Both clinging on to a Europa League playoff place with three games remaining, Roma and Braga will battle it out for maximum points on Thursday.

The teams convene at Stadio Olimpico having won just three times between them so far, and the Giallorossi trail their Portuguese counterparts in the table.

Match preview

Giving them a two-point buffer to the elimination places, Roma salvaged a late draw from their most recent Europa League outing, twice fighting back from behind to hold Tottenham Hotspur to a 2-2 draw in London.

Two centre-backs saved the day for new coach Claudio Ranieri on his return to England, as Evan Ndicka scored the first leveller and Mats Hummels made up for conceding an early penalty by squaring things up in second-half stoppage time.

Having featured in the latter stages of UEFA competition for each of the last three seasons, Roma's meagre tally of six points still leaves them well short of expectations, and they would require a playoff to reach the last 16 as things stand.

Amid chaos off the pitch, the capital club have struggled in Serie A, too, finally ending a run of four straight domestic defeats by beating Lecce 4-1 on Saturday evening.

They had lost six of their previous seven league games heading into their weekend fixture, but three second-half strikes ultimately secured the first victory of Ranieri's third spell in charge.

Staying at Stadio Olimpico for Thursday's continental contest, Roma can lean on a fine home record in the Europa League: they have won eight of their last 10 group or league matches as hosts, losing just one of the last 20.

Precedent is certainly not on Braga's side, then, as the Portuguese side have also lost both of their two prior meetings with Roma: 2-0 away and 3-1 at home in the 2020-21 Europa League.

However, they did surpass the Giallorossi in this season's standings by beating Hoffenheim last month, taking them up to 18th place with a total of seven points so far.

Bruma, Roger Fernandes and Vitor Carvalho all found the net in a vital home win that kept Os Arsenalistas in the mix for a cherished top-eight finish, which would secure automatic entry to the last 16.

Head coach Carlos Carvalhal then led his side to victory over AVS in the Primeira Liga, but Bruma's brace was only good enough for a draw against Estoril on Friday, when Braga let a two-goal lead slip through their fingers.

Now trailing Portugal's top four by three points, the 2011 Europa League finalists must switch focus back to Europe's second-tier competition, in which they will wrap up their league-phase campaign by hosting Roma's arch-rivals Lazio early next year.

Team News

With his priority being to build momentum in Serie A, where Roma dwell inside the bottom half of the table, Claudio Ranieri could make several changes to the side that lined up against Lecce.

Injury-prone forward Paulo Dybala and veteran defender Mats Hummels may be rested, with Nicola Zalewski, Mario Hermoso and captain Lorenzo Pellegrini all prime candidates for promotion from the bench.

Only Bryan Cristante is unavailable due to injury, while it remains to be seen whether Artem Dovbyk will be risked after he sat out last week's league action. If not, Ranieri would deploy either a false nine or Uzbek back-up striker Eldor Shomurodov.

Meanwhile, Braga boss Carlos Carvalhal has yet to settle on a favoured starting XI this season, and his selection can be unpredictable.

Just ahead of 38-year-old midfielder Joao Moutinho, captain Ricardo Horta and Bruma generally feature behind Amine El Ouazzani in the final third. Bruma has played a part in eight goals during his last 11 European appearances, scoring three times this term.

Paulo Oliveira (calf) and Uruguay international Rodrigo Zalazar (muscular) are the visitors' chief injury concerns ahead of the trip to Rome.

Roma possible starting lineup:
Svilar; Mancini, Hermoso, Ndicka; Abdulhmaid, Kone, Paredes, Zalewski; Pellegrini, Pisilli; Shomurodov

Braga possible starting lineup:
Matheus; Ferreira, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi; Fernandes, Carvalho, Moutinho, Gomez; Horta, Bruma; Ouazzani

We say: Roma 2-1 Braga

Home advantage can make all the difference for a brittle Roma side that often falters when venturing outside of the Eternal City.

The hosts should prevail, but Braga are capable opponents with a handful of proven performers at Europa League level - it could be a very close contest.


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