Bayer Leverkusen vs Roma: Betting Odds & Prediction

(Featured image: Alamy Images)

Written by: Bradley Walker

Bayer Leverkusen look to continue their remarkable season when they welcome Roma for the second leg of their Europa League semi-final tie on Thursday evening. 

The German side bring a 2-0 aggregate lead to the Bay Arena following the first leg at the Stadio Olimpico last week. Astonishingly, Leverkusen are yet to taste defeat in a single match in all competitions this season. 

Kick-off is set for 8pm UK time. 

Recent Form 

Bayer Leverkusen 

The hosts have enjoyed an extraordinary campaign so far. Having already secured their first ever Bundesliga title, Leverkusen are also in the final of the DfB Pokal which is set to take place later this month, and are also on course for a Europa League final appearance in Athens. 

Goals by Florian Wirtz and Robert Andrich in Rome took Leverkusen's total tally for the competition to 29 - a figure only matched by Liverpool, who have already bowed out at the quarter-final stage. Combined with their standing as the second-highest scoring team in the Bundesliga this season, it's hard to see anything other than more goals from Xabi Alonso's men on Thursday.

They have already averaged an incredible average of 3.8 goals on home turf in Europe, scoring in all five of their outings at the Bay Arena. Four of these five matches have seen them score at least three goals, too. 

If Leverkusen's attacking output wasn't impressive enough, they have been equally as outstanding in defensive quarters. They've conceded just eight goals in their eleven matches in the Europa League, and have registered five clean sheets in the process. Only Qarabag have scored two goals against the German side in the competition so far. 

Roma 

The Italians have no doubt improved significantly since the appointment of Daniele De Rossi as head coach in January. However, a 1-1 draw at home to Juventus at the weekend has left them in sixth and outside of the Champions League qualification places. Winning the Europa League would guarantee a place in the competition next season, but Roma look to be staring down the barrel of defeat following the first leg. 

For a team who have been largely reliant on their home exploits to progress in the Europa League, the 2-0 loss on home soil to Leverkusen has cast severe doubt over their progression prospects in Germany. Not only are they facing the best home side in the competition, two of Roma's defeats in Europe have came on the road this term. 

Their main problem has been finding the back of the net; despite netting 16 on home turf, Roma have only scored a measly five in away fixtures so far. The return leaves them with a dismal average of 0.83 per away game, not helped by their failure to score at all in two of their six away matches in the Europa. 

De Rossi's men would likely not be in the competition at all but for their defensive record. They've shipped just six in away games, at an average of one per match, but their diminished attacking output will likely prove costly when they travel to the free-scoring Bundesliga outfit. 

Prediction

It's near impossible to back against a side who have not lost a single match all year, particularly when they already boast a 2-0 lead on aggregate heading into the second leg. While Leverkusen's goalscoring exploits have rightly drawn attention, they have been equally as impressive at the back, and OddsNow back them to continue this pattern with another clean sheet in Germany. 

OddsNow's Pick: Roma to score under 0.5 goals (5/4 @ PaddyPower)

 

Previous Next