Roma and Brighton are gearing up for their first ever match against each other, but it won’t be a complete unknown for some players.
Six members of the Roma squad – not all of whom are available for the Europa League round of 16 tie, admittedly – have played against Brighton before for former clubs.
Here’s how they got on.
Rui Patricio
Played: 6 Won: 1 Drawn: 4 Lost: 1
During Rui Patricio’s three-season spell with Wolves, he played against Brighton home and away every time. Both sides won one out of the six games each, with the rest being draws. Twice Patricio kept a clean sheet, otherwise conceding seven goals. However, his place in the Roma lineup has recently been taken by Mile Svilar.
Chris Smalling
Played: 3 Won: 2 Drawn: 0 Lost: 1
Towards the end of his Manchester United career, when Brighton were becoming a Premier League outfit, Chris Smalling faced them three times: twice in the league and once in the FA Cup. Both league games finished 1-0 to whoever the home side was, and the FA Cup game was a 2-0 win for United. Smalling has recently been returning to fitness with Roma.
Tammy Abraham
Played: 6 Won: 2 Drawn: 1 Lost: 3
Smalling’s compatriot who remains on the sidelines, Tammy Abraham, played twice each against Brighton for three different clubs. First it was in the Championship with Bristol City, when the away side won both times. Then it was in two top-flight defeats with Swansea. Finally, Abraham enjoyed a win and a draw against Brighton with Chelsea. He never scored in any of the six games against the Seagulls, though.
Diego Llorente
Played: 4 Won: 0 Drawn: 2 Lost: 2
Diego Llorente’s four appearances for Leeds against Brighton were spread across three seasons. Both games were draws in the 2021-22 campaign and either side of that, Leeds lost the ones Llorente was involved in.
Rasmus Kristensen
Played: 1 Won: 0 Drawn: 0 Lost: 1
Brighton were one of the first opponents Rasmus Kristensen faced with Leeds, on matchday four of his only season there. It was a 1-0 defeat for the West Yorkshire side away from home and the right-back was on the bench for the reverse fixture.
Romelu Lukaku
Played: 6 Won: 3 Drawn: 2 Lost: 1
Scored: 3 goals
The most likely member of this list to be a starter for Roma against Brighton, Romelu Lukaku also boasts the best record against them from his spells with Manchester United and Chelsea. The striker played three league games and one FA Cup game against Brighton for United, scoring twice within three wins and a loss. For Chelsea, he played both 1-1 draws between the two in 2021-22, scoring in the first.
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