Two of the biggest teams left in European football's second competition will have been disappointed to drop into the last 16 playoff round but will need to raise themselves for a tough two-legged affair if they want to make it to the next stage of the competition.
Porto finished 18th in the league phase, collecting just 11 points from an available 24, with defeats against Portuguese rivals Sporting and Europa Conference League champions Olympiakos in their final two games proving especially costly. Their hopes of catching Sporting at the top of the Primeira Liga are slim so this competition will surely be the priority for Porto now.
Roma only managed one point more than Porto and finished in 15th. Losing to Elfsborg in particular would have been humbling but apart from that their problem was turning draws into wins, drawing four of their eight league phase games. However, it could be argued that they faced stiffer competition than Porto. Given their shocking league form and the overall mess that their season has been, the Giallorossi may need to win this tournament to even qualify for any European football next season.
Porto vs Roma Team News
Martin Anselmi will be without Marko Grujic, Ivan Marcano and Martim Fernandes who are all injured, and star midfielder Nico Gonzalaz just joined Man City, so things in the middle of the park will not be ideal for the Argentine coach of Porto.
New Roma signings Anass Salah-Eddine and Lucas Gourna-Douath will be unavailable as they are not included in the team's UEFA squad list.
Porto vs Roma Possible Lineups
Anselmi's 3-1-4-2 formation will be put to the test in the absence of at least two quality midfielders. Meanwhile, the Portuguese may give teenager Rodrigo Mora a chance to link up with Samu Omorodion up front as they look to penetrate this Roma side.
FC Porto Predicted Lineup (3-1-4-2): Diogo Costa; Pedro, Perez, Djalo; Varela; João Mario, Moura, Eustaquio, Fabio Vieira; Omorodion, Mora
Roma stars Alexis Saelemaekers and Leandro Paredes were rested for their 1-0 win over Venezia at the weekend but should be recalled for this crucial game. Meanwhile, January pickups Devyne Rensch and Victor Nelsson could be a part of Ranieri's plans.
AS Roma Predicted Lineup (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Nelsson, Hummels, Mancini; Rensch, Paredes, Cristante, Saelemaekers; Dybala, Pellegrini; Dovbyk
Porto vs Roma Prediction
This should be a very tight game between two very strong teams for this competition, especially with it being the first leg. Expect a cagey affair with a lot of stakes and tension.
Prediction: FC Porto 1-1 AS Roma
This is probably the pick of the bunch from the UEFA Europa League ties. It should be well worth a watch for the neutral.
Fans in the UK can watch Porto vs Roma live on TV or via streaming with TNT Sports.
