Match Overview

The 2025/26 general stage, Matchday 2, features a clash between Italy’s Roma and France’s Lille on October 2nd at the iconic Stadio Olimpico. This preview offers a detailed prediction, analysis, and key statistics for the Roma vs Lille encounter.

Roma

Roma’s Current Form

Gian Piero Gasperini’s side secured a 2-1 away victory against Nice in their opening Europa League fixture. This result marks Roma’s fourth win in their last six Europa League outings (with one draw and one defeat). Notably, the team has struggled to keep a clean sheet, failing to do so in 13 of their previous 16 European matches. The Italian outfit currently sits fourth in the overall group standings.

• The club remains undefeated in their last six home matches in the Europa League (5 wins, 1 draw).
• They have conceded more than one goal in only 2 of their last 18 home European encounters.
• Both teams have found the net in Roma’s last five Europa League fixtures.

Roma’s Predicted Lineup (3-4-3)*

Mile Svilar – Evan Ndicka, Gianluca Mancini, Zeki Çelik – Devyne Rensch, Kouadio Koné, Niel El Aynaoui, Kostas Tsimikas – Stephan El Shaarawy, Artem Dovbyk, Matías Soulé.

Roma Team News

Midfielder Leon Bailey and forward Paulo Dybala are expected to miss the match due to injuries.

Lille

Lille’s Performance Review

Bruno Genesio’s squad secured a 2-1 home victory over Brann in their opening round, ending a three-match losing streak in the Europa League. This also marks their ninth consecutive game scoring in the competition. However, Lille has failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six Europa League matches. The French side currently holds the sixth position in the overall group standings.

• The club has not won in 11 of their last 13 away Europa League matches (5 draws, 6 losses).
• They have scored in 7 of their last 9 away fixtures in this European competition.
• Exactly 2 or 3 goals were scored in 6 of Lille’s last 7 Europa League matches.

Lille’s Predicted Lineup (4-3-3)*

Berke Özer – Tiago Santos, Maxime Goffi, Chancel Mbemba, Calvin Verdonk – Nabil Bentaleb, Ngal’ayel Mukau, Hákon Haraldsson – Matías Fernandez-Pardo, Hamza Igaman, Osame Sahraoui.

Lille Team News

Defenders Romain Perraud, Ousmane Touré, Alessandro, and Thomas Meunier are unavailable due to injuries.

Referee Details

Erik Lambrechts (Belgium)

Referee Statistics

Matches refereed – 13 (International fixtures, 2024/25–2025/26);

Yellow cards shown (incl. second yellow) – 41;

Average yellow cards per match – 3.1;

Red cards shown – 1;

Average fouls per match – 22;

Penalties awarded – 23%.

Match Prediction: Roma – Lille

Roma’s Home Advantage

Playing on their home turf, the Roman side consistently exhibits strong performances and has frequently achieved optimal results in European competitions. In their last 18 home Europa League fixtures, Roma has secured 15 victories (with 2 draws and only 1 loss). During this impressive run, they have overcome formidable opponents such as Milan, Bayer Leverkusen, Porto, and Athletic Bilbao. Furthermore, in ten of these matches, the club managed to keep a clean sheet.

Lille’s Away Struggles

Lille often struggles in away fixtures within European club tournaments. In their last 13 Europa League away games, the team has managed only two wins (along with 5 draws and 6 losses). Specifically, the French side suffered defeats in their two most recent away European matches, conceding a total of five goals. Overall, the club’s defensive performance on the road is inconsistent, having kept a clean sheet only once in their last 12 away Europa League matches.

Final Prediction

Given Roma’s strong home record and Lille’s difficulties away from home, we anticipate another dominant performance from the Romans. Our prediction is: “Roma to Win”

* The starting lineup listed for each team is from their previous match in this tournament.