bologna vs roma — Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini insists his side will treat the Europa League tie the same as Serie A, even as an attacking injury crisis bites. The first leg is set for the Stadio Dall’Ara on Thursday at 17. 45 GMT (18. 45 CET), with the return scheduled at the Stadio Olimpico next week. Gasperini confirmed Roma will miss Matias Soulé, Paulo Dybala, Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson and that Gianluca Mancini is suspended, while Mario Hermoso is included in the squad.
Bologna Vs Roma: Injuries, availability and immediacy
Gasperini was clear about selection constraints and about Hermoso’s role in the immediate matchday squad. “We’ll see tomorrow, at the moment Hermoso is available and could play, but he’s been out for a while, so we’ll see if it’s from the start or off the bench, ” Gian Piero Gasperini, Head Coach of AS Roma, said. The coach listed multiple absentees in attack and a suspension in defence, underlining the narrow options for the tie at the Stadio Dall’Ara.
Gasperini on priorities and Malen’s ‘very rare’ situation
Gasperini rejected the idea that Roma would sacrifice domestic priorities for Europe. “Every game is important, we cannot make calculations, but take them one at a time trying to give our best in each one, ” Gian Piero Gasperini, Head Coach of AS Roma, said, stressing the club will not let matches go by choice. On the January arrivals he singled out Donyell Malen: “We are scoring more goals, the trend is positive thanks also to the arrival of Malen, who has made us more dangerous in attack, ” and added, “Donyell Malen’s situation is very rare. ” The coach also flagged the need to understand broader Italian club trends in Europe and pointed to deeper issues beyond tactics.
Svilar, the squad mood and what happens next
Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar underlined the dressing-room focus ahead of European night. “I am extremely motivated. Nobody needs to try to motivate me because I’m a very ambitious person, ” Mile Svilar, Goalkeeper for AS Roma, said, adding: “Our goal is always to win. European nights are special and it should go without saying that we’ll do our best to advance to the next round. ” With only one Italian team guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals from the tie and the second leg due at the Stadio Olimpico, attention will fall on Hermoso’s fitness, how the attack copes without its absent starters, and whether Malen can replicate the instant impact his arrival has produced.
Next developments will be decided on the pitch: team announcements and Hermoso’s status ahead of kick-off will set the tone for the tie, and the return at the Stadio Olimpico will determine which Italian side reaches the quarter-finals. The key on-field question heading into bologna vs roma is whether Roma’s makeshift attack can deliver the goals that Gasperini says Malen has already helped supply.
