Roma v Austria Wien: Three opposition players to watch

Roma will be hosting Austrian side FK Austria Wien when Week 3 of the Europa League gets underway on Thursday.

With both clubs on four points in the group, a win for either side will make them group leaders at the halfway stage of the competition – a potentially valuable advantage as qualification for the knockout rounds becomes a distinct possibility.

Here are the three individuals from the Austria side that could give Roma a hard time...

Christoph Martschinko

On the flanks, Martschinko will be one to watch out for as he tends to bomb forward from the left-back position.

The 26-year-old had an important loan spell at the club last year, making 33 league appearances, before joining on a permanent basis this summer. Martschinko's end product has started to pay off, registering two goals as well as one assist in the Austrian Bundesliga so far this season.

Roma will have to keep an eye out for Austria Wien's attacking threat from the left side, especially with Martschinko joining Alexander Grunwald in the opposition half of the pitch. It will be a busy night for Roma's right-back, likely to be Alessandro Florenzi once again, and marking both attacking-minded players while pushing forward himself could well require assistance from his teammates.

Alexander Grunwald

Graduating from Austria Wien's academy in 2008, Grunwald has without a doubt been a superb servant for the club over the years, especially during the past two campaigns.

The individual's contribution in the previous season was crucial towards the side's final position, bagging nine league goals and producing eight assists. Austria Wien completed the biggest away win last year in the league, thrashing SV Mattersburg as Grunwald arguably played his best football for the club in that match.

If Roma want to pick up all three points on Thursday, they'll have to watch Grunwald closely, who will be the influential creative player for the Austrian side. His exceptional vision and impressive work rate could determine the battle in the middle of the pitch – but if he is kept quiet then Austria could struggle for an attacking threat.

Olarenwaju Kayode

Since joining the club in 2015 for just £680,000, Kayode has been a fantastic signing for Austria Wien.

The 23-year-old played a key role last season in helping the club finish in third position, notching 13 goals, ending the campaign as the club's second top goalscorer and the league's third top scorer. Carrying on from where he left off so far this term, Kayode is already showing he is no one-season wonder.

The Nigerian international thrives from his quick feet and incredible speed, which means the Roma defence will have to get tight with him and refrain from leaving any space for him to roam into.

The visitors will surely look to exploit Kayode’s pace on the counter, so restricting that potential outlet will be a high priority for the centre-backs that play.