Rangers have only ever won six of 25 meetings with Italian clubs, losing 14, the most-recent of these victories coming against Livorno in the UEFA Cup 19 years ago; Charlie Adam, Kris Boyd and Nacho Novo the scorers.
Roma have only ever been drawn against Scottish opposition twice before, ousting Hibs in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup semi-finals in 1961, before fighting back from 2-0 down to oust Jim McLean's Dundee United 3-2 on aggregate in the 1984 European Cup semi-finals.
Rangers vs Roma preview
Rangers have claimed plenty of statement Europa League victories at Ibrox since returning to the competition in 2018, so will this be another famous night in Govan? Well, they very much need that to be the case because, going into matchday four, they find themselves bottom of the 36 team league table. A fortnight ago, in Danny Röhl's first match in charge, the Gers were ignominiously smashed 3-0 by Brann in Bergen. This was actually the club's sixth successive European defeats, following loses at the hands of Viktoria Plzeň, Club Brugge twice, Genk and Sturm Graz under Russell Martin.
However, since then, things have started to improve under Röhl. He led the Light Blues to back-to-back Premiership victories for the first time this season, beating both Kilmarnock and Hibs. Then, on Sunday, despite seeing Thelo Aasgaard sent off for a very ferocious first half tackle, the Gers held fierce rivals Celtic to a 1-1 draw in the League Cup semi-finals at Hampden, before ultimately being dumped out 3-1 after extra time. Back in the Europa League, their remaining opponents are Braga, Ferencváros, Ludogorets and Porto so, considering Rangers kick off on no points at all, they really need to start picking up results if they're to reach the knockout phase.
As for Roma, they reached the final of this competition in 2023 before being beaten semi-finalists 12 months later, so are considered among the favourites to be in İstanbul on 20 May. I Giallorossi thereby made a winning start to the league phase, beating Nice 2-1 by the French Riviera, thanks to Gianluca Mancini's stunning volley. However, since then, Gian Piero Gasperini's side have actually lost back-to-back matches at Stadio Olimipico. I Lupi were beaten 1-0 by Lille, seeing three spot-kick saved in quick succession the Eternal City, before a shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of Viktoria Plzeň.
Meantime, on Sunday night, Roma were also beaten 1-0 by AC Milan at San Siro, with their rotten luck from 12 yards continuing, given that Paulo Dybala saw a second half penalty saved. This has seen them slip down to fourth in Serie A albeit, having won seven of ten games, they are just one point adrift leaders Napoli. Thus, both teams are under pressure to pick up Europa League points in Glasgow on Thursday, so who will leave Ibrox victorious?
Rangers vs Roma head-to-head record
These two clubs have never previously met.
Rangers team news
Going to extra time with only ten men on Sunday was far from ideal preperation. Danny Röhl will stick with the back three shape featuring Nasser Djiga, despite his less than convincing display at Hampden.
Elsewhere, Thelo Aasgaard's suspension only applies to domestic matches, so it'll be interesting to see if he keeps his place. Both John Souttar and Djeidi Gassama would sit out the clash with Braga later this month if cautioned.
Rangers predicted lineup vs Roma: (3-4-3): Butland; Dijga, Cornelius, Souttar; Tavernier, Raskin, Diomandé, Meghoma; Danilo, Gassama, Chermiti.
Rangers player to watch vs Roma
James Tavernier conveted his 136th goal for Rangers from the penalty spot at Hampden, of which 20 have come in UEFA competition, so can he add to his tally with a massive one here?
Roma team news
Star attacker Paulo Dybala is sidelined, picking up a knock in the act of missing a penalty on Sunday, which is the very definition of adding insult to injury. Edoardo Bove and Republic of Ireland international Evan Ferguson are also sidelined.
Gian Piero Gasperini will also deploy a back three, with Bryan Cristante captaining the side from midfield, alongside star man Manu Koné.
Roma predicted lineup vs Rangers: (3-5-2): Svillar; Mancini, Hermoso, Ndicka; Çelik, El Aynaoui, Koné, Pellegrini, Wesley; Dovbyk, Soulé.
Roma player to watch vs Rangers
Given that there's no Dybala nor Ferguson, Matías Soulé will be Roma's main man in attack, looking to add to his three goals this season, having netted against Pisa, Verona and Fiorentina.
Rangers vs Roma prediction
Given Rangers' improved form under Danny Röhl, this game is tough to call and could go either-way, but we're just about backing the Romans for victory at Ibrox on Thursday: Rangers 1-2 Roma.
Rangers vs Roma FAQs - UEFA Europa League
How to watch Rangers vs Roma in the Europa League on TV channel?
Rangers vs Roma in the Europa League will be available on the following TV channels;
- UK: TNT Sports 3 & Ultimate.
- USA: CBS Sports Network, Paramount+ & fuboTV
- Canada: DAZN Canada
How to watch Rangers vs Roma in the Europa League on live streaming?
Rangers vs Roma in the Europa League will be available on the following streaming services;
- UK: Discovery+
- USA: Paramount+
- Canada: DAZN Canada
What is the date and kick-off time for Rangers vs Roma in the Europa League?
Rangers vs Roma takes place on Thursday 27 November 2025, with kick off at 20:00 (GMT), 15:00 (ET) & 12:00 (PT).