Europa League quarter-final predictions: Courageous Dutch can rattle Roma
- Recommended bets:
- Back Feyenoord to win
- Back Bayer Leverkusen to win & over 1.5 goals
- Back Both teams to score between Juventus and Sporting
Aside from Manchester United's clash with Sevilla, there are three other mouthwatering Europa League games to look forward to on Thursday.
Less than a year after they fought out a tense Europa Conference League final, Feyenoord and Roma meet again in the first leg of their quarter-final tie at De Kuip.
Jose Mourinho's men overcame their Dutch rivals by a solitary goal in Tirana last May but Arne Slot's side are on course to become Eredivisie champions and appear capable of exacting revenge.
Feyenoord vs Roma (Thursday, 5.45pm)
The stats
Feyenoord have won each of their last eight league matches and have tasted defeat only four times all season.
De Stadionclub have scored 21 goals in their last six matches with Mexican marksman Santiago Jimenez scoring each time.
Paulo Dybala scored his 11th league goal of the season on Saturday to end the Giallorossi's six-game wait for an away win.
Since the start of 2023, only leaders Napoli have won more matches than Roma in Serie A, but Mourinho's men have won just two of their last ten competitive road assignments.
Prediction
Feyenoord are vastly more seasoned and streetwise than when they last met Roma and their form is undeniably good enough to turn over a side with such dubious recent away form.
The atmosphere at De Kuip should be highly-charged and can give Slot's courageous champions-in-waiting enough of a boost to secure a first-leg lead.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Union Saint-Gilloise (Thursday, 8pm)
The stats
Bayer Leverkusen have won their last seven games in all competitions, including a 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich.
Xabi Alonso's side have scored at least two goals in their last four Europa League games
Union Saint-Gilloise are bidding to become the first Belgian team to make a European semi-final since 1993.
Prediction
Leverkusen look too powerful for the brave Belgians to compete with over the course of this quarter-final and the decisive damage could be done in Thursday's first leg.
Die Werkself have been regularly hitting multiple goals even without injured striker Patrik Schick as Amine Adli, Moussa Diaby and Florian Wirtz have combined brilliantly in attack.
Aided by wing-back Jeremie Frimpong's relentless forward thrusts, Leverkusen can grab at least two goals against a Union side that shipped three times away to Union Berlin in the previous round.
Juventus vs Sporting Lisbon (Thursday, 8pm)
The stats
Juventus have won six of their last eight contests in Turin and have never been beaten at home in any round of the Europa League, winning six and drawing seven of the previous 13 contests.
But Sporting are unbeaten in their last nine road games overall and have lost just two of their last eight European away fixtures.
They even held Lisbon rivals Benfica, who beat the Bianconeri at Allianz Stadium in September, to a 2-2 away Primeira Liga draw in January.
Both teams have scored in four of Juventus' five home European games this season and in each of Sporting's last three away European matches.
Prediction
Given Sporting's heroic achievement in ousting Arsenal from the competition, it would be wise not to underestimate their capability for causing Juventus a severe first-leg headache.
The Old Lady have scored in seven of their last eight games at home while Sporting have notched in eight of their last nine road trips.
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