With their good luck on the injury front running out and the fixtures coming at an alarmingly fast rate, Gian Piero Gasperini’s pre-match warning rings true: Every match in the Champions League is difficult. After their horrific collapse against Real Madrid last week, Roma rebounded with a 2-0 win over Genoa on Saturday, putting to rest any fears of a post-Madrid hangover.
Given their quick recovery, a home match against Slovan Bratislava, who rock up to the Olimpico today dead last in the 36-team
table, feels like a gimme. However, as we’ve seen time and time again in European competition, reputation matters little once the opening whistle blows. With losses to Cluj and Bodo/Glimt on their record over the years, Roma knows the pain of overlooking an opponent.
Besides, the Giallorossi are only one point above Slovan Bratislava on the table, so let’s not mince words; this is a must-win for Gasperini’s group.
