Another challenge between Roma and Feyenoord, for what is now becoming a 'classic' of European football in recent years.
The 2022 Conference League final, won by the Giallorossi, the fourth of last season's Europa League with Dybala and his teammates still starring, finally tonight's, the first of the two playoff matches to access the round of 16 of the Europa League .
We start from Rotterdam, where Roma fans will not be there at the behest of the local authorities given the recent events between the two ultras fringes.
And the same will happen to the Dutch in seven days at the Olimpico, who are also unable to come.
In between, Daniele De Rossi's debut as an international coach, with a legacy that was anything but light on his shoulders.
In the last two and a half years, in fact, the Giallorossi have never been eliminated in Europe, winning a Conference and last year's Europa League final, then losing to Sevilla.
For this reason, speaking of the differences between his Roma and that of Mourinho, he explained how the hope could be to see a team "not too different on the European path".
“We have to follow that path there,” he continued.
But the goal, in the long term, is to return to seeing Roma who, as in his first adventure with Luciano Spalletti, were permanently in the round of 16 or quarterfinals of the Champions League.
"We have to go back to being that team there - he explained - That came in the top 8 or 16 in Europe. Now, however, the path to follow also requires having to win matches because when I arrived the ranking was what it was".
So there won't be many changes in the lineup, on the contrary.
Space for rotation between the posts with Svilar for Rui Patricio and the one on the left wing with Spinazzola for Angelino.
For the rest, De Rossi should confirm the team seen with Inter as a whole because "Cristante is well", albeit in a run-off with Bove.
Trust is still ahead of the trident with Lukaku and the Dybala-El Shaarawy pair on the sides, despite the fact that during the week he also tried the formula with the double attacking midfielder and therefore excluding the Pharaoh to insert Baldanzi.
A plan B, for now, which can be used during the match, with Pellegrini increasingly the starter despite the protest from the fans outside Trigoria.
"Weak link", the banner appeared outside the Fulvio Bernardini sports centre, in reference to the ring that the team had given to Mourinho for the Conference League victory and which the Special One left in the Giallorossi captain's locker on the day of his exemption.
"For me Lorenzo is an example", reiterated De Rossi who will spend his daughter Olivia's birthday away from home.
"But I'm happy to make my debut in Europe. February 14th is my daughter's birthday, last year I celebrated it with an exemption two hours earlier (laughs, ed.). So today I'm happy and satisfied to be here."
The hope is to also give ourselves a success in view of the return in seven days.
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