YOUNG BOYS

League position: 1st in Swiss Super League
Form: W D W W W
Top-scorer: Jean-Pierre Nsame (9)
Last time out in UEL Group A: CSKA Sofia 0-1 Young Boys

Their season so far: The Swiss visitors make the trip to the Italian capital in fine fettle having won each of their last three in all competitions and gone seven games unbeaten (W5, D2) since Roma won the reverse fixture 2-1.

In that match, Young Boys took the lead through Nsame’s penalty at the Wankdorf and led right up until the 69th minute before strikes from Bruno Peres and Marash Kumbulla completed the turnaround for Paulo Fonseca’s side.

Gerardo Seoane’s team should not be taken lightly and are just three points behind Roma in Group A as they go in search of a victory in either of their two remaining fixtures that will secure their spot in the round of 32 alongside the Giallorossi.

Nsame has been their go-to man both domestically and in Europe, with his goal sealing a 1-0 victory in Sofia last time out in the UEL.

The Cameroon international was given a decent rest at the weekend too, as he came on for just the last eight minutes of the 3-0 win at Lausanne-Sport and still managed to find time to score Young Boys’ third.

A fresh Nsame will delight Seoane, who will have to do without injured captain Fabian Lustenberger, as well as Sandro Lauper, Christopher Martins Pereira, Esteban Petignat and Marvin Spielmann.

Seoane switched to a 3-4-3 in the last meeting between the two but tends to prefer a 4-4-2 that allows the Swiss tactician to pair either Meschack Elia or exciting teenager Felix Mambimbi - who has scored three in his last three games - alongside Nsame in attack.

Meanwhile, assistant coach Patrick Schnarwiler tested positive for coronavirus this week but there were no further positive results among the squad.

What they've said:

“Roma are a Champions League level squad. Each of the other three teams in the group have the same odds of going through in second place, so that is what Young Boys are aiming for.” - Young Boys coach Gerardo Seoane