Roma Face Bologna With European Fate Slipping From Their Grip

With simply 5 matches remaining within the 2025-26 Serie A season, time is working quick for the Giallorossi to enhance their desk place and safe European qualification for the 2026-27 centennial season. While all Romanisti would’ve cherished to see Roma taking part in in Europe’s elite competitors throughout such a historic season within the membership’s historical past, Champions League qualification appears to be like impossible after the Giallorossi fell to 5 factors behind Juve following final weekend’s outcomes.

That stated, Como’s current poor run of kind has allowed Rome to tug degree with the upstarts from Italy’s lake area—one thing that may very well be essential when all is claimed and accomplished. With Lazio within the Coppa Italia remaining, Europa League qualification may come solely by way of a fifth-place end. So Roma will probably be eager to surpass Como at season’s finish. A win on Saturday towards the Rossoblu may very well be a giant step towards making {that a} actuality.

In his pre-match presser Gian Piero Gasperini was requested concerning the membership’s said goals and whether or not administration had set the Champions League as a objective.

“No, there’s not [a minimum target set by the club]but we’re still thinking about it. We’re still looking above us. When it’s no longer possible to aim that high, we’ll settle for other things.”

“It would be good if we could [put together a run of form]. If we keep winning, we’re probably still in time. But obviously with every week that passes, the margin for error diminishes. You can’t make any more mistakes.

“As for the other question [talking to the owners about next season]no, because we’re still busy with this season and we must remain busy until the 24th of May. “We’ll think about the future when the club deems it right.”

To obtain the outcomes mandatory to succeed in his most factors over the rest of the marketing campaign, Gasperini will want all fingers on deck. In that regard, he’ll get a giant enhance from Paulo Dybala, who has lastly returned to the fray after lacking practically three months. Dybala’s absence has left Roma shorthanded within the attacking midfield, particularly when coupled with the extended absence of fellow Argentine Matías Soulé.

Gasperini spoke on Dybala’s return and what his position may very well be on the Renato Dell’Ara on Saturday.

“It seems unlikely that he’ll be in the starting eleven. Paulo started working again this week after more than 80 days out of action, nearly 90 days, in fact. So, no, I’m ruling out him starting the game. When a player comes back after many months out it’s hard for them to slot into the starting team. Let’s hope – I certainly hope – that he can come on over the course of the match. However, we’re playing away and it’s more of a question of being in the swing of things and confidence – his confidence in his ability to perform. It’s not a question of fitness, but rather of kicking the ball, shooting and tackling. That’s to be expected when a player has been out of action for a long spell.

Gasperini will certainly be salivating at the opportunity to get Dybala and star January signing Donyell Malen linking up, after seeing the two play together just once before Dybala went down. He also addressed that when he asked how the next five matches could affect Dybala’s future in the capital.

“They’ll actually have an effect on the top of Roma’s season. Having him accessible once more is clearly an added worth. He and Malen have solely performed collectively as soon as. We’re all glad and curious to see them taking part in collectively, maybe alongside one other participant, however perhaps not. That’s a very powerful factor. It’s tough to speak concerning the future in the intervening time. We have 5 video games left and that is rather a lot. Sometimes individuals speak as if we’re already on the finish of the season however 5 matches are a good quantity – It’s 15 factors to be gained. Right now I’m making an attempt to maintain the gamers’ concentrate on tomorrow’s recreation and on our coming video games. We should play all 5 video games with complete dedication and the need to earn as many factors as doable.

Also anticipated again for this match is Wesley, who has been out since being injured through the worldwide break with Brazil. Manu Konè and Lorenzo Pellegrini stay out, although.

Gasperini will hope that the returns of Wesley and Dybala will probably be sufficient for Roma to get the same consequence to the one in August, when Roma topped Bologna 1-0 on the Olimpico. In that match, Wesley scored the decisive objective. But Bologna will come into this one feeling good about its possibilities of getting a consequence at house towards a Roma facet that eradicated it from Europa League play behind a 4-3 extra-time victory on the Olimpico, which adopted a 1-1 attract Bologna.

Gasperini was requested about these two fixtures towards the Rossoblu in Europa League.

“The team did a lot of good things. There were mistakes too of course, but lots of good things. The two matches were very good overall, and I think we probably did more. We lost in extra time having played very well in both legs, and come from behind. We found ourselves having to come from behind in the second leg, from 1-0 down and then after they went 3-1 up. I think we performed well in both games. Then they scored in extra time and that’s understandable because both games were evenly matched. Bologna are an excellent, well-drilled team with lots of options on the bench who played in the Champions League last season. They did well in that game too. But I think Roma produced two strong performances, as we did against Atalanta.

Gasperini will in fact be happier tomorrow night if Roma heads again to Trigoria will all three factors in hand. To do this Gasperini makes an attempt to get the precise XI on the pitch from the opening whistle to take the sport to Bologna. That line-up may look one thing like this.