Henry Roldán
Get ready for an epic clash this Thursday as the Europa League semifinals kick off, with Roma vs Bayern Leverkusen facing each other in one of the most exciting matches of the competition.
Roma comes into the game with a thrilling victory over Feyenoord in the quarter-finals, securing a spot in this stage after an intense overtime battle that ended with a 4-2 score in favor of the Italian side. Meanwhile, Leverkusen took down Union Saint-Gilloise from Belgium with an impressive 5-2 aggregate score.
This will be the fifth time these two clubs face each other, with their last encounter dating back to the 2015 Champions League group stage. Without further ado, JefeBet brings you the best preview of the stellar match between Roma vs Bayern Leverkusen.
Predictions, Picks, and Betting Odds for the Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen Europa League Semi-Finals First Leg Game on May 11, 2023
- Where: Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy
- When: Thursday, May 11, 2023, 3:00 PM E.T.
- Moneyline: Roma (+115) / Draw (+235) / Bayern Leverkusen (+265).
- Over/Under (2.5): Over (+120) / Under (-150)
- Both teams score: Yes (-110) / No (-110).
All odds are provided by DraftKings.
Betting on Roma
The local team pulled off one of the most impressive comebacks in recent years against Feyenoord in the quarterfinals, and they’ll need to repeat a similar performance if they hope to defeat Leverkusen.
Under the leadership of José Mourinho, the team has been struggling lately. Despite their victory over the Dutch team, they’ve gone four consecutive games without a win in the Serie A, and they’re in danger of missing out on next season’s Champions League.
One of the main issues for Rome this season has been their inability to score goals consistently. After netting four against Feyenoord, they’ve only scored three in their last four games.
However, they do have a strong record when playing at home. Although Inter recently defeated them 0-2 at the Olimpico Stadium, the venue has been a true stronghold for the Roman team throughout the Europa League.
In fact, they’ve won five out of six games in this season’s competition, conceding only four goals and keeping four clean sheets. In the Italian league, they boast the second-best defensive record, with only 12 goals conceded in 17 games.
Probable lineup (3-5-1-1): Rui Patrício; Gianluca Mancini, Chris Smalling, Roger Ibañez; Nemanja Matic, Leonardo Spinazzola, Bryan Cristante, Nicola Zalewski, Paulo Dybala; Lorenzo Pellegrini; Andrea Belotti.
Betting on Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen’s great second half in the Bundesliga goes hand in hand with what they are doing in the Europa League, a competition in which they have also dazzled after finishing third in their Champions League group.
The German club comes into this match after crushing Union Saint-Gillose in Belgium, scoring four goals against an opponent that held them to a 1-1 draw in Germany. This speaks to the great momentum of the Leverkusen team, which is fighting for a Conference League place for next season.
The team led by Xabi Alonsohad registered nine Bundesliga games without a loss before their defeat against Koln in the Bundesliga. In addition, they have not lost in the Europa League since the first leg of the round of 16 playoffs against Monaco.
While in that stage against the French the defense struggled, in the next four games they conceded only two goals to their opponents, while in the following four games they conceded only two goals to their opponents. What’s more, in the German Bundesliga, they are the fifth-best defense in the league with 43 goals conceded and three undefeated shutouts in their last four games.
Bayer Leverkusen’s performance away from home improved considerably in the second half of the campaign. While in the Champions League they have only scored one point in three matches, in this edition of the Europa League they have not lost in three games, and in Germany they have not lost in six matches.
Probable lineup (3-4-3): Lukas Hradecky; Piero Hincapie, Jonathan Tah, Edmond Tapsoba; Jeremie Frimpong, Robert Andrich, Exequiel Palacios, Mitchel Bakker; Florian Wirtz, Amine Adli, Moussa Diaby.
JefeBet Prediction
While both teams are coming off good offensive performances in the second leg of the round of 16, the main quality of these two clubs is their defense.
Roma is one of the lowest-scoring teams in Serie A playing at home and in this edition of the Europa League only Betis could beat them at the Stadio Olimpico.
For their part, Leverkusen have not conceded in their last three Bundesliga matches on the road and in the Europa League they have won all three matches they have played in this capacity, conceding just one goal in the last two games.
With this being the first leg, with both teams surely looking to get comfortable on the field and with so much at stake, it’s a good time to go to DraftKings and play the Under 2.5 which has a line of (-150) that will earn you $67 for every $100 wagered.
Prediction: Under (ROM 1 – BAY 1).
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