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After their triumph in the 2022 Europa Conference League under José Mourinho, Daniele De Rossi’s AS Roma have struggled to find their form this season. They started the league campaign poorly with two draws and a loss. After a goalless draw against Cagliari on the first day, Roma dropped all three points at home in a 2-1 defeat to Empoli. In their third match, they again managed only a draw. Since then, Roma has faced Genoa and prepared to host Udinese.
On the other hand, Athletic Bilbao, with their rich history of winning 8 Spanish league titles and 24 Copa del Rey trophies, remains a formidable force in Spanish football. Known for their unique approach of recruiting only players of Basque origin or descent, Bilbao has had an average start to the season.
They’ve recorded one win, one defeat, and two draws so far. Last season, Bilbao finished 5th, securing a direct spot in the Europa League. Since then, they’ve played against Las Palmas and Leganes away, and Celta Vigo at home.
AS Roma has experienced several notable departures over the past few years, prompting the club to bolster their squad with the signings of Artem Dovbyk (€30 million from Girona), Matias Soulé (€25 million from Juventus), and Enzo Le Fée (€23 million). Meanwhile, the club bid farewell to Houssem Aouar (to Al-Hilal for €12 million), Joao Costa (to Al-Ettifaq for €9 million), and Tammy Abraham (on loan to AC Milan).
In contrast, Bilbao made headlines by keeping Nico Williams, who had attracted interest from Barcelona, while his brother Iñaki also remains at the club.
Both Unai Simon and Alvarez are long-term injury doubts for Bilbao. The Basque club had a quiet transfer window, with only Unai Núñez (to Celta Vigo for €7 million) leaving, and Alvaro Djalo joining from Braga for €15 million.
Prediction
Athletic Bilbao have found a winning formula on their Europa League travels, collecting points from 15 matches, all of which featured three or fewer goals. Similarly, seven of AS Roma’s last eight home games in the Europa League have also stayed under the 3.5-goal mark. With both teams exhibiting a cautious approach, this is expected to be another low-scoring encounter.
Prediction: AS Roma 1 : 1 Athletic Bilbao
