Roma head to the BayArena searching for a miracle as they bid to overhaul a 2-0 first-leg deficit against Bayer Leverkusen and reach back-to-back Europa League finals. Given the Bundesliga champions’ historic season, it’ll be a tall order.
Goals from Florian Wirtz and Robert Andrich helped the newly-crowned German champions sweep Roma aside at the Stadio Olimpico last Thursday, extending Leverkusen’s incredible unbeaten run in all competitions to 47 games. A rampant performance at Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday made it 48 as Xabi Alonso’s side steamrolled to a 5-1 league victory.
Unlike their hosts, Roma had to settle for a point in Sunday’s home derby against Juventus. Gleison Bremer’s first-half equalizer annulled Romelu Lukaku’s early opener in a 1-1 draw, highlighted by Mile Svilar and Wojciech Szczesny’s brilliant displays between the sticks. Another failed attempt to take three points threw a spanner in Giallorossi’s top-five quest.
With sixth-placed Atalanta battling back to beat Serie A basement boys Salernitana 2-1 on Monday, Daniele De Rossi’s men now boast a slender one-point lead in fifth. However, La Dea have a game in hand, meaning Roma are at risk of missing out on Champions League football for the sixth season on the spin.
Domestic struggles intensify the pressure on the Rome heavyweights to pull off an epic comeback against the only side in Europe’s top-five leagues yet to lose a competitive fixture this season.
Match Preview
Bayer Leverkusen
Not even the bravest Roma fans would dare to bet against Leverkusen in this tie, not least because the Germans are on the cusp of making history. Avoiding defeat in this encounter would see Die Werkself shatter Benfica’s all-time continental record for 48 consecutive unbeaten matches across all competitions (W40, D8).
Another piece of history firmly backs Leverkusen for success as they bid to avenge last season’s Europa League semi-final exit at the hands of Roma. They’ve progressed from nine out of ten previous UEFA two-legged knockout ties when winning the first leg on foreign turf, while further confidence stems from their red-hot home from in Europe.
Xabi Alonso’s men haven’t lost any of their last eight Europa League games at the BayArena (W6, D2), winning all five this season, including four via multiple-goal margins.
Roma
Forced to thrive in adversity, Roma can pick up some inspiration from Leverkusen’s long-standing struggles against Italian opponents. Indeed, the Germans have gone winless in eight of their 12 all-time home European showdowns against Serie A visitors (W4, D3, L5), handing Giallorossi a glimmer of hope regarding a potential turnaround.
However, to hold up their end of the bargain, Roma must not only beat the odds but history as well. They’ve suffered elimination in five of their six previous European knockout ties after losing the first leg at the Stadio Olimpico. But it only gets worse for the Italians as they’ve lost 11 of their 15 previous European visits to German clubs (W2, D2).
De Rossi can’t rest easy despite beating fellow domestic rivals Milan in his second European away game in charge of Roma, knowing that was his side’s second win across their last ten continental travels (W2, D4, L4).
Team News
Leverkusen rested Victor Boniface, Jeremie Frimpong, and Wurtz at the weekend, and the latter two will probably regain their spots in Xabi Alonso’s lineup. The former is more likely to start on the bench as he’s still fighting to return to full fitness following a lengthy spell on the sidelines, with Patrick Schick the frontrunner to lead the line.
Despite struggling with a minor groin injury, which forced him off at halftime against Juventus, Paulo Dybala should make the starting XI on Thursday. Gianluca Mancini will probably displace Evan Ndicka at center-back, with Diego Llorente likely to partner the most dependable Roma defender.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Roma Potential Lineups
Bayer Leverkusen (3-4-3): Matej Kovar; Josip Stanisic, Jonathan Tah, Edmond Tapsoba; Jeremie Frimpong, Robert Andrich, Granit Xhaka, Piero Hincapie; Florian Writz, Patrick Schick, Alejando Grimaldo.
Roma (4-3-3): Mile Svilar; Zeki Celik, Gianluca Mancini, Chris Smalling, Leonardo Spinazzola; Bryan Cristante, Leandro Paredes, Lorenzo Pellegrini; Paulo Dybala, Romelu Lukaku, Stephan El Shaarawy.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Roma Prediction
Writings are on the wall for Roma, though we expect De Rossi’s side to at least give Leverkusen a run for their money. It’ll unlikely change the outcome, with the Germans on the brink of their first European final in over two decades.
Prediction: Bayer Leverkusen Win
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