The Real society open this Thursdayat 6:45 p.m.the play off of round of 16 of the europa league that confronts the Rome. The team coached by Imanol Alguacil visits, for the first time in its history in an official match, the Olympic Stadium in Rome, to play against a team that, led by José Mourinho, their coach since 2021, is in fourth position in the League from Italy and won the Conference League title in the 2021-22 season.

The Real is going to meet a rival who is strong in his stadium. The Italian team reached the round of 16 by coming back, at home, against Salzburg, who had beaten Roma 1-0 in the first leg of the play-off. Mourinho’s men, in the group stage, occupied the second position in group C, behind Betis, which forced them to gamble in that play-off that they overcame two weeks ago. In the last game they played, in the League, Roma beat Juventus 1-0 last weekend, in the same stadium where Real is now looking for a result that will bring them closer to the tie for quarter finals.

The San Sebastian team returns to continental competition after tie, last Friday, in Anoeta against Cádiz (0-0). He has achieved six points out of the last 18 in play in LaLiga Santander (victory against Espanyol in Barcelonaand draws against real Madridhe Celtic and Cádiz), and, since last weekend, they have been fourth in the league competition, after occupying third place since before the World Cup in Qatar. In this way, the Real has seen the excellent progress that it had until the end of January slow down; but they have already shown on many occasions, this season and in previous ones, that they have plenty of arguments to respond to any team.

Imanol could decide to go for Alexander Sorloth and David Silva, who were substitutes in the game against Cádiz; The presence of the canary could leave Kubo, Brais or Mikel Oyarzabal out of the eleven. Orio’s coach will also have to decide if he keeps Andoni Gorosabel on the right side and Diego Rico on the left of the defense, or if, on the contrary, he places Álex Sola and Aihen Muñoz as starters.

In the Romewhich has high-quality players, such as Paulo Dybala or Andrea Belotti, and does not have any casualties, has won seven of the last eight games it has played at the Olímpico, and, in the last 33 games it has played at home within of the European competitions, it has achieved 24 victories, with seven draws and only two defeats.

Possible line-ups for the Roma-Real Sociedad match (Thursday, March 9, at 6:45 p.m.):

ROME: Rui Patricio; Diego Llorente, Smalling, Mancini; Zalewski, Cristante, Wijnaldum, Spinazzola; Pellegrini, Dybala and Abraham.

REAL SOCIETY: I remir; Gorosabel, Zubeldia, Le Normand, Diego Rico; Brais Mendez, Zubimendi, Merino, Silva; Kubo and Sorloth.

REFEREE: Sandro Schärer (Switzerland).

Source: Eitb

Kingston

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