Preview:Roma vs Lille - prediction, team news, lineups

Two contenders for a top-eight finish will meet at Stadio Olimpico on Thursday, as Roma and Lille lock horns in the Europa League.

Both sides are intent on going straight through to the last 16, so they will be keen to keep up the pace after starting with a win on the opening matchday.

Match preview

Roma are set to meet French opponents for the second straight week, having seen off Nice at Allianz Riviera last Wednesday, when they claimed a record-equalling 98th Europa League win.

New boss Gian Piero Gasperini famously guided Atalanta BC to glory in 2024, and he returned to UEFA's second-tier competition with a 2-1 victory in southern France.

Defensive duo Evan Ndicka and Gianluca Mancini were both on target - and the latter also had a goal ruled out - as Roma made a successful start to the league phase.

Having previously beaten bitter rivals Lazio in the Derby della Capitale, Gasperini's men then made it three wins on the spin at the weekend, when Artem Dovbyk and Matias Soule scored against Hellas Verona.

Since Gasperini started his Roman reign, succeeding local hero Claudio Ranieri, the Giallorossi have won five times and lost only once, conceding just two goals along the way.

Level on points with leaders AC Milan and defending champions Napoli in the early Serie A standings, the capital club are clearly building on solid foundations laid by Ranieri.

Furthermore, history will be firmly behind them on Thursday: despite a tumultuous start to their 2024-25 campaign, Roma were unbeaten in six European home fixtures, and they have won 75% of their Europa League games at Stadio Olimpico.

Lille matched Roma's fifth-placed domestic finish last season, in addition to making quite a mark on the Champions League.

Bruno Genesio’s side memorably defeated both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in the league phase of UEFA's top competition, so they started big favourites to beat Brann in this year's Europa League opener.

On home turf, forwards Hamza Igamane and Olivier Giroud both found the net in a 2-1 success, though it took the latter to emerge from the bench and score LOSC's late winning goal.

In doing so, Giroud became the oldest substitute ever to score a Europa League goal, and he will be 39 by the time he arrives in Rome for what could be Lille's toughest league-phase fixture.

Les Dogues have won four of their first seven games this season, scoring 15 goals, and they boast one of the most potent attacks in Ligue 1.

However, they failed to breach the league's best defence on Sunday, when Genesio was sent off as his team succumbed to a niggly 1-0 defeat against high-flying Lyon.

Roma Europa League form:

Roma form (all competitions):

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Lille Europa League form:

Lille form (all competitions):

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Team News

Roma pair Paulo Dybala and Leon Bailey are still sidelined by injury; while the former could return to action this weekend, the latter is expected back after the international break.

As Tommaso Baldanzi was not named in the club's UEFA list, Soule may have to continue on the right side of an attacking trident, which will be led by either Dovbyk or Evan Ferguson.

With one eye on Sunday's league game against Fiorentina, Gasperini could indulge in some rotation: for instance, wing-backs Devyne Rensch and Kostas Tsimikas may feature on either flank.

Similarly, Genesio is no stranger to switching up Lille's starting XI, having made six changes for his team's opening clash with Brann.

He also has several men missing: midfielder Benjamin Andre and defenders Thomas Meunier, Romain Perraud and Alexsandro have been joined in the treatment room by first-choice goalkeeper Berke Ozer.

Now into his 40th year, veteran striker Giroud has registered 17 Europa League goals to date, finishing as the tournament's top scorer when Chelsea claimed the trophy in 2019.

Roma possible starting lineup:

Svilar; Hermoso, Mancini, Ndicka; Rensch, Kone, El Aynaoui, Tsimikas; Soule, El Shaarawy; Ferguson

Lille possible starting lineup:

Bodart; Santos, Ngoy, Mbemba, Verdonk; Bentaleb, Bouaddi; Fernandez-Pardo, Haraldsson, Sahraoui; Giroud

We say: Roma 1-0 Lille

While they have fired blanks in their last two league matches, Lille can be dangerous after the break, having scored 11 of 15 goals this season during the second half.

Yet, Roma have lost just two Europa League home games to date, while they are proving particularly tough to score against under Gasperini - so the hosts will still prevail.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.