Zorya vs Roma: Giallorossi look to react after Derby della Capitale
Roma will be seeking to get back on track when they travel to face Eastern European outfit Zorya for matchday two of the Europa Conference League. The Giallorossi come into Thursday’s match having lost 3-2 to bitter rivals Lazio in the first Derby della Captiale of the season. That loss, which is Roma’s second in their last three games, has seen Jose Mourinho’s men now slip six points behind league leaders Napoli. Currently in fourth, with a recently resurgent Fiorentina now breathing down their necks, the Lupi will certainly look to recover points when they face Empoli, but their upcoming opponents also have been in solid form this season and will look to cause as much frustration for the capital club as possible.
But, before league action, Roma will be firmly focused on the task ahead – picking up another three points against another Eastern European outfit. The Giallorossi easily cruised to a 5-1 win over CSKA Sofia last time out to position themselves nicely on top of Group C, and a win here would ensure pretty much safe passage to the next round.
Although Roma have been scoring at a solid rate, their defense also has been leaking goals, and so it’s no surprise that it’s finally caught up with them. Losses to Hellas Verona and Lazio seem to have taken the wind out of their sails quite a bit but the visitors will have a great opportunity to recover here, especially considering that Zorya lost 3-1 in their Europa Conference League opener to Norwegian side Bodø / Glimt. And while Zorya have shown some improvement in their domestic league, namely putting together a six match unbeaten streak to climb the table, for all intents and purposes, this game will be Roma’s to lose.
Will they be able to recover from a disappointing result from last weekend’s Derby della Capitale clash? Or will this slump turn out to be more than just a minor hiccup for Jose Mourinho and his side?
