ROMA and Bayer Leverkusen lock horns in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final tie at the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday night.
The two sides have become familiar foes in recent seasons, having met at this stage of the competition last year, with the Italians progressing thanks to a 1-0 aggregate scoreline.
Daniele De Rossi’s side reached the last four this time around after ousting fellow Italian giants AC Milan 3-1 over two legs.
The capital club rescued a point late on at Napoli on Sunday, a stalemate that keeps them in the fight for a top-four finish in Serie A.
Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen also left it late at the weekend, as they scored a late equaliser to draw 2-2 with VfB Stuttgart, extending their extraordinary unbeaten run to 46 games in the process.
Xabi Alonso’s side took another step towards what would be a historic treble by eliminating West Ham in the last round, on a night where my London Stadium Bet Builder landed.
How the bookies view it: Leverkusen not losing
Roma are 12/5 (Bet 365) outsiders to inflict a first defeat of the season on Bayer Leverkusen while an all square affair at the Stadio Olimpico is an unfancied 13/5 (Bet 365)
Bayer Leverkusen, who will have revenge on their mind after last season's semi-final exit, are 11/10 favourites on Ladbrokes.
Head to head: Fifth time lucky for Leverkusen?
As already alluded to, it was Roma who ruled when the duo met at the semi-final stage last season, winning the first leg 1-0 before playing out a 0-0 draw in the return match.
The pair also met during the group stages of the Champions League back in 2015, with Roma earning a 3-2 win in the Eternal City while the BayArena were treated to a 4-4 thriller.
Players to watch: Dybala to derail Die Werkself?
Paulo Dybala has scored in each of Roma’s last two Europa League home games, not to mention he notched against Napoli at the weekend. The Argentine ace is a tempting 7/2 (Bet 365) to get on the scoresheet here, with the 5/6 (Bet 365) for a solitary shot on target also standing out.
Victor Boniface has bagged five goals across his seven Europa League appearances this season and the Nigerian striker heads the anytime goalscorer market at a best price of 17/10 on UniBet.
Predicted line-ups
Chris Smalling and Romelu Lukaku are both suffering from injuries, while Zeki Celik will miss out for the hosts due to suspension.
Bayer Leverkusen will be unable to call upon the services of Borja Iglesias and there are also doubts around the fitness of both Adam Hlozek and Jonathan Tah.
Roma: Svilar; Kristensen, Mancini, Ndicka, Spinazzola; Cristante, Paredes, Pellegrini; Dybala, Abarham, El Shaarawy
Bayer Leverkusen: Hradecky; Stanisic, Tah, Tapsoba; Frimpong, Xhaka, Palacios, Grimaldo; Wirtz, Adli; Boniface
Anything else catch the eye? Entertainment expected in the Eternal City
Roma have looked like a much more threatening attacking unit under Daniele De Rossi’s tutorship, and that is evidenced by the fact that they have scored in 18 of their 20 outings under the Italians' watch.
Across that sample of fixtures, the Giallorossi have made the net ripple in each of their 10 home games and they can keep that record intact by landing a blow against a Bayer Leverkusen side that have leaked at least one goal in four of their last five Europa League away games.
However, the Bundesliga champions rarely draw a blank and they certainly have the tools to unlock a Roma rearguard that have failed to record a clean sheet in their last four matches.
With all of that in mind, pursuing a Both Teams to Score play at 4/5 (Bet 365) holds particular appeal.
This bet would have paid out in four of Leverkusen’s last five continental assignments away from their BayArena base.
This UEFA Europa League match between Roma and Bayer Leverkusen will be played on May 2, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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