chiesa di totti 
01-05-2024 23:57
01-05-2024 23:57
Roma Host Undefeated Bayer Leverkusen in First Leg of Europa League Semis
This is it. Roma is back in the deep end of a European competition, and while that’s become commonplace for the Giallorossi, we should still celebrate all of these semifinal appearances as a testament to the growth in the mentality of the club. There’s no doubt that Roma’s opponent for this tie is the most challenging one they’ve faced so far in this Europa League campaign — and you could successfully argue that this tie is the true final of the EL, as both potential opponents for the Europa League Final in Dublin don’t pack the same punch as the currently undefeated Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen.
Leverkusen, of course, has a series of connections to Roma at this point, both through their knockout round battle with the Giallorossi last season and through their current employment of one Patrik Schick. I’ve always appreciated Schick and felt that he got a bum rap during his time in Rome, so it’s made me happy to see him truly blossom at Leverkusen. For Roma to win this tie, though, Roma will have to work hard to keep Schick quiet, along with the rest of Leverkusen’s potent attack.
The good news for Daniele De Rossi is that Roma’s squad is slowly but surely returning to full strength. Will that be enough to hand Bayer Leverkusen their first loss of the season? That’s far less clear. But my point of view on this tie is the same one I held for Roma’s quarterfinal matchup against AC Milan: I think a win is certainly possible, but I wouldn’t be surprised by Roma’s opponent besting them over 180 minutes. Let’s just hope that the tired legs Leverkusen have been displaying as of late finally catch up to them in a meaningful way. That, combined with continued excellent play from Mile Svilar, is all that separates Roma from yet another chance at European glory.
What to Watch For
How Will the Return of Smalling and Lukaku Impact This Match? There’s no doubt in my mind that, barring one Paulo Dybala, Romelu Lukaku, and Chris Smalling are two of the most talented players Roma has had in the squad over the past several seasons. Both of them have strong track records throughout their careers, and both have shown an ability to perform at a high level against tough competition. That’s why it’s such a win that reports indicate Daniele De Rossi can count on both the Belgian international and the English international tomorrow against Leverkusen.
The real question, however, is just how much he can count on Lukaku and Smalling and how close to 100% they are. Lukaku has been nursing a minor injury for the past few weeks, while Smalling’s clearly declining as Father Time continues undefeated. At their best, both players are game-changers who can move this tie firmly in Roma’s favor. At their worst, they can be non-factors. Let’s hope that both Lukaku and Smalling show off their best selves against Leverkusen because without that, I’m honestly not sure how big of a chance Roma has at becoming the first side to beat Leverkusen all season.
Can Leandro Paredes Prove He’s Worthy of the #16 Kit? Leandro Paredes has had one of the more interesting career paths in pro football that I can remember. Starting out at Boca Juniors’ youth academy, moving to Roma via a complicated deal with Sassuolo, then heading to Zenit (???) before finding himself at Paris Saint-Germain — Paredes’ career has had more twists and turns and ups and downs than one footballer might expect in several lifetimes. Yet all of those twists and turns have brought him back to Roma and, what’s more, wearing Daniele De Rossi’s iconic #16 kit.
This season, Paredes hasn’t necessarily been a spitting image of Daniele De Rossi, but particularly since Capitano Futuro was brought in as a manager, he’s been doing that #16 kit proud. The combination of Paredes with Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante has been a key factor in Roma’s strong performances over the last several months, and one only needs to look at what happens when Paredes it replaced by Bove in the starting lineup due to suspension or injury to see just how critical Paredes is to making that midfield work.
Still, heroes are made in matches like tomorrow’s against Leverkusen, not against the Udineses or Salernitanas of the world. While it seems likely that Paredes will be wearing a Roma kit for the next few seasons, if he can avoid his hotheaded tendencies tomorrow and boss the midfield for at least the first seventy minutes, Roma will be in an excellent spot to take a goal advantage over Leverkusen for the second leg of this semifinal.
