Roma and Bayer Leverkusen will contest the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday.

Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen odds

Find the latest match odds for Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction. All odds are provided by our best-reviewed football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.

⚡Quick Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen betting tips

Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen predictions

For the second season in a row, Roma and Bayer Leverkusen will battle it out for a place in the final of the Europa League.

Twelve months ago, it was Roma who were victorious. Edoardo Bove scored the only goal of the game in the first leg at the Stadio Olimpico.

The return fixture at the BayArena ended in a 0-0 draw, as Jose Mourinho’s side successfully shut out Leverkusen to advance by a narrow margin.

All being well, we will be treated to a more entertaining tie this time around. Mourinho was dismissed by Roma in January and the team has become more expansive under his successor, Daniele de Rossi.

Leverkusen’s improvement since the spring of 2023 is well known. The Bundesliga champions are chasing a potential treble by lifting the DFB-Pokal and Europa League trophies too.

Remarkably, Leverkusen remain unbeaten this term. They have now gone 46 games without defeat in all competitions. That is impressive enough, but the feat becomes even more extraordinary when you consider Leverkusen have only drawn eight of those contests.

It is easy to forget that this is Alonso’s first full season as a manager. De Rossi is just a few months into his tenure at the Stadio Olimpico, but his opposite number in this tie is not that much more experienced.

Roma do, however, have plenty of recent European experience to call upon. They won the Europa Conference League two years ago and were runners-up in this competition in 2022/23, missing out on the prize on penalties.

The Giallorossi are looking to go one better this time around, but Bayer Leverkusen are undoubtedly one of the strongest sides on the continent right now.

Indeed, the German outfit are the strong favourites to qualify for the final. With the first leg taking place in the Italian capital, Roma probably need to establish an advantage by the midway point of the semi-final.

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Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen betting tips

Roma and Bayer Leverkusen will renew hostilities in another European tie between the pair.

Bayer Leverkusen to score last – 4/6 (Copybet)

There have been a few close shaves as far as Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten run goes, especially in recent weeks.

In both legs of their Europa League last-16 clash with Qarabag, Leverkusen trailed going into second-half stoppage time. Yet they still managed to draw 2-2 on the road and then win 3-2 in the home game.

In the quarter-final second leg, Jeremie Frimpong scored an 89th-minute leveller to earn Leverkusen a 1-1 draw with West Ham United.

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Meanwhile in their last two Bundesliga outings, Alonso’s men have notched equalisers in the seventh and sixth minutes of injury time, against Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart respectively.

Leverkusen never know when they are beaten. The players are desperate to see out this unbeaten streak, so they will push right to the end of Thursday’s fixture if they are behind.

The spirit and resolve of this side cannot be overstated. Do not be surprised if they strike last against Roma.

⚽ Tip Bayer Leverkusen to score last at 4/6 with Copybet ⚽

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Goals in both halves – 4/5 (Copybet)

There was only one goal in 180 minutes of football between this pair last season, but that was because of Mourinho’s influence on the tie.

The then-Roma boss delivered a defensive masterclass in the second leg of the semi-final in 2022/23, escaping the BayArena with a goalless draw that sent them through to the showpiece event in Budapest.

Mourinho’s credentials cannot be questioned, especially in knockout tournaments. But Roma have improved since he left. De Rossi has given the team more attacking intent and the Giallorossi are in the mix to qualify for the Champions League via their Serie A position.

Bayer Leverkusen are deservedly favourites here, but Roma will not be in awe of the Bundesliga champions.

With the Stadio Olimpico crowd behind them Roma will give this a good go, but Bayer Leverkusen will not be cowed by the atmosphere.

With the attacking quality on display on Thursday, we fancy goals in both the first and second halves.

⚽ Back goals in both halves at 4/5 with Copybet ⚽

Florian Wirtz to score any time – 7/2 (Copybet)

Alonso has already confirmed that he will not be leaving Bayer Leverkusen this summer. The hope is that several key players will also commit their immediate futures to the club.

Florian Wirtz, who has been linked with the likes of Manchester City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, looks set to join his manager in staying put until at least 2025. 

Leverkusen have made it clear that it would take an offer of £128m for them to even consider parting ways with Wirtz ahead of next season.

In the meantime, the attacking midfielder will be focused on helping his team advance to the Europa League final.

With six goals in his last seven club appearances, Wirtz looks like a fantastic pick in the anytime scorer market.

⚽ Go for Florian Wirtz as an anytime scorer at 7/2 with Copybet ⚽

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📺 How to watch Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen

• Location: Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy.
• Date and time: Thursday 2nd May, 8pm.
• How to watch: TNT Sports 2.

About the author

Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.

Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball

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