Bayer Leverkusen will have to guard against complacency when they tackle Roma in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday evening.
Last week, Xabi Alonso’s troops turned in a masterclass in the first leg in the Eternal City, dominating for large spells at the Stadio Olimpico, and they clinched a 2-0 victory.
Goals from Florian Wirtz and Robert Andrich handed the recently crowned Bundesliga champions their first win in 10 attempts against Italian opposition, and there was plenty to be admired.
Of course, there is the small matter of Leverkusen avoiding defeat, and should they achieve that objective, then they will extend their record to 49 games unbeaten in all competitions, surpassing the pre-eminent Benfica of 1964/65 in the process.
Leverkusen are set to hand Arthur his first competitive start in seven months after recovering from injury, while Paulo Dybala is likely to be available for the visitors after he was brought off in the 1-1 draw with Juventus last weekend with a groin problem.
But can Roma pull off a great escape at the BayArena? I have sifted through the betting markets and plucked out a couple of tips for your perusal.
Bayer Leverkusen to close door on Roma’s ambitions
Daniele de Rossi is the sort of man who demands perfection, but when you run into a juggernaut like Leverkusen, how do Roma stop them?
11 goals in their past 11 matches underlines Roma’s attacking struggles, but only an immaculate display will do away to Leverkusen.
Against Leverkusen in the first leg, Roma had their chances, and had Romelu Lukaku not hit the bar with a header, then perhaps it might have been a different story.
Leverkusen have come close over the past couple of weeks to relinquishing their invincible tag, but under Alonso, they always dig deep and defy the odds even when they seem stacked against them.
So far, Leverkusen are the joint-top highest scorers in the Europa League along with Liverpool (29 goals), and they are in pole position to book their spot in the showpiece final later this month.
Having won nine and drawn three of their past 12 Europa League fixture, I’m backing Leverkusen to prevail, but this time by one goal, which is priced at 13/5 with Paddy Power.
Jeremie Frimpong to wrap things up
Last week, Jeremie Frimpong showcased his devastating pace and gave Roma plenty to think about.
He will have rued some of his missed chances, and he will want to put things right.
Although Florian Wirtz weaved his magic in the Italian capital, Frimpong, who was on target in Leverkusen’s 5-1 hammering of Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend, could well seal the victory against Roma.
To round things off, I’m backing Frimpong to net the final goal of the game, and he’s available at a tidy 6/1 with William Hill.
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