At The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton and Hove Albion face a formidable challenge as they welcome AS Roma for the decisive second leg of their Europa League tie.
After a heavy 4-0 defeat in the first leg in Italy, Brighton's form has been a concern, with the loss highlighting their recent struggles. The Roma stars, Paulo Dybala and Romelu Lukaku gave them a comfrot lead at half time and two more goals were in store to conclude the dominating performance of De Rossi's men.
Brighton have conceded an enourmous amount of shots (7 on target) to their goal and they must be grateful, not conceding more.
A clean sheet against Forest! 👏 Bart Verbruggen putting in a shift between the sticks. 🫡⛔️Highlights in partnership with @MPBcom. Buy, sell and trade used camera gear. 📸🤝 pic.twitter.com/fen6O5v2Em— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) March 11, 2024
A clean sheet against Forest! 👏 Bart Verbruggen putting in a shift between the sticks. 🫡⛔️Highlights in partnership with @MPBcom. Buy, sell and trade used camera gear. 📸🤝 pic.twitter.com/fen6O5v2Em
Despite this, a narrow 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in their latest domestic outing provided a glimmer of hope, showcasing some resilience from Roberto De Zerbi's side.
Brighton are undefeated in 5 of their last 6 Europa League games and this might be the case one more time. The injury concerns for Brighton are all along the season and that might be the one reason for the Seagulls to find some form.
Roma, on the flip side, heads into this match unbeaten in their last seven matches across all competitions, despite a dramatic 2-2 draw with Fiorentina.
The Giallorossi's away form has been less convincing, with just one win in their last six away fixtures. Under the leadership of Daniele De Rossi, Roma has demonstrated formidable attacking strength but has also revealed defensive vulnerabilities, particularly on their travels.
This encounter marks only the second meeting between Brighton and Roma within a week, and expectations are for a closely contested match, unlikely to replicate the one-sided first leg.
Brighton will miss the services of Karou Mitoma, James Milner, Joao Pedro, and Solly March due to injuries, while Roma faces uncertainty over Paulo Dybala's fitness.
Additional absences for Roma include Chris Smalling, Renato Sanches, Rasmus Kristensen, and Tammy Abraham, all sidelined with long-term injuries.
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Predictions suggest a high-scoring draw, a result that would see AS Roma advance to the next stage of the competition.
This match not only offers Brighton an opportunity to redeem themselves but also puts Roma's European ambitions to the test, promising an exciting clash at The American Express Community Stadium.