Roma vs Lille: Who will secure a second straight Europa League victory?
In the second round of the UEFA Europa League, Roma will face Lille on Thursday, October 2. The match kicks off at 18:45 Central European Time, and here’s my take on the best bet for this clash.
Roma vs Lille: Match preview
Roma have changed head coach, with Gasperini taking over the reins. He’s made a solid start to the new season. In Serie A, the Wolves have suffered only one defeat—at home to Torino, 0-1. In the other four games, they’ve claimed victory. Roma now sit third in the table with 12 points. In the Europa League, the Italians opened with a 2-1 away win over Nice. In their most recent outing, Roma also triumphed, beating Verona 2-0.
Lille, meanwhile, hosted Lyon in their last match and fell 0-1, conceding the only goal in the 13th minute. In Ligue 1, the team has lost its last two games, but also has three wins and a draw to its name. After six rounds, Lille have ten points and occupy sixth place. Like Roma, Lille kicked off their Europa League campaign with a victory—beating Brann 2-1 at home, with Olivier Giroud netting the winner. Despite a shaky domestic run, Lille have found success in Europe.
Match facts and head-to-head
- Roma have won their last three matches.
- Lille have lost two of their previous three games.
- Lille have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last five matches.
- Lille have won just once in their last seven away fixtures.
- Roma have lost only one of their last twenty home matches.
- Lille and Roma have met just once in history—in 2019, the Wolves claimed a 3-2 victory.
Probable line-ups
- Roma: Svilar; Hermoso, Mancini, Ndicka; Rensch, Cristante, El Aynaoui, Tsimikas; Soulé, El Shaarawy; Dovbyk
- Lille: Bodart; Santos, Ngoy, Mbemba, Verdunk; Bentaleb, Bouaddi; Fernandez-Pardo, Haraldsson, Sahraoui; Giroud
Prediction
Roma have been outstanding on their home turf. Both teams started the group stage with wins, but the Wolves look poised to build on their momentum. Lille are struggling at the moment, having lost twice in a row in Ligue 1. That’s why my pick is a Roma victory.
