AS Roma - Brighton and Hove Albion predictions and free betting tips [07/03/2024]

On Thursday, 7th March, in the first leg of the Europa League last 16, AS Roma will host Brighton & Hove Albion on home soil. The Giallorossi are regulars in the European cups playoffs, having made it this far thanks to a dramatic victory over Feyenoord. Conversely, the Seagulls are making their debut at this advanced stage of the contest

AS Roma

AS Roma secured second place in their Europa League group stage, conceding the top spot to Slavia Prague. A record of four wins, one draw, and one defeat saw the Giallorossi advance to the last 16, where they overcame Feyenoord via a penalty-kick victory (2:2, penalty shootout win). In Serie A, Roma currently sits fifth, trailing the top four by four points, thereby giving the Wolves hope of a Champions League berth next season. Following Jose Mourinho's demission and subsequent appointment of club legend Daniele De Rossi to the managerial helm, the Italian capital's team has regained its winning form. In the last seven Serie A rounds, the Roma side clinched six victories and suffered a solo loss to Inter Milan (4:2). Following this setback, they successively conquered Frosinone (3:0), Torino (3:2) and Monza (4:1) last Sunday. 

Adding to fans' elation is Roma's high-scoring form: under De Rossi, they net an average of 2.5 goals per match. The Wolves squad boasts a number of experienced players accustomed to the grand stages of European football, including Paulo Dybala. The Argentine's credit includes 12 goals and seven assists in Serie A, and he may start alongside Romelu Lukaku (17 goals). De Rossi can also count on Ivorian-born Ndiku in the defence; meanwhile, forward Abraham and defender Karsdorp remain sidelined due to injuries, prompting Zeki Celik to fill in the latter's shoes. Stefano El Shaarawy will be providing creativity on the attacking flank, with Sardar Azmoun likely to bolster the play in the second half as a substitute.

Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton & Hove Albion edged out Marseille by just two points to clinch the top spot in their Europa League group. Following a challenging start to their continental campaign, the English outfit posted an excellent record of four consecutive victories. Their Premiership run is less impressive though; with the Seagulls trailing the fifth-placed Brighton by 11 points after 27 rounds. In their previous seven Premier League outings, the whites and blues prevailed twice, drew twice and lost thrice. What's more, Brighton have only bagged two national league victories in 2024, suffering two back-to-back defeats in recent weeks – to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup (1:0) and to Fulham last weekend (3:0). The visitors' defensive fragility is also of concern to the fans as Brighton have conceded at least two goals in five of their past seven matches across all competitions.

Brighton is expected to miss several players on Thursday, including Japanese winger Mitoma, who is likely to be out for the season due to injury. Brazilian striker Joao Pedro, veteran Solly March, defender Hinshelwood, and midfielder Milner have also been reported injured. On the other hand, De Zerbi could benefit from the availability of Spanish Ansu Fati (2 goals) and Adingra (6 goals), who recently rejoined the squad after helping Ivory Coast win the Africa Cup. Some good news: Billy Gilmour would be eligible for selection after serving a three-match suspension, and Pascal Gross and Argentinian Buonanotte could enhance the second-half play coming off the bench.

Head-to-head 

These clubs have never encountered each other in history.

Match prediction Roma - Brighton

AS Roma has lost only one of their last 23 Europa League home games, recording 17 victories. Given Brighton's current turmoil – winless in their last three matches – it seems prudent to back a win for the Wolves with a handicap of zero. De Rossi has genuinely revolutionised Roma's football, and the backing of the Stadio Olimpico crowd will surely enhance the hosts' confidence.