Europa League: Seagulls are Set to Land in Rome

AS Roma vs Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton head to the Italian capital city on Thursday to take on AS Roma in a blockbuster clash which will ultimately, see one of the fancied teams crash out of the 2024 Europa League.  

The winner of this tie will expect to go deep into the competition. Roma are at SBOTOP odds of 17.00 to win the trophy, while Brighton are at 13.50, and that makes them the fifth and fourth favourites behind Liverpool, Bayer Leverkusen, and AC Milan.

Which all means that this game is the tie of the round.  

Roma come into the game on the back of a 4-1 win away to Monza to make it four victories on the bounce, and they are up to fifth in the Serie A league table and well in the hunt for a top four place.

Meanwhile, Brighton are without a win in three, losing 3-0 to Fulham at the weekend, and the hosts will prepare a hostile reception when their visitors fly in on Thursday.   

Talking Points

Dybala and Pellegrini resurgent for Roma

Two of Roma’s biggest stars, striker Paulo Dybala and skipper Lorenzo Pellegrini, weren’t at their best earlier in the season, but when Daniele De Rossi took over as head coach in mid-January, the key players and the team’s results saw an immediate uptick. I Giallorossi have lost just once in 10 outings under the new boss, and both Dybala and Pellegrini have been in outstanding form.

Argentine hitman Dybala scored a hat-trick when Roma beat Torino recently, and he was on the mark again with a goal and an assist as Roma dismantled Monza at the weekend.  Pellegrini, Romelu Lukaku, and Leandro Paredes were also on target.

Midfield ace Pellegrini also scored Roma’s goal when they put out Feyenoord in the Round of 32. Dybala, with a brace, and Pellegrini were both on the scoresheet in a recent 4-0 thumping of Cagliari. These are two players banging in form.        

I Giallorossi’s last defeat came in a clash with runaway league leaders Inter Milan, and since then, they have been hugely impressive.

And don’t forget, in Lukaku they have one of the best goal scorers in recent Italian history. The powerful Belgian has scored six goals in the competition so far, and Brighton will know the danger they face.   

De Zerbi hoping for some home comfort  

The Seagulls stormed Europa League Group B, a tough group containing Marseille, Ajax, and AEK Athens and, as a reward, manager Roberto De Zerbi has booked a trip back to his home country.

The Brescia-born former Napoli player is in need of a boost after watching his team lose a second match in succession and a third in the last five games, and he has been dealt an unhelpful hand this season after selling some key players last summer.

Brighton headed to Fulham with injury problems, and they were pulled apart by the Cottagers on Saturday. And now, as they enter their first ever Europa League Round of 16 tie, they still have plenty of headaches.

The summer sales of Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo left a big hole in the midfield, and the issue has become more urgent in recent weeks due to a suspension to playmaker Billy Gilmour. The talented Scot is available for this game, and that is a big plus, while we’re sure to see a return for Pascal Gross, who started on the bench against Fulham after suffering cramp in recent weeks.

Both Gilmour and Gross will be needed if Brighton are to make enough chances to get a result, particularly with Kaoru Mitoma now sidelined for three months with a back injury.

Brazilian striker Joao Pedro has scored 19 goals this season including six in the Europa League, but he is doubtful, still struggling to shake off a thigh injury. And at the back, De Zerbi has a slight concern over defencive rock Lewis Dunk, who he withdrew on 60 minutes against the Cottagers.  

It will be nice for the Brighton boss to spend some time in Italy, but it could be a difficult night in Rome for him and his players.

History

They meet on a level playing field, but these two teams could hardly have different histories.

While Roma are three-time Serie A champions, Champions League runners-up, and Europa Conference League champions in 2022, the Seagull’s biggest trophy win is an English third-tier triumph in 2011.    

This is the first time these two teams have met so, without any Europa League 2024 results to work on, we’ll make a call based on recent form.

Roma have been much the stronger with four wins, one draw, and a defeat from the last six, while Brighton have won two, drawn one, and lost three.   

Betting Tip

The Europa League 2024 betting odds are backing a home win with the Seagulls at 2.85. The draw is at 3.04, and I’m heading that way too.

For an alternative bet, with two attack-minded teams, Over 2.50 goals looks likely at odds of 1.81. And for a correct scoreline, 3-1 to Roma is available at 16.84.    

 

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