PREDICTED LINE UP | Nice v Roma | OneFootball

OGC Nice play host to Serie A side AS Roma at the Allianz Riviera tonight, as both teams get their Europa League campaigns underway.

The Ligue 1 side return to continental football, looking to work over the memory of last season’s League Phase failure, while the Serie A outfit arrive under Gian Piero Gasperini with renewed belief and the pedigree of recent European success.

Winning just six points from their opening five games, Nice are switching to European duty with a fresh start on their minds. They currently sit 12th in the table and will be open to any early injection of inspiration after the weekend’s 4-1 drubbing away at Brest.

The question of whether they’ll find that against a Roma side that enter the fixture with momentum remains enigmatic. The Giallorossi have won three of their opening four Serie A matches to sit fourth in the standings. They’ll be motivated to increase their spell of good form after their 1-0 derby win over bitter rivals Lazio.

OGC Nice

Veteran Nice defender Dante remains sidelined with a knee injury, along with several other long-term absentees in Tanguy Ndombele, Mohamed Abdelmonem, Djibril Coulibaly, Ali Abdi and Youssouf Ndayishimiye.

While the hosts continue to struggle with their current depth, they’re still expected to take up their 3-4-2-1 formation.

OGC Nice (3-4-2-1): Diouf; Oppong, Bah, Bard; Clauss, Boudaoui, Vanhoutte, Gouveia; Diop, Boga; Moffi.

AS Roma

In comparison to Franck Haise’s squad dilemma, Gian Piero Gasperini has only two missing pieces to worry about.

Paulo Dybala is a doubt. He was forced off through injury during the 1-0 defeat at home against Torino and missed the Lazio derby, though he could return to the matchday squad.

Leon Bailey remains out after picking up an injury during his first training session following his loan move from Aston Villa. Wesley Franca is also a concern, while Mario Hermoso is unlikely to feature due to muscle fatigue, according to Sports Mole.

AS Roma (3-4-1-2): Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Ndicka; Rensch, Cristante, Kone, Angelino; Soule, Pellegrini; Ferguson.

GIFN | Max Bradfield