Prediction & odds for the game: Roma (14/5) v Manchester United (17/20) – ST is backing the draw

When: Thursday, 6th May @ 8pm K.O

Where: Stadio Olimpico

Roma face an uphill challenge as they prepare to host Manchester United in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final.

Roma

It’s been a season to forget for Roma in Serie A but in Europe, they can hold their head up high after making it into the last four of the Europa League – even if the first leg went south pretty quickly. They’re a team that is attempting to swim amongst an awful lot of sharks in Italy but their UEL performance just showcases how much potential they still have as a team. It may not lead to silverware this season, but it gives them something to build on in the summer.

Roma just can’t buy a win right now and in the midst of their 6-2 battering in the first leg, they also suffered defeats to Cagliari and Sampdoria. Those results alone may not be enough to indicate they’re on a downward spiral, but they definitely aren’t positive.

Manchester United

Between a good showing in the Europa League and a likely second place finish in the Premier League, it’ll be hard for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer not to feel positive about the direction his squad is heading in. Nobody knows for sure whether or not they’ve got what it takes to strengthen even further in the summer transfer window and beyond, but they seem to have the kind of structure in place that makes them pretty hard to beat.

United should’ve been able to follow up on the first leg win with a showdown against bitter rivals Liverpool but due to protests from their own fans, the fixture wasn’t able to go ahead. Some may see that as a distraction but if nothing else, it helps to bring focus to the wider issues facing English football.

Conclusion

It’s safe to assume that Roma probably won’t be able to win 4-0 and completely overturn this deficit but you can bet they’re going to come out like a house on fire. The only issue with that approach is United’s defensive strength, and even though the Italians scored twice in the first leg, they’re going to be far more concerned about the Red Devils and their ability to embarrass them again. In the end, we’re expecting a stalemate, sending United into the final in the process.

Our official scoreline prediction will be a 0-0 draw, obviously ensuring we stick to the under 2.5 goals marker – so don’t expect a slobberknocker, because this tie is pretty much dead before we’ve even kicked off the second half.

Verdict: Back the draw at odds of 3/1 and the under 2.5 goals scored at odds of 7/4 (All odds are taken from bet365).

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If you want to bet on Roma vs Manchester United then head on over to the betting page. Alternatively, you can check out some of the other available fixtures on the soccer predictions page as this season’s Europa League drama continues.