Europa League Preview: Rangers vs Roma – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Ibrox Stadium sets the stage for Thursday’s high-stakes UEFA Europa League showdown between Rangers and Roma. A place in the knockout stages is potentially at stake as the two sides meet for the first time.

It’s been a dreadful start to the league phase for Rangers as they sit bottom of the 36-team table after losing all three matches so far. Genk, Sturm Graz, and Brann got the better of the Ibrox powerhouse in the opening three rounds, nailing them to the foot of the standings.

With that in mind, it’s barely surprising that Rangers sacked underperforming manager Martin Russell at the start of October. However, his successor, Danny Rohl, has endured an indifferent start to his tenure (W2, L2), with one of those two defeats arriving in this competition against Brann.

Meanwhile, automatic round-of-16 qualification seemed like a realistic target for Roma at the start of the competition. Despite beating OGC Nice on Gian Piero Gasperini’s touchline debut in European football, the wheels have since fallen off, leaving Roma on the precipice of an early elimination.

Back-to-back defeats to Lille and Plzen have significantly derailed Roma’s pursuit of a coveted top-eight finish. Indeed, Gasperini’s men languish in a dismal 23rd place ahead of the kick-off, highlighting the importance of taking all three points in Glasgow.

Needless to say, anything other than victory would probably spell the end of Rangers’ hopes of reaching the knockouts. As such, the Ibrox clash promises to be a tense, winner-takes-all encounter.

Match Preview

Rangers

A feel-good factor has vacated Ibrox after arch-rivals Celtic beat Rangers in Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final after extra time. The Gers will be desperate to bounce back with a rare win against Italian clubs. Indeed, they’ve failed to win any of their last four UEFA-sanctioned meetings with Serie A sides (D2, L2).

There’s another reason for concern, as Rangers stand on the brink of an unwanted piece of club history. The Scottish heavyweights have lost their last six European matches, putting themselves at risk of suffering seven continental defeats on the trot for the first time in the club’s illustrious history.

It’s equally worth noting that Rangers have emerged victorious from only two of their last nine home outings in the Europa League main draw (D3, L4), reinforcing the notion that they will face an uphill task today. Roma’s disjointed frontline could improve their scoring record here, given that the Gers have conceded at least twice in five of their last six European games.

Roma

There’s no longer a margin for error if Roma are to qualify for the knockout stages, let alone claw their way back into the top eight. However, the visitors’ confidence took a hit last weekend as they slumped to a narrow 1-0 defeat to bitter Serie A rivals Milan, with Paulo Dybala missing a late penalty at San Siro.

Nonetheless, the Giallorossi must set aside their quest to win their first Scudetto since 2000/01 after compromising their chances of securing knockout qualification in Europe’s second-tier competition. Leaving the Italian borders could inflict further damage on Roma’s position in the standings as they’ve only won two of their last 13 away games in the Europa League main draw (D6, L5).

Against this backdrop, Roma had won five consecutive road fixtures in all competitions before Sunday’s slump at San Siro. Gasperini’s men can draw further confidence from their decent all-time record against Scottish clubs in European action, having lost just one of their five such contests (W2, D2).

Team News

Rangers remain without star winger Rabbi Matondo, defender Dujon Sterling, and midfielder Kieran Dowell due to injury. Kieran Dowell is also at risk of missing this pivotal clash. On the bright side, Connor Barron returns to the squad after serving a one-game suspension against Brann.

As for Roma, Artem Dovbyk is expected to lead the line in the absence of the injured Evan Ferguson. However, Roma will miss several first-team stars tonight, including Angelino, Tommaso Baldanzi, Devis Vasquez, and Dybala. Meanwhile, Aston Villa loanee Leon Bailey is in contention for his first European start for the Giallorossi.

Rangers vs Roma Potential Starting Line-ups

Rangers (4-2-3-1): Butland; Tavernier, Souttar, Cornelius, Meghoma; Diomande, Raskin; Moore, Danilo, Gassama; Miovski.

Roma (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Ndicka; Rensch, Kone, El Aynaoui, Tsimikas; Bailey, Pellegrini; Dovbyk.

Rangers vs Roma Prediction

Given what’s at stake here, it’s hard to expect a high-scoring game. Instead, goalscoring opportunities could be at a premium, which may favor Roma. Indeed, the Italian giants have thrived in close contests under Gasperini, becoming synonymous with a narrow 1-0 scoreline.