Brighton & Hove Albion must make history if they’re to progress to the UEFA Europa League (UEL) quarter-finals as no team has ever overturned a four-goal first leg deficit to qualify for the next knockout round in this competition. Their 4-0 defeat to Roma last week was a brutal way for them to slump to a third straight defeat ‘to nil’, but they did at least get back to winning ways with a 1-0 win against Nottingham Forest at the weekend.
Their task here is enormous given the gulf in experience and resources between them and the Italians, but the Seagulls might draw some hope from beating former European Cup winners Ajax and Marseille without conceding here in the UEL this term. But you have to go back to the end of April for the last time they won a home fixture by at least four clear goals when they beat Wolves 6-0.
Roma drew 2-2 with Fiorentina on Sunday, extending their unbeaten run to seven matches (W5, D2) in all competitions, so they should head to England in good spirits. Yet even the 2021/22 UEFA Conference League winners and last year’s UEL runners-up will be taking nothing for granted as despite a respectable record against English clubs in UEFA competitions (W14, D11, L15), they have several unhappy memories of visiting here.
Notably, they beat Manchester United 3-2 at home but lost 6-2 away in this competition in 2020/21, having also been hammered 7-1 by the same team in the 2006/07 Champions League at Old Trafford after winning the first leg 2-1. They also won their home leg but lost 7-6 on aggregate against Liverpool in the 2017/18 UCL, so any early goals against could have Roma fans fearing history could repeat itself.
Key battle: Lewis Dunk has scored in two of Brighton’s last three home fixtures and three of his four strikes this season arrived after the 50th minute. His primary task here may be to quieten Paulo Dybala, who has scored five goals across Roma’s last four fixtures, three of which arrived between the 55th and 70th minute.
Hot stat: Eight of Roma’s last nine UEL games played on foreign soil produced under 2.5 goals (W1, D4, L4).
