Feyenoord will entertain last season’s runners-up, Roma, at De Kuip in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League knockout round playoffs on Thursday.
The hosts finished third in the Group E standings of the UEFA Champions League earlier this season, recording two wins in six games, and dropped to the Europa League.
The visitors had a decent run in the group stage of the Europa League, with four wins from six games, but finished second in the Group G table behind Slavia Praha, who had five wins to their name.
The hosts have been in good touch recently and are unbeaten in their last nine games in all competitions. They made it three wins on the trot earlier this week, registering a 2-0 home win over Sparta Rotterdam in the Eredivisie, thanks to second-half goals from defenders Dávid Hancko and Lutsharel Geertruida.
The visitors, on the other hand, met Inter Milan in Serie A on Saturday and fell to a 4-2 home loss. Gianluca Mancini and Stephan El Shaarawy scored in the first half, but the league leaders scored thrice after the break to register a comeback win.
Feyenoord vs Roma Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have crossed paths five times in all competitions thus far and will meet for the third season in a row. The visitors have the upper hand in these meetings with three wins to their name, including a 1-0 win in the UEFA Europa Conference League final in 2022.
- Feyenoord have just one win to their name, with that triumph coming at home in the Europa League quarterfinals last season. Just one meeting in this fixture has ended in a draw.
- Roma have just one win in their last five away games in all competitions, failing to score thrice in that period.
- The hosts have kept six clean sheets in their last nine games in all competitions.
Feyenoord vs Roma Prediction
De club aan de Maas have enjoyed a good run of form recently, suffering just one loss in their last 11 games across all competitions. They are unbeaten in their last seven home games, recording five wins and keeping four clean sheets on the spin.
Quinten Timber is nursing a concussion and is a doubt for this match alongside top-scorer Santiago Gimenez, who has a calf injury. Captain Gernot Trauner is also injured and not an option for the first leg.
The Giallorossi saw their three-game winning run end last week as they suffered a 4-2 loss to Inter Milan, conceding four goals for just the second time this season. They continued their good goalscoring run in that match, scoring at least twice for the fourth match in a row.
It was the first loss for Daniele De Rossi as his former club’s head coach, and he will look to rally his squad to bounce back in his first European game in charge. Chris Smalling was on the bench in the loss to Inter, while Bryan Cristante is sidelined with a back injury.
Both teams have injury concerns for this match, and some changes in the starting XI are expected here. Nonetheless, considering the home advantage for Feyenoord and their unbeaten run in 2024, we back them to eke out a narrow win.
Prediction: Feyenoord 2-1 Roma
Feyenoord vs Roma Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result – Feyenoord to win
Tip 2: Goals – Over/Under 2.5 Goals – Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the second half – Yes
Tip 4: Paulo Dybala to score or assist any time – Yes
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