Roma vs Athletic prediction and betting tips on September 26, 2024
Game Prediction
In the first round of the UEFA Europa League on September 26, 2024, Roma will face Athletic Bilbao. Roma's new coach will aim to secure a win against a formidable opponent who has returned to the tournament after a long absence.
Roma vs Athletic: Key Statistics and Trends
- Roma has not won in their last five matches.
- Athletic has won four out of their last five games.
- Roma wins the first half in 37% of their games, while Athletic Bilbao wins in 45%.
Our Prediction for Roma vs Athletic
Last season, Roma parted ways with José Mourinho. Despite winning the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2022 and reaching the Europa League final a year later, he failed to bring the team back to the Champions League. His last season was inconsistent, and he was replaced by Daniele De Rossi, who brought a temporary surge of improvement. By the end of the season, the momentum had slowed, but De Rossi was given a full-time contract.
Ernesto Valverde, on the other hand, returned to Athletic Bilbao and achieved remarkable results, guiding the team to fifth place in La Liga and winning the Copa del Rey for the first time in 40 years.
Athletic managed to retain most of their squad, including Nico Williams, despite rumors of a move to Barcelona. The only significant departure was club legend Muniain, who left after 19 years to play in Argentina. They also brought in Djalo and signed Nuñez on loan. Roma, under De Rossi, signed new players like Soule and Dovbyk, loaned in Kone and Saelemaekers, and signed free agents Hermoso and Hummels, along with Ryan. However, they also saw key departures, including Rui Patrício, Kumbulla, Smalling, and others whose loan spells ended.
Roma’s start to the season has been disappointing, with a loss to Empoli and draws against Cagliari, Juventus, and Genoa. Consequently, their new coach, Ivan Jurić, took over just before the match against Udinese, where he debuted with a confident victory. Athletic started the season with a draw against Getafe and a loss to Barcelona but bounced back with wins over Valencia, Las Palmas, Leganés, and Celta Vigo (3-1 in the last match).
Roma vs Athletic: Predicted Lineups
Roma (predicted lineup): Svilar – Angeliño, N'Dicka, Mancini – El Shaarawy, Dybala, Pellegrini, Pizzilli, Cristante, Çelik – Dovbyk
Athletic (predicted lineup): Agirrezabala – Berchiche, Núñez, Vivian, Gorosabel – Vesga, Ruiz de Galarreta, Berenguer, Unai Gómez, Williams – Djalo
Head-to-Head Matches: Roma vs Athletic
The only previous meeting between the two sides was a friendly match five years ago, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
Free Prediction Today for Roma vs Athletic
Although Roma will be aiming for a win, they face a motivated and experienced opponent in Athletic. We predict both teams will score (odds – 1.88).