Roma has made a habit of advancing deep into the Europa League over the past several years, with everyone from José Mourinho to Daniele De Rossi to Claudio Ranieri leading the charge. Although they came up short in their pursuit of the title, that experience proved invaluable in this season’s competition. After adding Gasperini to the mix, who won the title with Atalanta in 2024, Roma began the League Phase as heavy favorites. Still, it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing for Roma, who lost two of their first three matches before finishing the phase with four wins and a draw.
Thanks to that strong finish, the club avoided the dreaded playoff round in mid-February, giving them a chance to strengthen their position in the league table. And now, after a months-long slog that took Roma everywhere from France to Scotland and Greece, they’ll stick much closer to home in the Round of 16.
Earlier today at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, Roma drew Bologna as their Round of 16 opponent. Bologna, 8th in Serie A (14 points behind Roma), will pose a challenge for Gasperini’s group. Still riding high from their resurgence under Thiago Motta several years ago, the Rossoblu have been a thorn in Roma’s side, winning three of their last six meetings.
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Roma and Bologna will square off in a two-leg tie next month: March 12th at Bologna and March 19th in Rome.