Celtic Vs AS Roma [0–3] – UEFA Europa League 2025/2026: How Gian Piero Gasperini Pressing Crushed Wilfried Nancy Debut – Tactical Analysis

Celtic hosted AS Roma for the UEFA Europa League sixth fixture at Celtic Park, and the match ended with a convincing 0-3 away win for Roma.

Celtic’s change of manager and playing system made things a bit complicated for the team, mainly because they faced a very organised team with experience in using the 3-4-2-1 system effectively.

Celtic will need to bounce back as soon as possible after their inconsistent UEFA Europa League results so far to guarantee a qualifying spot.

On the other hand, Roma reacted powerfully following their latest league loss, confirming they will not be going through a crisis and that the loss was just a temporary dip in form.

Winning an away game at a difficult stadium like that of Celtic while scoring three goals can only confirm that Gian Piero Gasperini’s side is gaining a lot in terms of personality, confidence, and ability to win complicated games.

This tactical analysis article explores Roma’s high-pressing plan and how it helped limit Celtic’s threats and turn their playmaking attempts into dangerous counterattacking actions.

The analysis will also assess Roma’s attacking trio and how they were decisive in this match.

Celtic Vs Roma Lineups & Formations

Wilfried Nancy started the match using the 3-4-3 formation with Kasper Schmeichel as a goalkeeper, and a defensive line made up of Auston Trusty, Liam Scales, and Kieran Tierney as centre-backs.

The midfield featured Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate as central midfielders, and Sebastian Tounekti and Yang Hyun-Jun as wing-backs.

In attack, the team relied on Benjamin Nygren and Arne Engels as wingers to support the striker Daizen Maeda.

On the other hand, Gasperini used his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, and a defensive line of three centre-backs: Gianluca Mancini on the right, Evan Ndicka in the centre, and Mario Hermoso on the left.

The midfield line featured Zeki Çelik and Devyne Rensch as right and left wing-backs, with Niccolò Pisilli and Neil El Aynaoui as central midfielders.

In attack, Roma used both Matías Soulé and Stephan El Shaarawy as advanced playmakers, often as wingers, with Evan Ferguson as the central striker.

Roma Pressing & Attacking Efficiency

Roma impressively started this match, using Gasperini’s exceptional, aggressive pressing method to block most, if not all, of Celtic’s playmaking attempts and prevent their attacking players from receiving passes.

It was as simple as that, despite the fact that saying it is much easier than executing it without mistakes.