AS Roma and Slovan Bratislava face off in the third round of the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 league stage. The match kicks off on Tuesday 20 October at 20:00 (UK time) at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s Giallorossi return to European action at the Olimpico in desperate search of their first Champions League victory of the season after letting a two-goal lead slip in a chaotic 4-3 defeat against Real Madrid last week. Across the pitch, Yaya Touré brings his Slovan Bratislava squad to the Italian capital looking to halt a dismal continental run that has seen the Slovakian champions ship nine goals in their opening two league-phase outings.
Our prediction for AS Roma vs. Slovan Bratislava points toward an aggressive, high-tempo display from the hosts against a fragile visiting backline.
Find out what our expert betting prediction is for today’s encounter.
AS Roma x Slovan Bratislava Odds
Odds are subject to change.
Match Overview - AS Roma vs. Slovan Bratislava
- AS Roma sit on one point in the Champions League table, but are unbeaten in Serie A and warmed up for this tie with a 2-0 weekend victory over Genoa.
- Slovan Bratislava occupy 36th place at the bottom of the Champions League standings, having conceded a tournament-high nine goals across defeats to PSG (6-1) and Stuttgart (3-0).
- Across their only two previous competitive meetings, Slovan Bratislava eliminated Roma from the 2011/12 Europa League play-offs with a 2-1 aggregate victory.
AS RomaAS
Slovan BratislavaSLORecent Results(Last N Matches)
Season Stats
Head-to-Head Record
- Slovan Bratislava hold the historical edge with one victory and one draw from their two previous competitive meetings against Roma in August 2011.
- The only previous encounter at the Stadio Olimpico finished in a 1-1 draw during Europa League qualifying.
- Slovan Bratislava have lost all 10 of their all-time Champions League main-stage fixtures, the longest losing run to start a campaign in tournament history.
- Roma have lost just one of their last 15 home fixtures across all competitions at the Stadio Olimpico.
- Donyell Malen has registered three goal involvements in two Champions League appearances this season (two goals and one assist).
- Slovan Bratislava have faced 22 shots on target and 51 total shots in their opening two Champions League games, both competition highs.
AS Roma Form and Team News
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side return to home soil looking to translate their domestic form into Europe after a routine 2-0 Serie A win against Genoa restored confidence over the weekend.
The Giallorossi sit second in Serie A, but European nights have proved frustrating: Roma opened the scoring in both Champions League games this season against Fenerbahçe and Real Madrid, only to drop points on each occasion.
Gasperini has demanded greater tactical discipline in the closing stages after conceding three goals in the final eight minutes against Madrid.
Roma’s attacking charge will be spearheaded by Donyell Malen, who returns refreshed after serving a domestic suspension on Saturday. The Dutch forward—who struck twice against Real Madrid—will be supported by Matías Soulé and captain Lorenzo Pellegrini, as Gasperini copes with a significant injury list.
Paulo Dybala has been ruled out for two weeks with a calf injury, while first-choice midfielders Bryan Cristante (knee) and Manu Koné (thigh) remain sidelined alongside goalkeeper Mile Svilar (broken finger).
In midfield, Marten de Roon will partner 22-year-old talent Niccolò Pisilli, with Brazilian wing-back Wesley and youngster Emanuele Lulli providing width down the flanks. Behind them, Pierluigi Gollini starts in goal protected by Gianluca Mancini, Evan Ndicka, and Mario Hermoso.
DateResult | ||
|---|---|---|
AS RomaAS 2-0  GenoaGEN | WinW | |
AS RomaAS 3-4 Real MadridREA | LossL | |
comoCOM 0-0 AS RomaAS | DrawD | |
AS RomaAS 2-2 InternazionaleINT | DrawD | |
TorinoTOR 0-2 AS RomaAS | WinW | |
Slovan Bratislava Form and Team News
Yaya Touré brings his Slovan Bratislava squad to the Italian capital looking for a massive response following a humbling opening month on the continent.
