Albion v Roma
EUROPA LEAGUE - ROUND OF 16
Venue: The American Express Stadium
Date: Thursday 14th March 2024
Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
Referee: Felix Zwayer
Assistants: Stefan Lupp
, Marco Achmüller Fourth Official: Daniel Schlager
VAR: Bastian Dankert
Additional VAR: Sascha Stegemann
UEFA Referee Observer: Leslie Irvine
UEFA Delegate: Łukasz Sojski
Brighton face a huge task if they are to overcome a 4-0 deficit from the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie against Roma.
The Seagulls remain without Joao Pedro, Jack Hinshelwood and Kaoru Mitoma.
Billy Gilmour could return to the squad after serving a three-match domestic suspension.
On-loan Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku is not fully fit and not expected to feature for Roma in the second leg.
Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi has been speaking to the media before his side's Europa League last-16 second leg against Roma on Thursday, with Albion trailing 4-0 after the first leg.
Here are the main lines from his news conference:
- On his side's lack of goals: "In the last five games, we haven't scored too many goals but we created a lot of chances to score. My job is to help players create the chance, not to score. The players are on the pitch, [scoring] is the players' work."
- On Thursday's opponents: "It's a tough game because Roma are an important team in a good condition. I watched their game against Fiorentina, and their past four Serie A games, and they deserve what they are doing."
- On the outside expectations of Brighton: "Our expectations are high - but sometimes the expectations you [the media] create aren't realistic. This is the first time we played in Europe, we are trying our best to compete. We are trying to compete in the Premier League at the same time. When you play in Europe for the first time, it's normal to pay the price for that in the league. And we have. We do need results, but my job is to improve the team and the club."
- On his approach for the second leg: "I don't know if we'll play with a freer state of mind. I hope that's the case. I hope we can play better physically and more freely mentally."
- When asked if getting or not getting European football next year will affect his future: "I have a contract here. I have a good relationship with everyone at the club. The fact of playing in Europe doesn't change anything - other things are more important for me."
- In the first leg, Brighton became the first English club to lose a Europa League match by four goals in the knockout stage of the competition.
- This will be only the second ever European meeting between Brighton and Roma, after the Italian club won the first leg 4-0; in Europa League history, no side has ever overturned a four-goal deficit from the first leg of a two-legged knockout tie to progress.
- Roma are winless in their last seven away games in the knockout stages of major European competition (D4 L3) since a 1-0 Conference League win at Vitesse in March 2022.
- The Giallorossi have won just one of their 22 away games in England in European competition (D8 L13), a 1-0 win against Liverpool in the 2000-01 UEFA Cup round of 16.
Roberto De Zerbi and Danny Welbeck's Roma Press Conference
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nice joke - trying to trick me! No I’ll be on the 08:20 from Gatwick I imagine with lots of other Albion. Been practicing my Spanish all week in preparation. Wie gehts!
