Preview: Roma vs. Stuttgart - prediction, team news, lineups

There is a lot to play for at Stadio Olimpico on Thursday, as Roma host Stuttgart in the penultimate round of the league phase of the Europa League.

While both clubs — placed ninth and 10th in the 36-team standings — are outside the coveted top-eight places, this week’s victor could rise into the automatic qualification positions.

Match preview

Gian Piero Gasperini's side have all but sealed their place in the knockout round playoffs, but the capital club have reason to aim higher, considering the table before matchday seven.

The Giallorossi are 10th in the table, level with Thursday's opponents, and a point behind seventh-placed Braga and Porto in eighth (both have 13 points).

Their prospects of finishing even higher are bolstered by knowing the top three — Lyon, Midtjylland and Aston Villa — have 15 points and the following clubs — Real Betis, Freiburg and Ferencvaros — have 14.

Victory on home turf at Stuttgart's expense this week could elevate them in the table, even if fans in the Eternal City will be wary heading into their club's final match in the capital, given their mixed results at the Olimpico.

Nine of their 12 points in the league phase have been away from home, where they are unblemished, holding a 100% record; however, the Italian club's two defeats to Lille (1-0) and Viktoria Plzen (2-1) have prevented the Giallorossi from a higher position in the standings.

Nonetheless, winning on Thursday will be demanded by supporters, who have seen their side claim victory in six of the past eight matches at the Olimpico in all competitions, especially as Stuttgart have not travelled well in the league phase.

If Roma’s issues have been in Rome, Stuttgart are not higher in the league phase as a consequence of their form outside of Baden-Wurttemberg.

Although they defeated Go Ahead Eagles 4-0 in Deventer in late November, previous results on the road ended in disappointment: losing to Basel (2-0) and Fenerbahce (1-0).

Contrast this with their results in BaWu, where they hold a 100% record, and Sebastian Hoeness’s team may be cautious at the Olimpico ahead of a first-ever competitive meeting with the Giallorossi.

That feeling is further enhanced when the German top-flight club's recent European results away from home are considered: six defeats, three wins and one draw.

Domestically, however, Hoeness’s team head into Thursday on a three-match winning run on their travels, averaging over three goals scored in triumphs over VfL Bochum (2-0) in the Pokal, as well as Bundesliga successes at Werder Bremen (4-0) and Bayer Leverkusen (4-1).

While those triumphs or a six-match undefeated run across all competitions do not guarantee a positive result at the Olimpico, they at the very least give the Bundesliga team that winning feeling away from home ahead of a first trip to take on Roma.

Roma Europa League form:

Roma form (all competitions):

Stuttgart Europa League form:

Stuttgart form (all competitions):

Team News

Evan Ferguson is expected to feature on Thursday, having recovered from the injury sustained in Roma's 2-0 victory over Sassuolo on January 10.

However, Mario Hermoso is expected to miss a month after going off injured against Torino last time out, while Artem Dovbyk (groin), Zeki Celik (muscle) and Pierluigi Gollini are on the sidelines.

One player who is no longer part of the group is Leon Bailey, as the wide attacker is set to return to Aston Villa following a disappointing loan move to Rome.

With Ferguson available, the match-winning onus rests on Paulo Dybala — scorer and provider in Roma’s 2-0 win over Torino — Lorenzo Pellegrini and the centre-forward; however, Villa loanee Donyell Malen is ineligible.

No player on the Stuttgart side has scored more than Bilal El Khannouss (three) in the Europa League, though the attacking midfielder — back after Morocco’s unsuccessful AFCON 2025 attempt on home soil — is suspended for accumulating yellow cards.

While Deniz Undav has been more provider in Europe than goalscorer — he has set up three goals and scored one — the forward’s 10 Bundesliga goals — six more than Ermedin Demirovic’s four — make him the Swabians’ leading threat.

Angelo Stiller will be assessed for the away side after going off with a seeming injury against Union Berlin, although Dan-Axel Zagadou (muscle), Luca Jaquez (thigh) and Lazar Jovanovic are unlikely to play any part.

Roma possible starting lineup:

Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Ghilardi; Rensch, Christante, Kone, Wesley; Pellegrini, Dybala; Ferguson

Stuttgart possible starting lineup:

Nubel; Assignon, Hendriks, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Karazor, Andres; Leweling, Undav, Fuhrich; Demirovic

We say: Roma 2-1 Stuttgart

While Stuttgart got a win at debutants Go Ahead Eagles, the Swabians' poor historical record in European away fixtures suggests they will struggle to contain Gasperini's motivated Roma side.

Keen to put a mixed continental run at the Olimpico behind them, the capital club are backed to secure a narrow victory, thus ending the German club's six-match undefeated streak.

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