One of the most beautiful posters in these eighth finals of the Europa League is the confrontation between the Spanish city of Seville and the Italian Roma. However, this game will be played on neutral ground in Duisburg, Germany, and will be decided on only one game (plus any extra time and penalty shootout).
Seville:
This season, Seville is again a dangerous outsider for winning the Europa League. Logical, because the South Spaniards already have five cups of the second most prestigious European club tournament in their trophy cabinet. In addition, Seville is working on a very strong series. Los Nerviones have been unbeaten since February and managed to win five of their last six league matches, making their fourth and final Champions League ticket in LaLiga. Spanish confidence is therefore great. “Winning the Europa League would be the icing on the cake,” said defender Sergio Reguilon.
However, trainer Julen Lopetegui will not yet be completely comfortable with a happy ending. Czech Tomas Vaclik has quickly developed into one of the best goalkeepers on the Spanish fields, but he has been in the patchwork for quite some time and will probably be absent on Thursday evening. His replacement Yassine Bounou did fine in the final phase of LaLiga, but was not always reliable in the past. Former Ajax player Nemanja Gudelj tested positive for corona last week and will therefore almost certainly not take action.
Roma:
With seven wins and a draw, Roma had a very strong Serie A slot, but with a fifth place, the Romans ultimately missed the start of the Champions League. This makes the Europa League extra important for them, as they can still win a coveted ticket for the European ball of millions by winning this tournament.
In any case, thanks to this excellent form, Roma was able to travel to Duisburg with confidence. This is mainly thanks to trainer Paulo Fonseca, who chose a 3-4-2-1 formation after a series of mediocre results. This system fits well with the qualities of its players. Modern wingbacks Bruno Peres and Leonardo Spinazzola provide a lot of depth, while deep striker Edin Dzeko can now count on the support of Henrikh Mkhitaryan much more often. I Giallorossi have scored on the assembly line in recent weeks, although the rearguard remains a worry child. Roma managed to keep the zero in only one of her last fourteen duels. In addition, defensive midfielder Jordan Veretout has been suspended and center-back Chris Smalling recently returned to Manchester United.
PREDICTION: Both teams to score / YES @ 1,72
