Our prediction for this Europa League match:
After surviving Helsinki in their last group game, Roma will look to return to winning ways in the Europa League when they take on Ludogorets at Stadio Olimpico. The Giallorossi face yet another must-win game against the Bulgarian champions if they are to advance to the knockout stages of the competition. Defender Gianluca Mancini is banned for the match, while all Dybala, Matic, Wijnaldum, and Darboe should miss out through injuries.
Ludogorets, on the other hand, failed to impress in a 1-0 loss to Real Betis, and seeing that Jose Mourinho’s troops have turned their Stadio Olimpico into a real fortress, home win should be considered. Midfielder Dominik Yankov remains on the sidelines with injury for the visiting team. When the two teams met in Razgrad earlier in the process Ludogorets defeated Roma 2-1, meaning that the Romans are hungry for revenge.
Highlighted Player (Nemanja Matic):
Nemanja Matic is a Serbian footballer who plays for Premier League side Chelsea. The 194-cm-tall midfielder was born on 1 August, 1988 and he began his football career (youth) at Radnicki Obrenovac.
In 2005 he signed for Kolubara and after impressing with Kosice in the 2008/2009 campaign, Chelsea owners decided to sign him. Nemanja spent the 2010/2011 season on loan at Vitesse and at the end of the season he signed a deal with Portuguese giants Benfica, with David Luiz heading in the other direction.
Matic was in the form of his life in the 2013/2014 Primeira Liga campaign and he helped the Eagles clinch the domestic trophy. He rejoined Chelsea in 2014 for a fee of €25M and he helped the Blues win the Premier League title in the 2014/2015 season. Nemanja Matic has also developed into a key member of the Serbian national team that have been largely struggling of late.
Highlighted Team (Ludogorets):
Bulgarian football club PFC Ludogorets Razgrad, commonly referred to as Eagles, compete at the Ludogorets Arena with the capacity of 8,000. PFC Ludogorets Razgrad are owned by Kiril Domuschiev, who made it his personal goal to propel the club to domestic and international success and to hold up the Bulgarian flag high with nation’s biggest clubs Levski and CSKA going through turbulent times.
Having seen their stock rise astronomically since 2010, PFK Ludogorets Razgrad have become the first Bulgarian club to be features in the UEFA Champions League group stage twice. Previously, their maiden participation happened in 2014-15 season when the Bulgarian club made headlines due to notable results against FC Basel and Liverpool.
Their success on domestic scene has been equally impressive as PFC Ludogorets Razgrad remain the second team in the world to win a treble after being promoted from the second to the first league. Main force of the Bulgarian club are the Brazilian players, currently eight of them in the squad many of whom hold the Bulgarian citizenship.