Bayer Leverkusen vs Roma Prediction & Betting Tips – Europa League
Bayer Leverkusen will on Thursday welcome AS Roma in the return leg of their Europa League semi-final tie. The hosts are down 1-0 down after the first leg played last week. The winners of this tie will take on either Juventus or Sevilla in the final.
Bayer Leverkusen – Roma: Form Analysis
For a team in desperate need of a win, Bayer Leverkusen come to this match in unconvincing form. Xabi Alonso’s men haven’t won in their last four matches. They could only manage a 1-1 draw with lowly Stuttgart last time out in the Bundesliga. This saw them drop out of the top six with two matches left to play. Leverkusen have scored just two goals in their last four matches. A 1-0 win after extra time would force a penalty shootout so they don’t need to be scoring plenty as long as their defence holds out. Die Werkself can take comfort in their home form. Leverkusen have won five of their last seven matches on home soil.
If Roma can avoid a loss here, they’ll advance to a second European final in as many years. Jose Mourinho’s charges also failed to win over the weekend, drawing 0-0 with Bologna. The Italians, like Leverkusen, have struggled to win matches, with the first-leg victory their only success in the last six matches. The Giallorossi have been even worse away from home and have managed just one win in 11 matches. They have however avoided defeat in their last two away matches and will be more than satisfied if they can achieve this for a third time.
Bayer Leverkusen & Roma players squad analysis
Leverkusen’s Robert Andrich, Odilon Kossounou, Andrey Lunev and Patrik Schick will miss this match as a result of injury. Xabi Alonso remained several key players against Stuttgart with Adam Hlozek and Florian Wirtz among those who got limited minutes over the weekend. Hlozek has scored eight goals for the club and should partner top scorer Moussa Diaby in attack on Thursday.
Jose Mourinho also tinkered with his squad against Bologna in anticipation of this match. He made six changes to the team that started the first leg. Club top scorer Paulo Dybala missed the game altogether while second top scorer Tammy Abraham played the final half hour. Scorer of the winner in the first leg, Edoardo Bove also started from the bench against Bologna. Even after dropping crucial points in the top-four race in Serie A, Roma’s injury list extended. Zeki Celik was withdrawn with injury in the 54th minute of Roma’s last game. He could miss this tie together with Chris Smalling, Stephane El Shaaraway and Diego Llorente.
Bayer Leverkusen – Roma key points
Leverkusen have drawn four of their last eight matches
Two of the previous five encounters between these two teams have ended in draws
Roma have drawn three of their last five matches
The last two away matches that Roma played, both ended in draws
The two matches Roma have drawn in this season’s Europa League have been away from home
Our Bayer Leverkusen vs Roma prediction
Draws have been common in these two teams’ matches in recent weeks. The last meeting between the two to be played in Germany also ended in a draw. Our prediction for the Bayer Leverkusen v AS Roma game is for it to produce a draw.