourth position without any points after experiencing defeat in their inaugural group stage encounter against Slavia Prague.

Despite initiating their Serie A season with a resounding 7-0 triumph over Empoli, Roma’s start to the new season in Serie A have been far from convincing. They secured their second Serie A victory during the weekend; however, winning against newly promoted Frosinone at home was deemed as the bare minimum expectation.

Their European performances have been more impressive, especially after their victory over Sheriff in Moldova. The Giallorossi are now aiming for another win against Servette, which would significantly enhance their chances of topping the group. Fans who want to attend the game can use a ticket marketplace such as Seatsnet to buy tickets for the match.

Servette, on the other hand, had a runner-up finish in the Swiss Super League last year but have had a sluggish start to their domestic campaign, much like Roma. Head coach Réne Weiler is likely focusing on damage limitation in Rome, with Servette potentially aiming for a third-place finish in the group and a move to the Europa Conference League.

In their recent domestic fixture, Servette faced Lausanne-Sport and secured a 2-1 victory at home, remaining unbeaten in their last two games with one draw and one win in that span.

While Roma have excelled in UEFA competitions over the past two seasons, their narrow win against Sheriff in Transnistria a couple of weeks ago was one of the few bright spots in what has been a dismal start to the domestic season for them.

Roma had to rely on Romelu Lukaku’s brilliance to secure a victory against Sheriff, with Lukaku scoring a fantastic individual goal that proved to be the winner in that match.

Remarkably, Lukaku’s goal against the Moldovan champions extended his incredible streak of scoring in 12 Europa League games. Since his goal in a 2-0 victory for Everton against Wolfsburg in 2014, Lukaku has now scored 16 goals in those 12 matches, with his strike in Tiraspol marking his first in European competitions for Roma.

Following a disappointing 4-1 loss to Genoa, the Giallorossi bounced back with a 2-0 home win against Frosinone in Serie A. Lukaku found the net once again in that victory over Frosinone and is likely to have the opportunity to make an impact on the European stage this Thursday. His presence should pose significant problems for Servette, and he might very well add to his goal tally.

European group stage debutants, Servette, face their first-ever competitive journey to Italy, but it comes on the heels of a disappointing start to their campaign.

Excluding two cup victories against lower-league opponents, Servette have managed just two wins in their other 14 matches this season. Their defeat at home to Slavia Prague on matchday one of the Europa League only added to their shaky start, and their away form in European competitions doesn’t provide much encouragement, with only one win in their last six trips on the continent.

Nonetheless, Coach Réne will be hoping that Servette’s recent victory over Lausanne, which ended an eight-game winless streak, can serve as a turning point to improve their fortunes.

AS ROMA VS. SERVETTE MATCH DETAILS

• Venue: Stadio Olimpico
• Location: Rome, Italy
• Date: Thursday 5 October 2023
• Kick-off Time: 3 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT.
• Referee: Igor Pajač CRO
• Assistant Referees: Ivan Mihalj CRO, Vedran Ðurak CRO
• Video Assistant Referee: Ivan Bebek CEO
• Assistant Video Assistant Referee:Juan Martinez Munuera ESP
• Fourth official: Patrik Kolarić CRO

AS ROMA VS. SERVETTE TEAM NEWS

Jose Mourinho may want to make some changes for this match to provide rest to some of his players, but injuries pose a significant challenge for him. Paulo Dybala will unlikely be available, potentially opening up opportunities for Andrea Belotti or Stephen El Shaarawy in the attacking role.

Renato Sanches, who arrived from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, started the first match against Sheriff in Moldova but is sidelined due to injury, ruling him out for this fixture.

The Giallorossi face defensive challenges with notable absentees including Chris Smalling, Diego Llorente, and Marash Kumbulla. This could mean that Bryan Cristante might have to step in as a makeshift defender, as he did against Frosinone over the weekend.

Tammy Abraham, still faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to an ACL tear he suffered during preseason.

On the Servette side, they may miss center-back Jérôme Onguéné, who left the field injured during the weekend. If he is unavailable, Nicolas Vouilloz could step in as a replacement.

Miroslav Stevanovic, a key figure for the Swiss team, comes into this match in good form, having scored in his last two outings. Swiss-born Cypriot international Joel Mall regained his place in the starting lineup for the Lausanne victory after being a substitute in the previous four games.

AS ROMA VS. SERVETTE PREDICTED LINEUP

Roma predicted line up: (3-5-2): Patricio; Cristante, Ndicka, Mancini; Kristensen, Bove, Pellegrini, Zalewski, Spinazzola; Lukaku, El Shaarawy

Servette predicted line up: (4-4-2): Mall; Tsunemoto, Vouilloz, Rouiller, Mazikou; Antunes, Douline, Cognat, Stevanović; Bedia, Guillemenot

AS ROMA VS. SERVETTE PREDICTION

Roma may have had an underwhelming start to their domestic season, but their Europa League form have been more promising, notably with a victory against Sheriff in Moldova during matchday one.

Furthermore, the Giallorossi have a solid track record, boasting a five-game winning streak at home in the Europa League. This sets the stage for Roma to aim for another win and secure all three points against Servette at the Stadio Olimpico.

Considering their upcoming back-to-back matches against Slavia Prague in this competition, a victory in this fixture would be vital for Roma to position themselves favorably in Group G. In contrast, expect Réne Weiler, the Servette coach, to adopt a defensive approach on Thursday to contain Roma’s attack.

Mourinho is already under pressure, and he will look for a strong performance. Roma 2-1 Servette