Europa League: Roma Won’t Play Nice in Allianz Riviera

Nice vs AS Roma

​One of the top games in the opening matchday of the 2025-26 Europa League is the contest between Nice and AS Roma this Wednesday evening at Allianz Riviera.

Nice are off to a stuttering start, as they alternated wins and losses in their first five Ligue 1 matches. Franck Haise’s men are 12th in the French top-flight standings as a result. Before their domestic campaign started, Les Algions were in the Champions League third-round qualifiers but lost to Benfica 4-0 on aggregate, so here they are.

On the other hand, AS Roma are off to a strong start under new head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The Giallorossi have won three of their first four Serie A matches (L1), putting them fourth in the Italian top-flight standings with nine points.

Learn more about these two teams in today’s SBOTOP match preview.

 

Talking Points

Nice are short at the back and in the middle

Nice’s defensive frailties have been on full display this season, as they’ve already conceded 13 goals across all competitions so far. And Franck Haise’s record in Europe doesn’t exactly inspire confidence about their chances against AS Roma, as he’s winless in all 10 of his Europa League matches (D4, L6) thus far, the joint-most games of any winless manager in the competition’s history, along with Marco Silva.

Injuries have dogged their backline, as veteran centre-back Dante remains sidelined with a knee injury. Haise must also cope without several long-term absentees, as Tanguy Ndombele, Mohamed Abdelmonem, Djibril Coulibaly, Ali Al-Abdi, and Youssouf Ndayishimiye are also unavailable. 

These absences leave Les Algions short of depth, and Haise has had to rotate his squad in recent weeks to cope with a busy schedule. However, this could be a blessing in disguise for them in the long run, as young defenders Juma Bah, Melvin Bard, and Kojo Peprah Oppong are getting valuable experience as regular starters.

 

AS Roma’s top forwards have yet to score

AS Roma have yet to find their scoring groove this season under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. They have found the back of the net only three times in their first four games, with three of them being 1-0 victories and one being a 1-0 loss to Torino.

Wesley Franca scored the winner against Bologna. Matias Soule did it against Pisa, and Lorenzo Pellegrini scored the marginal goal against Lazio last weekend. Artem Dovbyk, Evan Ferguson, Paulo Dybala, Stephan El Shaarawy, and Leon Bailey have yet to open their accounts this term. Given Nice’s porous backline, they should use this opportunity to get on board.

However, Dybala is considered a doubt after being forced off through injury against Torino. He missed the most recent Derby della Capitale due to a thigh injury, though he could return to the matchday squad against Nice.

​Meanwhile, Bailey’s AS Roma debut will have to wait longer, as he has yet to recover from a thigh strain he sustained during his first training session with the club.

 

History

Nice and AS Roma will meet for the second time this Wednesday. Before this, Les Algions and the Giallorossi faced off in a 1-1 draw in a club friendly last July 2022. 

Nice have previously lost each of their seven European matches against Italian sides, with the last coming in a 4-1 defeat to Lazio in last season’s Europa League. They were one of the two sides to not record a win in any of their eight league phase games (D3, L5), with only four sides conceding more goals than their 16.

AS Roma have lost just two of their 11 games in Europe against French sides (W6, D3), winning four of their last five since March 2007 (L1). Overall, the Giallorossi have won 42 Europa League matches, with only Villarreal (54) and Sevilla (48) winning more.

 

Betting Tip

The Europa League 2025 odds back the visitors to claim maximum points this Wednesday. AS Roma are priced at 2.16 to win, whereas Nice are not far behind at 3.03 odds, and a draw is at 3.24 in the 1X2 market. AS Roma arrive in stronger form and have far greater European experience, which should help them see this through.

There should be goals and Europa League 2025 highlights from both sides. Besides going for an AS Roma victory, bettors can also add Over 2.50 at 1.89, Over 2.75 at 1.74, and Total Goal 2-3 at 1.98 to the parlay. Moreover, a Correct Score of 1-1 – the result of their previous encounter – could yield a robust payday of 6.10 your bet.

   

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