Three days after a clean 2-0 win over Genoa steadied the ship in Serie A, AS Roma return to European action on Tuesday when they host Slovan Bratislava at Stadio Olimpico in matchday 3 of the Champions League league stage. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side carry a point from two outings in the competition, following a 3-4 home defeat to Real Madrid last time out in the UCL. Slovan, managed by Yaya Toure, arrive having lost both of their European games so far, conceding nine goals in the process, though a 3-0 road win at Spartak Trnava in the Slovak Super Liga on Saturday offers at least some confidence heading into Rome.
What’s at stake
The Champions League’s expanded 36-team league stage sends the top eight clubs directly to the round of 16, with clubs ranked ninth through 24th entering a playoff round. That leaves 12 clubs below the cut with nothing to show for the campaign. After two matchdays, Roma sit on one point and Slovan on zero, making this a game where three points would meaningfully shift both teams’ trajectories in the table. The league stage runs eight rounds in total, so there is still substantial ground to recover, but falling further behind early creates real difficulty given the calibre of clubs already pulling away at the top.
A Roma win keeps them in contention to climb into the playoff spots over the next five matchdays, while a Slovan victory would give Toure’s side their first European points of the season and inject life into a group stage that has, so far, looked very difficult for the Slovak champions. For Roma, a third loss in this competition would make it hard to frame the campaign as anything other than damage limitation.
How they got here
Roma’s last five results paint a mixed picture: wins over Torino (2-0 away) and Genoa (2-0 at home) bookend draws against Inter (2-2) and Como (0-0), with that heavy home loss to Real Madrid sitting in between. Gasperini’s side are scoring goals but leaking them at the back, shipping five across two Champions League games. Slovan’s recent run tells a different story by context: dominant in Slovakia, with wins over Komárno and Spartak Trnava and a cup victory over Nitra, but outclassed in Europe, losing 3-0 at home to VfB Stuttgart and conceding nine goals across their two UCL fixtures.
Roma drew their UCL opener and then lost to Real Madrid at the Olimpico. Slovan have two straight losses in the competition. Both clubs are operating without a win in Europe heading into this fixture, giving Tuesday’s game added weight on the psychological side as much as the points tally.
Key battle to watch
The central question is whether Slovan’s defensive structure can handle Roma’s attacking movement through midfield. Gasperini’s teams typically press aggressively in transition and look to exploit space through the lines with dynamic runners. Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen offer different threats in the final third, and Nicolo Pisilli and Manu Kone can drive forward from deeper positions. Slovan’s backline held up reasonably well against domestic opposition but was overrun by Stuttgart’s pace and directness. If Roma get their press working at the Olimpico, Toure’s side may struggle to build from the back with enough composure to create their own chances.
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Our Prediction
Roma’s home advantage and the gulf in European experience between these two clubs makes Gasperini’s side the clear favourite. Slovan have shown they can hurt teams in their domestic league, but the step up to Champions League level has been stark, and a Roma side restored to some confidence after the Genoa win should have enough to control this game at the Olimpico. Expect Roma to win, though Slovan’s willingness to attack on the break means the scoreline may not be entirely comfortable.