We have all the pre-match preamble you need as Roma host HJK Helsinki in the Europa League on Thursday (kick-off: 21:00 CEST).

HJK HELSINKI

League position: 1st
Head coach: Toni Koskela
22/23 top scorer: Bojan Radulovic (10)

RECENT FORM

ROMA: D W L L W
HELSINKI: D W W L W

After a league defeat to Udinese was followed by a second successive loss in Ludogorets, the Giallorossi were back to winning ways on Monday as Tammy Abraham and Paulo Dybala fired Jose Mourinho’s side to a 2-1 victory.

Nicolo Zaniolo was a welcome sight on the Roma bench in Tuscany and could get minutes against Helsinki, while Andrea Belotti, Mady Camara and Mike Svilar may also start as Mourinho balances domestic and continental commitments.

Helsinki’s league campaign is far further along than Roma’s and the reigning champions of Finland went into the Championship playoff stage of their season perched in first place.

Like Roma, they tasted defeat in their Group C opener as they succumbed 2-0 to Real Betis and each team will be hoping to immediately address those Matchday 1 losses.

Possible Helsinki line-up

(3-4-3)

Hazard; Tenho, Hoskonen, Peltola; Soiri, Lingman, Vaanen, Browne; Boujellab, Abubakari, Hostikka

DANGER MAN
Bojan Radulovic

Helsinki’s top-scorer missed the game against Betis and subsequent victory over FC Honka at the weekend.

The Matchday 2 visitors to the Stadio Olimpico will now be crossing their fingers that their 10-goal top scorer in all competitions can return to fitness in time for the trip to Rome.

In the absence of Roope Riski, he has been integral in leading Koskela’s attack so far this term but should he not make it back in time, new loanee Malik Abubakari is expected to again fill in.

Abubakari has had a slow start to life with HJK, though, and has just two goals in 14 outings since signing on-loan from Swedish outfit Malmo.

MATCH STATS

This will be the first competitive meeting between Roma and HJK Helsinki, and the Giallorossi will face a Finnish team for only the second time, having eliminated Ilves from the Cup Winners' Cup in 1991-92.

Roma are currently unbeaten from 19 home games in all European competitions (W13, D6), a run that dates back to February 2019 and is the longest current unbeaten home streak in Europe.

From seven previous outings, Helsinki have conceded in every one of their Europa League matches in their history.

Despite taking no points from Ludogorets last time out in Europe, Roma had the second most touches in the opponent's box (35) in the UEL on week one and ranked third for most shots (19).

PLAYER STATS

• Eldor Shomurodov has scored half of his Roma goals in cup games (three out of six), including in the last game against Ludogorets.
  
• Lorenzo Pellegrini had more shots than any other player on round one of the UEL (eight).
  
• Pellegrini was also the Roma player who created the most chances for his team-mates against Ludogorets (four).
  
• Dybala’s goal against Empoli makes him Roma’s top scorer in all competitions so far this season (three), with one more than Abraham (two) behind him. There are four more players on one goal for the Giallorossi in 2022-23.

WHAT THEY SAID

“Obviously winning the first game leaves you in a more comfortable spot, while a defeat has put the pressure on a bit. But we have to focus on the what’s next: against Helsinki next week we need to pick up three points.”

- Mourinho after being beaten by Ludogorets