The competition will be fierce; Granit Xhaka, a player who was targeted by Roma for what seems like eons before Tiago Pinto moved to bring back Paredes instead, will certainly be looking to play at his best just as much as Lovely Leo. But these are the kinds of one-on-one matchups that bulldog midfielders circle on their calendar months in advance. Expect a brawl between Xhaka and Paredes — it might not be beautiful football, but it’ll definitely grab your attention.
Match Details
Date: May 2nd
Kickoff: 21:00 CET/15:00 EDT
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Roma
Leverkusen, of course, has a series of connections to Roma at this point, both through their knockout round battle with the Giallorossi last season and through their current employment of one Patrik Schick. I’ve always appreciated Schick and felt that he got a bum rap during his time in Rome, so it’s made me happy to see him truly blossom at Leverkusen. For Roma to win this tie, though, Roma will have to work hard to keep Schick quiet, along with the rest of Leverkusen’s potent attack.
The good news for Daniele De Rossi is that Roma’s squad is slowly but surely returning to full strength. Will that be enough to hand Bayer Leverkusen their first loss of the season? That’s far less clear. But my point of view on this tie is the same one I held for Roma’s quarterfinal matchup against AC Milan: I think a win is certainly possible, but I wouldn’t be surprised by Roma’s opponent besting them over 180 minutes. Let’s just hope that the tired legs Leverkusen have been displaying as of late finally catch up to them in a meaningful way. That, combined with continued excellent play from Mile Svilar, is all that separates Roma from yet another chance at European glory.
What to Watch For
How Will the Return of Smalling and Lukaku Impact This Match? There’s no doubt in my mind that, barring one Paulo Dybala, Romelu Lukaku, and Chris Smalling are two of the most talented players Roma has had in the squad over the past several seasons. Both of them have strong track records throughout their careers, and both have shown an ability to perform at a high level against tough competition. That’s why it’s such a win that reports indicate Daniele De Rossi can count on both the Belgian international and the English international tomorrow against Leverkusen.
The real question, however, is just how much he can count on Lukaku and Smalling and how close to 100% they are. Lukaku has been nursing a minor injury for the past few weeks, while Smalling’s clearly declining as Father Time continues undefeated. At their best, both players are game-changers who can move this tie firmly in Roma’s favor. At their worst, they can be non-factors. Let’s hope that both Lukaku and Smalling show off their best selves against Leverkusen because without that, I’m honestly not sure how big of a chance Roma has at becoming the first side to beat Leverkusen all season.
Can Leandro Paredes Prove He’s Worthy of the #16 Kit? Leandro Paredes has had one of the more interesting career paths in pro football that I can remember. Starting out at Boca Juniors’ youth academy, moving to Roma via a complicated deal with Sassuolo, then heading to Zenit (???) before finding himself at Paris Saint-Germain — Paredes’ career has had more twists and turns and ups and downs than one footballer might expect in several lifetimes. Yet all of those twists and turns have brought him back to Roma and, what’s more, wearing Daniele De Rossi’s iconic #16 kit.
This season, Paredes hasn’t necessarily been a spitting image of Daniele De Rossi, but particularly since Capitano Futuro was brought in as a manager, he’s been doing that #16 kit proud. The combination of Paredes with Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante has been a key factor in Roma’s strong performances over the last several months, and one only needs to look at what happens when Paredes it replaced by Bove in the starting lineup due to suspension or injury to see just how critical Paredes is to making that midfield work.
Still, heroes are made in matches like tomorrow’s against Leverkusen, not against the Udineses or Salernitanas of the world. While it seems likely that Paredes will be wearing a Roma kit for the next few seasons, if he can avoid his hotheaded tendencies tomorrow and boss the midfield for at least the first seventy minutes, Roma will be in an excellent spot to take a goal advantage over Leverkusen for the second leg of this semifinal.
The competition will be fierce; Granit Xhaka, a player who was targeted by Roma for what seems like eons before Tiago Pinto moved to bring back Paredes instead, will certainly be looking to play at his best just as much as Lovely Leo. But these are the kinds of one-on-one matchups that bulldog midfielders circle on their calendar months in advance. Expect a brawl between Xhaka and Paredes — it might not be beautiful football, but it’ll definitely grab your attention.
Match Details
Date: May 2nd
Kickoff: 21:00 CET/15:00 EDT
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Roma