The Sky Blues warmed up for this trip with an emphatic 3-0 derby victory away to Spartak Trnava on Saturday, lifting them to fourth in the Slovak Super Liga. However, bridging the quality gap in the Champions League has proved difficult: Slovan have looked completely overwhelmed out of possession, shipping six goals in Paris and three at home to Stuttgart while facing more shots on target than any other side in the competition.
Touré travels with a clean bill of health and no fresh injury concerns following the weekend. Experienced Slovenian forward Andraž Šporar will lead the line, supported by the creative running of Armenian international Tigran Barseghyan and Suleiman Camara.
Cristian Martínez will operate in the pocket between midfield and attack, with Patrik Pokorný and Rahim Ibrahim—who has scored four goals in all competitions this term—tasked with disrupting Roma’s build-up.
In defense, Dominik Takáč will need a standout performance in goal behind full-backs César Blackman and Sandro Cruz, with Kenan Bajrič and Svetozar Marković anchoring the central backline.
DateResult | ||
|---|---|---|
Spartak TrnavaSPA 0-3  Slovan BratislavaSLO | WinW | |
Slovan BratislavaSLO 0-3 VfB StuttgartVFB | LossL | |
SkalicaSKA 1-1 Slovan BratislavaSLO | DrawD | |
KomárnoKOM 1-2 Slovan BratislavaSLO | WinW | |
NitraNIT 1-3 Slovan BratislavaSLO | WinW | |
AS Roma vs. Slovan Bratislava Prediction: Hosts to Dominate
Roma’s attack has been devastating at home in Europe, scoring three against Real Madrid, while Slovan Bratislava’s defensive line has conceded nine goals in just two Champions League outings. With Gasperini demanding an all-out attacking approach from the opening whistle, backing Over 2.5 goals in total looks like a rock-solid selection.
Slovan have struggled to contain top European frontlines, conceding early goals against both PSG and Stuttgart. Facing a Roma side eager to take out their continental frustrations through Malen and Soulé, backing AS Roma to win with a handicap of -1.5 on the Asian line offers strong value.
Given the substantial gulf in technical quality and Roma’s urgent need to secure three points in the league phase, the Italian side are overwhelming favourites to control proceedings from start to finish. Back AS Roma on the Moneyline.
The odds mentioned were collected during the writing of this prediction and may change. Always check with the bookmaker for the latest information.
  | ||
| Best Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Over/Under | Over 2.5 goals in total | |
| Asian Handicap | AS Roma to win with a handicap of -1.5 | |
Where to Watch AS Roma vs. Slovan Bratislava
Here are the broadcast and streaming details to watch AS Roma vs. Slovan Bratislava live:
- TV: TNT Sports
- Streaming: HBO Max
AS Roma vs. Slovan Bratislava Predicted Lineups
Tuesday’s encounter sets up a clash between Gian Piero Gasperini’s relentless high-press and Yaya Touré’s compact mid-block. The Italian tactician will instruct Wesley and Lulli to push aggressively high up the pitch, looking to create overloads for Soulé and Pellegrini to feed Donyell Malen in the penalty area. Slovan will look to absorb the early onslaught through Bajrič and Marković, hoping Pokorný and Ibrahim can quickly transition the ball to Barseghyan and Šporar on the counter.
AS Roma
Pierluigi Gollini; Gianluca Mancini, Evan Ndicka, Mario Hermoso; Emanuele Lulli, Marten de Roon, Niccolò Pisilli, Wesley; Matías Soulé, Lorenzo Pellegrini; Donyell Malen.
AS RomaSlovan Bratislava
Dominik Takáč; César Blackman, Kenan Bajrič, Svetozar Marković, Sandro Cruz; Patrik Pokorný, Rahim Ibrahim; Tigran Barseghyan, Cristian Martínez, Suleiman Camara; Andraž Šporar.
Slovan BratislavaMatch Details
Here are the match details:
- Match: AS Roma vs. Slovan Bratislava
- Competition: UEFA Champions League 2026/27
- Date: 20/10/2026
- Kick-off: 20:00 (UK Time)
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