Roma – Feyenoord

The Dutch club will pay back the debt of defeat in last year’s Conference League final

Jose Mourinho's side travelled to Rotterdam a week ago to get a comfortable win. In the 43rd minute of the encounter, the Roman club should have gained the lead, which they would then have been tasked with holding until the final whistle, but Pellegrini failed to convert a penalty. The missed penalty was not Mourinho's only disappointment from the first half - Dibala was injured and unable to continue the game. In the second half, Wieffer gave Feyenoord the lead fairly quickly, while setting up the final score of 1-0. In Rotterdam, overall, the teams played even football. Before the return leg, bookmakers see Feyenoord as favourites to reach the semi-finals, offering odds of 1.59. For Roma, their preparation for the return leg will be complicated by their league position. The Romans are currently teetering on the edge of the Champions League zone with rivals AC Milan, Inter and Atalanta. Eight rounds before the end of the Serie A season, Juventus are likely to be added to that list. So, after the return leg at the Olimpico in the next two and a half weeks, Roma will face all their rivals apart from the Turin club. The biggest challenge for the Italians will be the fact that Feyenoord will not have to take control of the ball and press the situation on the pitch. That is, to create a comfortable environment for Roma. The Dutch club's task between the meetings with the Italians was to challenge the last Eredivisie representative. Given the team's ability to rotate the squad and their eight-point advantage in the league over runners-up Ajax, the preparation for the Rome meeting will not be affected by the national league game. Since the resumption of club football in the Netherlands, Feyenoord have played 21 official games and lost just once. It happened a fortnight ago in a national cup encounter against Ajax. In the remaining twenty meetings, the Dutch league leader has never wavered. Feyenoord are keen to repay Roma for their defeat in last year's Conference League final. The visitors to the upcoming fixture have every opportunity to do so.