How things stand
The penultimate matchday of the league phase of the UEFA Europa League takes VfB to the Italian capital to face AS Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday 22 January (kick-off 21:00 CET). Not only is it one of the standout games of the league phase, it is also a vital one for both sides.
Both VfB and Roma have 12 points on the board so far to sit ninth and tenth respectively in the table, just under the cut-off point for direct qualification to the round of 16. The fact that leaders Olympique Lyon (France), FC Midtjylland (Denmark) and Aston Villa (England) are only three points better off underlines just how tight things are at the top. As such, victory on Thursday would give VfB every chance of going straight through to the knockout rounds.
Shaky at home
Gian Piero Gasperini, who won this competition with Atalanta in 2024, has seen his team lose two home games in the Europa League so far this season: a 1-0 reverse against French outfit OSC Lille on Matchday 2, and a 2-1 loss against Czech side Viktoria Pilsen on Matchday 3.
Tactics
Gasperini tends to send his team out in a 3-4-2-1 formation, and is spoiled for choice in almost every area of the pitch. Belgium-born Serbia goalkeeper Mile Svilar is the number one between the sticks, while former Eintracht Frankfurt defender Evan Ndicka is expected to resume his spot at the heart of the three-man backline following his exertions at the Africa Cup of Nations. He will be joined there by Italy international Gianluca Mancini and Spain’s Mario Hermoso.
Türkiye international Zeki Celik and his Brazilian counterpart Wesley vie for the right-wing berth, while on the left it’s a battle between Greece international Konstantinos Tsimikas, currently on loan from Liverpool, and former Leipzig and Hoffenheim wing-back Angeliño. Erstwhile Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Manu Koné is another of Roma’s former Bundesliga contingent.
Koné and captain Bryan Cristante usually line up together in central midfield, where Niccoló Pisilli and Morocco’s Neil El Aynaoui are alternative options. The two playmaker roles are split between Argentinian duo Matias Soulé and Paolo Dybala, and Tommaso Baldanzi and Lorenzo Pellegrini, who have recently been sidelined with injury.
Up front, the veteran coach can choose between the power and physical presence of Irish forward Evan Ferguson, on loan from Brighton, or Ukraine’s Artem Dovbyk, or the pace of former Bayer Leverkusen attacker Leon Bailey, another loanee from Aston Villa.
