Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Europa League match.
None of AS Roma’s first four matches produced more than one goal. An away trip to OGC Nice promises to be nervy for the squad, as several key players are missing, so the coaching staff are unlikely to take risks in the final third.
OGC Nice
OGC Nice had a calamitous UEFA Champions League qualifying campaign, losing both legs 0:2 to Sport Lisboa e Benfica. Across seven matches this season, the team have won only twice. Saturday’s 1:4 defeat to Stade Brestois 29 again exposed flaws in attack: despite 2.33 xG and 21 shots, the hosts scored only once, and the opponents had been in the relegation zone before kick-off.
AS Roma
Despite clear progress in pressing, AS Roma are not among Serie A’s most entertaining sides. Since the start of the campaign, they have banked three narrow 1:0 wins, including the derby against Lazio, but they also slipped to a 0:1 defeat at the Stadio Olimpico against a compact Torino side. Paulo Dybala will remain out for the first UEFA Europa League game. With key attackers absent, ball progression will fall to the midfield unit, notably Bryan Cristante and Lorenzo Pellegrini, who prefer the safe pass to the nearest option rather than line-breaking balls into the final third.
OGC Nice vs AS Roma Prediction
One of the headline fixtures of Matchday 1 in the league phase of the Europa League is unlikely to be high scoring. With both Nice and AS Roma focused on points from the off, we are taking under 2.5 goals.
