Fourth Place on the Line as Roma Host Bologna

Even Evan Ndicka’s injury has been unable to keep this refreshed Giallorossi down. While there was certainly cause for anxiety heading into the second leg of Roma’s quarterfinal matchup against Milan in the Europa League, and as much as Romanisti should grumble about Serie A’s decision to have Roma finish the suspended Udinese match on April 25th, things still look to be looking up for I Lupi. Yet even with the fifth Champions League spot secured through league coefficient rating, I’m sure I’m not alone in wanting Roma to get Champions League football the old-fashioned way, through a fourth-place finish in the league.

Tomorrow’s match against Bologna is the most straightforward chance for Roma to muscle their way back into the top four. As it stands, the Giallorossi are four points down on Bologna with the game against Udinese in hand — meaning a win against Bologna tomorrow could put Roma level with Thiago Motta’s side.

While Roma looks to be without Ndicka for an extended amount of time and will be missing Romelu Lukaku at least until Roma’s first match against Bayer Leverkusen, injuries to Bologna’s side, including an ACL tear for Lewis Ferguson, means that this match should be relatively even. At the very least, it’s definitely worth the watch.

What To Watch For

Tammy Time 2: Electric Boogaloo

Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The absence of Romelu Lukaku from Roma’s squad after he sustained a minor hamstring injury in Roma’s most recent Milan match means that the Tammy Abraham Experience is likely to start up in earnest sooner than many expected. The English international has looked intriguing in his spot minutes since returning from his season-long injury layoff but hasn’t scored yet since returning to the side. If that changes tomorrow against Bologna, it will give an adrenaline injection to a side that needs as much attacking depth as possible while attempting to compete in multiple competitions in the tail-end of the season.

A healthy and goal-scoring Abraham would certainly make this upcoming challenging week, which features a match against Bologna, the rest of the match against Udinese, and the first leg against Leverkusen, far more manageable. Even a simply healthy Abraham would do this, particularly with Sardar Azmoun struggling with fitness. It will also make it far easier for Roma to move forward this summer in their team-building plans if they know they can count on Abraham for the long term, as it looks unlikely that Romelu Lukaku will stick around the Stadio Olimpico after this season draws to a close.

While Abraham might not be the only factor in whether Roma wins, loses, or draws this match against Bologna, he is certainly one of the more intriguing players to focus on ahead of the match.

Is Mile Svilar Showing Form or Talent?

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Mile Svilar, on the other hand, is both an important player to zero in on heading into this match against Bologna and a potential lynchpin for the Giallorossi not only against Bologna but for the rest of the season. Ever since he was handed the starter’s kit early into Daniele De Rossi’s tenure as manager, Svilar has performed admirably, earning plaudits from across Europe and making him a strong contender to be Roma’s long-term solution at goalkeeper.

Nevertheless, goalkeepers are known to have bursts of brilliance followed by slides into mediocrity. Long-time Romanisti will remember how a strong World Cup performance by Maarten Stekelenburg resulted in Roma making a move for the Dutchman, only for him to be pretty unimpressive in a Roma kit. All signs point toward Svilar being all steak and no sizzle, but as the pressure turns up in the last six weeks of the season, it will certainly be fascinating to see if the Serbian international will hold his own or crack under the pressure. Bologna might not seem as big of a challenge in this regard compared to an AC Milan or a SS Lazio, but the significance of this match speaks for itself. If Svilar can notch another great performance tomorrow, it’s just another point in his favor for Roma to trust him moving forward — and much like with Tammy Abraham, being able to trust Svilar will make it that much easier to invest in parts of the squad where overhauls are truly necessary.

Match Details

Date: April 22nd

Kickoff: 18:30 CET/12:30 EDT

Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Roma