Preview: Bayer Leverkusen vs. AS Roma – Prediction and team news

At home in BayArena, Leverkusen will attempt to rectify their 1-0 defeat to Roma in the first leg. It was a closely contested match with a slight advantage for Roma, so it is expected that Leverkusen will now strive to launch an attacking approach from the start, fueled by their fans' support. Prior to the defeat in Rome, Leverkusen hadn't lost in 11 away matches, making it a significant scalp for Roma, and the pressure now lies on Leverkusen. Roma has the opportunity to win a European trophy for the second consecutive year, as Mourinho and his team previously won the UEFA Conference League.

It's not because either of the teams is in particularly good form at the moment. Both teams have only managed 1 victory in their last 5 matches across all competitions. Whether the focus has been on the Europa League is unknown, but it is the last chance for both teams to achieve success this season.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Europa League form:
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Bayer Leverkusen’s form in all competitions:
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AS Roma’s Europa League form:
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AS Roma’s form in all competitions: 
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Team news:
Patrik Schick and Karim Bellarabi are out with long-term injuries and therefore not available for tonight's match. There are also doubts surrounding Odilon Kossounou and Robert Andrich, who were also absent in the first leg against Roma. Leverkusen has many offensive players, but it is expected that forward Florian Wirtz will start up top, even though he was on the bench over the weekend.

Leverkusen’s expected lineup: 
Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Demirbay, Palacios, Bakker; Diaby, Wirtz, Adli

Mourinho is gradually getting more players back from injury; Chris Smalling, Paulo Dybala, and Zeki Celik are all back in training and expected to be involved in tonight's match. Smalling and Dybala are expected to be on the bench as they are not ready to start, while Zeki Celik is poised for a starting spot. With Dybala out, it's a competition between Tammy Abraham, Ola Solbakken, and Andrea Belotti for the striker position.

Roma’s expected lineup: 
Patricio; Mancini, Cristante, Ibanez; Celik, Matic, Bove, Spinazzola; Pellegrini, Wijnaldum; Abraham

Player profiles:
Moussa Diaby has had a truly strong season for Leverkusen this year. With 14 goals and 11 assists, he is their strongest offensive asset when it comes to breaking down the Italian defense. We believe that Leverkusen will come out guns blazing and put Roma under pressure from the start, and in this regard, we expect Diaby to lead the charge and constantly challenge his opponent.

Matic can play a crucial role for Roma. We believe they will come under pressure from Leverkusen, and Matic will need to assist his defense and utilize his immense experience to disrupt the play and bring stability to the team.

Prediction: 
We believe that home-field advantage will be decisive in tonight's match, so we also believe that they will win the game. However, we expect it to be a narrow victory with only a one-goal difference, so the outcome will likely be determined in extra time.

We therefore predict Bayer Leverkusen to win the game to odds 2.10