Roma – Leverkusen

The German club will take at least a draw from Rome

The semi-final pairings in the current Europa League competition are as competitive as possible. In addition, the clash between Roma and Bayer is another high tournament motivation. The Italian and German clubs in the national championships are in equally critical positions regarding their prospects of finishing in the Champions League zone. In Serie A, the Roman side are five points behind the top four, while the Bundesliga side are eight points behind with three rounds to go. In other words, for both clubs, victory in the Europa League would not only put the title in their piggy bank, but also enable them to play in the company of the continent's strongest clubs next season. Roma have had a difficult road to the play-offs in the current tournament, twice having to come back from defeats in their opening fixtures. Thus, the Romans beat Salzburg and Feyenoord in 1/16 and 1/4 finals respectively. In the 1/8 finals, the Italian club beat Real Sociedad 2-0 on aggregate. Bayer narrowly missed out in the first leg of the play-offs, losing at home to Monaco. The Pharmacists managed to beat the Monegasques at Louis II and have no serious problems in the next two rounds against Ferencvaros and Union Saint-Gillois. Bookmakers prior to the meeting in the Italian capital identified the home side as the favourites, offering odds of 2.09 on their victory. Towards the end of April, Roma have completely lost their playing form. Over the past two weeks, the Roman club have played four games without winning a single one. Mourinho's team lost to Inter and Atalanta with a difference of two goals, while they demurred to Milan and Monza with the same score of 1-1. Their defeat by Inter last Saturday resulted in the Romans being relegated from the Eurocup zone. It is unlikely that the players will be in high spirits ahead of the encounter with Bayer. The Leverkusen club also suffered a setback in the last Bundesliga round. However, it is less painful for Bayer, as their chances of climbing into the top-four had been slim even before the defeat to Cologne. Prior to last Friday, the Pharmacists had a 14-match unbeaten streak, which best underlines their good playing form. The visitors are unlikely to lose in the first semi-final meeting.