The Warm-up: Day of reckoning for the Giallorossi

After five hard-fought games, the Champions League group stage comes down to this.

A win will send Roma through, an eventuality that few predicted when the original draw was made. Qarabag - already eliminated - stand in the way; can the Giallorossi produce another memorable European night and roll on into the last-16?

The pre-match reading

• Eusebio Di Francesco's pre-match press conference in full
• De Rossi wants to send message with qualification
• S quad list: Nainggolan and Perotti return
• PERMUTATIONS: What Roma need to do to qualify
• V IDEO: Our 10 greatest Champions League goals

The form guide

Roma come into the game on the back of a 3-1 Serie A win over SPAL, where they set a season-high for shots taken and shots on target. They currently sit fourth in the standings, within touching distance of leaders Inter Milan.

In Europe the Giallorossi are still yet to concede at the Stadio Olimpico, while their only defeat came on Matchday 5 against Atletico. Two wins and two draws has Di Francesco's men on the verge of a place in the next round.

Qarabag, meanwhile, are still searching for their first victory in this season's competition - having claimed two draws and suffered three defeats to date.

Both of those draws came against Atletico Madrid, results that have had a significant impact on the face of the group, and Gurban Gurbanov's side know another such performance could ensure they leave the competition having played an influential role in proceedings.

Team news

Both Radja Nainggolan and Diego Perotti return to the Roma squad after missing Friday night's win over SPAL, giving coach Eusebio Di Francesco options high up the pitch.

The boss indicated in his pre-match press conference that Aleksandar Kolarov is struggling slightly with fatigue but is likely to play, while forward Patrik Schick could make his Champions League debut.

Full-back is the boss's problem area, however, with Bruno Peres serving a one-match suspension. Left-back Emerson Palmieri is not registered for this phase of the competition, while Nura Abdullahi and Rick Karsdorp are long-term absentees. Gregoire Defrel is still recovering from a blow to the knee.

Qarabag, meanwhile, will be without the suspended duo of captain Rashad Sadigov and Pedro Henrique - while defender Badavi Huseynov and full-back Anis Agolli are expected to miss out through injury.

Qualification permutations

Qarabag will finish bottom of the group whatever happens on Tuesday night - but they can still have a big say on what happens at the business end of proceedings.

To simplify it as much as possible for Roma: if they win at the Olimpico, they are guaranteed to progress to the last-16 of the competition (at the expense of Atletico Madrid).

However, if they do not win, they can be overhauled IF Atletico Madrid beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Read more in-depth analysis of every permutation here.

The view from both sides

Eusebio Di Francesco: "We need to get at them right from the off. It’s important we play with the same mentality we’ve shown thus far – we can’t give Qarabag any time to breathe. If we play with determination from the start, there will definitely be fewer risks involved.

"We’re up against a team that has always played very well away from home. They played with ten men for half an hour against Atletico in Madrid, showing that they’re not the same team that lost in the first game against Chelsea. We need to grab this one by the scruff of the neck and if we play to the best of our ability we can get the win."

Gurban Gurbanov: “After the heavy opening defeat [at Chelsea], I'm pleased with how the players pulled together and I'm delighted we got the two points against Atlético. We may have lost a lot, but we've gained a lot too. I'm satisfied we've been able to showcase Azerbaijani football, so overall it has been satisfying.

"We know what Roma's strengths are. In the game in Baku, which was our first home game, if we forget the first 25 minutes we played well. We were a bit unfortunate at times, but we've gained in experience with each game. I work a lot on trying to build my players' self-confidence and after each game, I've seen how this has grown."

Opposition danger man

IBRAHIM SEHIC

In Roma's first game of the group stage it was a goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, who made the game's decisive interventions, keeping the Giallorossi in proceedings and helping earn a 0-0 draw with Atletico Madrid that has become more and more vital as the group has unfolded.

Fast-forward to the last game of the group, and it may be another goalkeeper that stands between Roma and a place in the last-16. Ibrahim Sehic will be looking to emulate the Brazilian and pull off a performance for the ages - if he does, that could spell trouble for the home side on what promises to be a tense night anyway.

Roma's one to watch

EDIN DZEKO

One player who knows Sehic as well as anyone is Edin Dzeko - the two having shared many a national team call-up for Bosnia & Herzegovina. And that inside knowledge could yet prove advantageous to the striker, who ended his recent goalscoring drought against SPAL with a clinical finish.

Dzeko will once again be the focal point for the Giallorossi at the Olimpico, expected to link play in attack and then get in the box to finish off the attacking moves. On a night where the drama is likely to be high, his cutting edge in front of goal could well be decisive in ensuring things go as fans hope - against a side that are far more defensively-secure than many are giving them credit for.

Possible line-ups

Di Francesco may be limited in his full-back options, but his penchant for rotation means he is far from limited in his selection choices in other areas.

Both Nainggolan and Perotti could be in line to come into the starting line-up after their rest over the weekend, with Daniele De Rossi likely to captain the side.

Injuries and suspensions will force Gurbanov to shuffle his pack somewhat - but the tactical approach will surely remain the same.

With Ndlovu - supported, where possible, by the talented young Madatov - the lone attacking threat, Qarabag will surely look to dig in and make it impossible for Roma to breach their banks of four.