Despite Milan dominating both Serie A encounters this season, Roma's 1-0 victory in the second leg places them in a favorable position to advance to the semi-finals, where they could potentially face either West Ham United or newly crowned German champions Bayer Leverkusen.
Roma has a recent history of European success, having reached two UEFA finals in as many years. Under former coach Jose Mourinho, they claimed the inaugural Europa Conference League in 2022 and displayed resilience in reaching the latter stages of UEFA's second-tier competition the following year.
The spirit instilled by Mourinho seemed to fuel Roma's triumph in Milan, where Gianluca Mancini's early goal secured the crucial advantage.
Following their first victory over Milan in a decade, Roma has demonstrated strong form under the leadership of returning hero Daniele De Rossi. Sitting in fifth place in Serie A, Roma is aiming for Champions League qualification for next season, either through a top-five finish or by winning the Europa League.
Despite their ambitions, Roma's focus momentarily shifted after their league clash with Udinese was abandoned due to a medical emergency involving Evan Ndicka. With Ndicka sidelined, Roma will strive to maintain their momentum against Milan before facing fourth-placed Bologna.
Milan, meanwhile, saw their seven-game winning streak come to an end with defeat in the first leg against Roma. Despite their attacking prowess, the Rossoneri were unable to breach Roma's defense, halting their 29-match scoring streak across all competitions.
Facing the prospect of elimination from Europe by another domestic rival, Milan must overturn their first-leg deficit to keep their Europa League aspirations alive. However, history is not on their side, as they have struggled to recover from home defeats in previous UEFA knockout ties.
While still in contention for a second-place finish in Serie A, Milan's primary focus is on securing their first Europa League trophy this season. To achieve this goal, they must overcome Roma in what promises to be a fiercely contested battle in the Eternal City.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
After resting key players like Paulo Dybala, Gianluca Mancini, and captain Lorenzo Pellegrini for their recent match against Udinese, Roma is expected to field their strongest lineup against Milan, with the exception of suspended midfielder Bryan Cristante.In Cristante's absence, Edoardo Bove is likely to take his place in the starting XI, while Chris Smalling is set to return in defense due to Evan Ndicka's injury setback. Notably, neither Dean Huijsen nor Rasmus Kristensen were included in Roma's squad list for the knockout phase.
Former Milan forward Stephan El Shaarawy is poised to join Dybala and Europa League specialist Romelu Lukaku in Roma's attacking trio. Lukaku, who has netted seven goals in this season's competition and 27 overall, poses a significant threat to Milan's defense.
Meanwhile, Milan will have goalkeeper Mike Maignan back in action after his absence against Sassuolo, with Fikayo Tomori returning from suspension to bolster the defense. However, Simon Kjaer's injury means Tomori is likely to partner Matteo Gabbia in central defense.
With Tommaso Pobega back in full training, Milan coach Stefano Pioli has almost a full squad at his disposal. Despite their recent impressive performances, Luka Jovic and Samu Chukwueze are expected to make way for Olivier Giroud and Christian Pulisic to join Rafael Leao in the attacking lineup.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Roma possible starting lineup:Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Smalling, Spinazzola; Bove, Paredes, Pellegrini; Dybala, Lukaku, El Shaarawy
AC Milan possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Gabbia, Hernandez; Bennacer, Reijnders; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Giroud
EXPERT PREDICTION
Roma 2-1 AC Milan
The last team to achieve the feat of winning two away games against Roma in a single season was Fiorentina back in the 2014-15 campaign. However, Milan might find it challenging to replicate this accomplishment when they face Roma on Thursday.
Both teams possess the firepower to score from various players, but Roma has displayed improved defensive solidity recently, especially when playing at home in the capital city. This resilience at the back could make it difficult for Milan to secure a victory on Roma's turf.
