Brighton and Hove Albion face a date with destiny as they take on AS Roma in the club’s first-ever European knockout tie at the Stadio Olimpico.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side travel to the Italian capital – the Eternal City – seeking a positive result to take into their second leg next week, but face a huge challenge in I Giallorossi.
The Seagulls need an immediate response to their disappointing 3-0 defeat at Fulham last weekend, and with a host of injuries still to deal with, it is far from an ideal time for the biggest match of their season so far.
Nonetheless, De Zerbi has consistently talked up Brighton’s chances in the Europa League and will go into the match seeking to prove himself against close friend Daniele De Rossi.
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Team News
Roma
Since De Rossi was appointed manager at the Stadio Olimpico in mid-January, Roma have been in flying form.
With six wins in seven Serie A matches, and two closely-fought draws with Feyenoord to progress via penalties to this stage, club legend De Rossi has made the most out of a talented squad assembled by former sporting director Tiago Pinto.
Pinto departed in January, just two weeks before the club also parted ways with manager José Mourinho, and yet De Rossi – who had been out of work for a year – picked up the baton superbly.
His team has changed slightly as he has got used to the role, with defence the area where most questions remain.
Injuries to Rick Karsdorp and Leonardo Spinazzola have seen both full-back positions change, and after some strong performances, Rasmus Kristensen also suffered a thigh issue against Monza last weekend that will rule him out.
While Karsdorp is back in content for this match, Zeki Çelik is more likely to start the game at right-back after replacing Kristensen against Monza.
In his press conference, De Rossi said: “Let’s see how Karsdorp will feel today. He alternated days where he felt well and others where he didn’t. Let’s see the final situation today.”
Elsewhere, Tammy Abraham remains sidelined by an anterior cruciate ligament tear that has kept him out for the entire season, while Evan Ndicka wore a protective face mask in training after a blow to the face against Monza.
Brighton
Having been blighted by injuries for most of the season now, it seems barely a week goes by without De Zerbi having to report more negative news.
The most important information for this tie is that João Pedro – the hero of Brighton’s group stage – has not travelled to Italy, owing to an ongoing hamstring issue.
Having bagged six goals across matches against Ajax, AEK Athens and Marseille, Pedro will be unable to build on a burgeoning goalscoring catalogue in Rome but may have ambitions to make the second leg – although De Zerbi has previously said it is unlikely.
Jack Hinshelwood, Solly March and Kaoru Mitoma have all been ruled out for most – if not all – of the season, while James Milner is yet to return to training following a thigh issue.
However, with Joël Veltman returning against Fulham, Tariq Lamptey available and Billy Gilmour able to play in the Europa League away from his three-match Premier League suspension, De Zerbi has a small boost to his options.
Likely Lineups
Roma
Svilar; Çelik, Mancini, Ndicka, Angeliño; Cristante, Paredes, Pellegrini; Dybala, Lukaku, El Shaarawy
Brighton
Verbruggen; Veltman, van Hecke, Dunk, Estupiñán; Gilmour, Gross; Adingra, Buonanotte, Fati; Ferguson
Key Players
Roma – Lorenzo Pellegrini
Fast becoming a hero at his boyhood club, Pellegrini could etch another big memory into his Roma storybook if he can skipper the club to a deep run in the Europa League this season.
Trusted entirely by all five managers he has had since returning to the club in 2017, Pellegrini has often saved his best performances for the big occasion, including scoring 14 goals in 42 European appearances in the last four seasons.
This has coincided with three runs at least to the semi-finals of each competition I Giallorossi were in, including their Conference League victory in 2021-22.
The 27-year-old has become a key player in De Rossi’s system too, with goals in the first three matches his boss had in charge, and two goals in their last three matches – including the equaliser against Feyenoord a fortnight ago.
Playing alongside the more defensive-minded Leandro Paredes and Bryan Cristante, Pellegrini has a key role in dragging Brighton’s midfield pair out of position, and with his goal threat readily apparent he will play a huge part in the tie.
Brighton – Pascal Gross
Now in his seventh season with the Seagulls, Gross has little left to prove to an English audience.
And yet, with a place in Germany’s Euro 2024 squad on the line, these are heady times in Gross’ career at the age of 32.
Leading the Premier League in assists this season with 10, and with five goal involvements in his last five starts, Gross has almost had the Brighton team built around him by De Zerbi, and his creativity has flourished accordingly.
An indication of just how important the German is came as he was handed a rare rest against Fulham last weekend.
The side notably laboured without him and when De Zerbi was forced to change things, Gross inspired much more promising play after the hour mark.
There are questions about the pieces around him – including the misfiring Evan Ferguson – but if Gross can perform at the Stadio Olimpico, it should have a calming influence on every player around him.
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Match Details
Where is the game being played?
The Europa League Round of 16 first-leg tie takes place at Roma’s Stadio Olimpico, which has sold out its attendance capacity of 72,698 for the meeting.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off is at 5.45 PM (GMT) on Thursday 7 March, which is 6.45 PM local time in Rome.
How can I watch?
The tie is being broadcast in the United Kingdom on TNT Sports 2, as one of five European matches involving British sides shown live on Thursday night. Their broadcast begins at 5.00 PM.
Subscriptions to TNT Sports allow viewers to watch the match live on the Discovery+ app.
Additionally, BBC Radio Sussex will have full live commentary of the match. Their build-up begins at 5.30 PM.