Dublin Stadium is the ultimate goal for the four teams battling in the semifinals. Bayer Leverkusen will seek to protect their two-goal lead when they host AS Roma, while the other tie sees Atalanta welcome Marseille to the Gewiss Stadium with the score evenly matched at 1-1.
Europa League | Atalanta vs Marseille | 21:00 | 9 May 2024
Undefeated in their last five matches across all competitions, Atalanta is peaking at the right time heading into the final stretch of the season. Gian Gasperini’s men have blown away their opponents quite easily during this period, with their most famous scalp being the 3-0 away win over Liverpool in the quarterfinals. The Nerazzuri had an impressive start in the first leg at Stade Velodrome, netting in the 11th minute of the 1-1 draw against Marseille. Forward Gianluca Scamacca’s opener in France improved his goal tally over the last two months to 10, a return that ranks him third behind Chelsea’s Cole Palmer (12) and Bayern München’s Harry Kane (13) for most goals scored during this period in the top five European Leagues.
Gasperini’s charges have recorded just two home defeats in all competitions since the turn of the year, making a visit to the Gewiss Stadium a frightening prospect for away teams. The home side is sweating on the fitness of centre-back duo Sead Kolašinac and Rafael Toloi who were unavailable for the first leg.
Despite their solid performance in the first round last Thursday, Marseille has continued to struggle with inconsistency this season. A pair of wins in the last 10 matches sees the French side head into this encounter as the underdogs. The team’s defensive issues have seen them keep just one clean sheet on the road in 2024, conceding 12 times in the last five away appearances. In the previous knockout rounds against Shakhtar Donetsk, Villareal, and Benfica, the French side lost on their travels but were still able to continue in the competition, underlining their big-game temperament.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Europa League’s top scorer with 12 goals, will lead Marseille’s attack in Italy while strike partner Joaquin Correa is expected to return to the starting XI. Having missed the first leg through suspension, Samuel Gigot could make a return here.
Atalanta will surely complete the job at home, but this won’t be a walk in the park. Both teams will score here.
Prediction: Both Teams To Score @ 1.81
Bet Boosts: Gianluca Scamacca to Score with a Header | Was 10.00 | Now: 11.00
BTTS (Yes), Ismaila Sarr to Score or Assist & Over 2.5 Goals in the Match | Was 4.50 | Now 5.00
Europa League | Bayer Leverkusen vs AS Roma | 21:00 | 9 May 2024
Bayer Leverkusen will seek to build on their first-leg victory and continue their treble quest when they host AS Roma in the second leg of the Europa League semifinal. Florian Wirtz and Robert Andrich’s goals gave Leverkusen a 2-0 win in Rome in the reverse fixture last Thursday, setting one foot on the plane to the final in Dublin later this month. Xabi Alonso’s men followed up with a 5-1 thumping of Eintracht Frankfurt in the league over the weekend, further equaling Benfica’s European record of 48 games unbeaten. Alonso made eight changes to the starting XI in Rome but saw his charges produce a mature performance although they missed a few opportunities to add further gloss to the scoreline.
Alex Grimaldo and Wirtz could earn full recalls while cup goalkeeper Matej Kovar is expected to continue in goal, having played in 11 matches so far in this competition.
In the aftermath of the first leg, Roma boss Danielle De Rossi lavished praise on the Germans, claiming, “this is simply their year.” The defeat was Roma’s second home loss in 33 European appearances. Roma was dominated in front of their own fans in Stadio Olimpico but could have halved the deficit if Romelu Lukaku or Tammy Abraham were clinical in their openings. The Giallorossi claimed an important point in the 1-1 draw against Juventus on Sunday, although the tie was marred by an injury scare to talisman Paulo Dybala.
Bryan Cristante could feature in the starting line-up after missing out last Thursday through suspension while Dybala is expected to recover from his groin niggle.
I expect Leverkusen to continue their unbeaten streak and make it to the final. But the Romans will surely make this encounter entertaining. I’m backing both teams to find the net.
Prediction: Both Teams To Score @ 1.75
Bet Boosts: Roma to Win or Draw, BTTS (Yes) & Romelu Lukaku to Score or Assist | Was 5.50 | Now 6.00
