Roma square off with Ukrainian giants Dynamo Kyiv this Thursday at the Stadio Olimpico in the Europa League as both sides seek three points to improve their atrocious standings.
The Serie A side has endured an egregious start to the season. The Giallorossi have already dismissed legendary midfielder Daniele de Rossi from his position as head coach.
De Rossi’s poor results from the end of last season had seeped into the current campaign as they failed to win any of their first four Serie A fixtures.
Their curtains raised with a drab goalless draw with Cagliari before a shattering 2-1 loss to Empoli. Two more draws against Juventus and Genoa followed, and Dan Friedkin booted the former Italian international.
Ivan Juric, a well-known but underwhelming figure in the Serie A mid-table region, replaced De Rossi.
His tenure started with a 3-0 win over Udinese, a promising draw against Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League, and another league win, this time over Venezia, raising false hopes that he could steady the sinking ship.
Unfortunately, that new manager bounce quickly dissipated. The Romans were humbled by a loss to IF Elfsborg in Sweden. They were held by AC Monza before losing 1-0 at home to Inter Milan in their most recent game.
Roma are 10th on the Serie A table. They sit 27th on the Europa League log after a disappointing 2024/25 campaign.
With only eight goals scored in the first eight games of Serie A, Roma are struggling to finish. Only Empoli, Lecce, Venezia and Genoa have done worse. Bad luck has also played a part. They have hit the woodwork five times.
Big-money summer signing Artem Dovbyk has only returned three goals, while others like Stephan El Shaarawy, Matias Soule and captain Lorenzo Pellegrini are yet to open their accounts.
They’ll be eager to pick up their first win against their Ukrainian counterparts on Thursday evening.
Despite their current form, fans will still flock to Seatsnet.com, which is the best secondary marketplace around, to secure the best seats in the stands.
Meanwhile, Dynamo Kyiv sit atop the Ukrainian Premier League. They are setting the pace at the summit, with champions Shakhtar Donetsk struggling.
Dynamo have scored the most goals and conceded the least. They remain unbeaten after nine games (W8, D1).
The biggest domestic test of their season comes this weekend when they take on Shakhtar, but for now, all their attention will be focused on taking down the gladiators.
Despite their impressive domestic start, Dynamo have been wretched in Europe. RB Salzburg sent the Blue and Whites packing from the qualifying stage of the UEFA Champions League.
Dynamo crashed down to the Europa League, and it has been treacherous. Their first game came against Roma’s arch-rivals Lazio, and they were thoroughly dispatched.
A Boulaye Dia brace and a thumping finish from Tom Dele-Bashiru handed Lazio the win.
Dynamo had the perfect chance to recover from the opening day loss when they faced struggling TSG Hoffenheim, who uncharacteristically sat close to the foot of the Bundesliga table after a poor start.
However, Hoffenheim stunned Dynamo in Germany via an Adam Hlozek brace. The loss leaves Dynamo with zero points on the Europa League standings.
They are in 35th place, one position away from Besiktas at the bottom of the pile.
Head to Head
Interestingly, Roma and Dynamo have a rich history. They have met four times, with Roma winning twice and Dynamo clinching victory on two occasions.
Their first meeting was a fiery and controversial clash in the Champions League.
Dynamo took the lead in Italy in the first half. Roma brought more misery upon themselves when French defender Philippe Mexes kicked Maris Verpakovskis just after the whistle for the break, earning himself a sending off much to the ire of the fans.
Upon resumption, Swedish referee Anders Frisk was hit by an object thrown from the stands and, after having the wound stitched, was forced to call off the match.
Dynamo won 3-0, and Roma received punishment for their unruly behaviour. The Ukrainians also won the second leg of the fixture.
Three years later, Roma took revenge, thrashing Dynamo over two legs. The first game at the Stadio Olimpico ended 2-0, while the Romans clinched a 4-1 win in the second leg.
Following the loss to Hoffenheim, Dynamo have lost nine of their last ten games in the Europa League (D1).
Oleksandr Shovkovskyi’s side are one of two teams yet to score in the competition and will be desperate to bounce back against a fledgling Roma.
On the other hand, a loss to Dynamo will prompt questions about Juric’s future, with rumours swirling that De Rossi could return to replace the 49-year-old Croatian.
Team News
With Roma facing Fiorentina in Serie A this weekend, boss Juric will likely shuffle his deck for their Europa League clash against Dynamo.
The only injury concerns are Stephan El Shaarawy and Alexis Saelemaekers. Midfielder Enzo Le Fee has returned from injury and could see minutes after his cameo appearance against Inter in their last game.
After his free summer transfer move, Mats Hummels might finally debut for his new club. Matias Soule could replace Paulo Dybala in the attack with an eye on the weekend fixture.
Meanwhile, Dynamo are without Maksym Bragaru due to suspension. Veteran attacker Andriy Yarmolenko is doubtful, so Nazar Voloshyn should start on the wing. Oleksandr Pikhalionok and Brayan Ceballos remain sidelined.
Roma Predicted Starting Line-up:
(3-4-2-1): Mile Svilar; Mario Hermoso, Mats Hummels, Evan Ndicka; Zeki Celik, Nicolo Pisilli, Bryan Cristante, Angelino; Matias Soule, Tommaso Baldanzi; Eldor Shomorudov.
Dynamo Kyiv Predicted Starting Line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Georgiy Bushchan; Oleksandr Karavayev, Denys Popov, Taras Mykhavko, Vladyslav Dubinchak; Volodymyr Brazhko, Mykola Mykhaylenko; Nazar Voloshyn, Vitaliy Buyalskyi, Vladyslav Kabayev; Vladyslav Vanat.
Prediction
Despite their struggles, Roma have a slight edge over Dynamo Kyiv in this match. Playing at the Stadio Olimpico, they will have the support of their passionate fans, which could provide a significant boost.
Also, they have the better squad. This team should be higher on the table, but they have not gotten their decisions right with their picks for the dugout.
While Dynamo Kyiv have been impressive domestically, their European performances have been far from convincing. Roma’s defensive solidity and home advantage could be decisive factors in this encounter.
Roma’s scoring issues will see them struggle, but they should have enough firepower to get this one over the line, especially with the manager’s future on the line.
Roma may concede to a Dynamo side eager to score their first Europa League goal, but the Giallorossi should reply with two of their own to clinch the win.
Prediction Roma 2-1 Dynamo Kyiv
