Liverpool VS Roma Match Prediction

  • Logo2018-04-24
  • Logo18:45:00
Liverpool
VS
Roma

Our Prediction Tip

Liverpool will win this match.

Liverpool and Roma have a lot of European history between them. They have only played four times in official competition since 2000, but Liverpool have beaten Roma for the European Cup in the past. In five matches played, Liverpool have two wins, two draws, and a loss to the Wolves.

%HEAD-TO-HEAD-STATS-BANNER%

Liverpool vs Roma Betting Tips and Odds

Bet365 have the following odds available for this match:

Liverpool are at ½ to win, a draw is at 10/3, and a Roma win is at 11/2.

Liverpool will enter this match in third place in the Premier League. They have done very well for most of the season, losing the second fewest times of any team in England as far as the league is concerned.  They look to be set to return to the Champions League next season, no matter what happens, as they have a gap over Chelsea in fifth, so they should be freed up some to go out and attack hard and then rotate at the weekend if they feel that it is necessary to do so.

Roma, on the other, have a more complicated task ahead of them. They are still in a tussle for the final two Champions League places via the Italian Serie A. They are one of three sides fighting for those two places, and the battle is ferocious to say the least, so they still have that on the table.  But, if they were to win this tournament, those worries would go away, so they effectively have two chances to get themselves back into it.

At home, Liverpool have been excellent this season. They have had quite a few draws, at least in the early to mid parts of the season, but they have only lost once at Anfield.  And that came in the FA Cup to West Brom in a bizarre outlier of a match.  Since that loss, they have scored at least twice in all of their home games with the exception of the 'lame duck' match against Porto in the second leg of the round of 16.

Meanwhile, Roma have looked pretty good away from Rome as well. They have lost some matches, but they have come up against very good sides.  Only Atletico, Barcelona, and Shakhtar have beaten them in Europe, while Juventus has been the only team to do so in the league. Typically it takes a good team to beat them.

As far as links go, these two clubs have a number of connections. Liverpool have won the European Cup twice in Roma, once against this very same side.  They also both have American owners, and they have met quite a lot in friendly matches due to that.  And the big one, of course, is that Mo Salah formerly played at Roma.  The Egyptian was sold only last summer, and he has proven to be quite the steal for the Reds.

Mo Salah to score against his former side, anytime, is at 7/10 at Ladbrokes.

Liverpool vs Roma Prediction

While Liverpool can leave Anfield fairly comfortably knowing that they need a result in the second leg in Rome after getting them in the past two rounds away, they would love to race out to a lead, and a lead they should have over Roma ahead of the second leg in about a week.

Correct Score Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Roma

 

Team News

Jurgen Klopp will not be too happy that his rotation did not fully work against West Brom on Saturday.  He rested some key men, mostly out wide in defence as well as Roberto Firmino, but they threw away a two goal lead to draw.  Expect to see those men return to play alongside his strongest side.  The likes of midfielders Adam Lallana and Emre Can are out along with center back Joel Matip due to injuries.

Key Man

There can be only one man for this space, and that man is former Roma star Mo Salah. The Egyptian grew into a star in Italy over the past two or three seasons, but he has become world class at Liverpool.  He scored his 31st PL goal of the season at the weekend against West Brom to make him one of only four men to have done that, and he will be the man to keep a close watch on.  It will be very interesting to see how the Italians try to deal with his threat as Klopp has played him higher and more centrally than he was deployed in previous seasons.

Team Form

Liverpool have two draws and three wins in their last five matches:

2-2 draw at West Brom
3-0 home win vs Bournemouth
1-2 win at Manchester City (UCL)
0-0 draw at Everton
3-0 home win vs Manchester City (UCL)

Liverpool Predicted Starting Line-up

Expected Line-up: 4-3-3

Team News

Eusebio Di Francesco only has a couple of injury issues ahead of this tough trip to Anfield. Right back Rick Karsdorp and forward Gregoire Defrel look to be the only two set to miss out.  Everyone else appears set to go, and you can expect to see the same side that defeated Barcelona to turn up in this match.

Key Man

Roma have quite an athletic side available to them in general terms, and because of that, they will be able to go toe-to-toe with the Reds in an attacking way if they choose to do so.  But at the upper end of the pitch to lead them they have a Premier League veteran in Edin Dzeko that comes into this match in excellent form.  In the quarterfinal tie with Barcelona, he scored in each leg and drew a penalty in the second.  He also scored against Shakhtar, so he is a man on a mission in Europe and the Bosnian must be watched very closely.

Team Form

Roma have three wins, a draw, and a loss in their last five matches:

0-3 win at SPAL
2-1 home win vs Genoa
0-0 draw at Lazio
3-0 home win vs Barcelona (UCL)
0-2 home loss vs Fiorentina

Roma Predicted Starting Line-up

Expected Line-up: 3-5-2

It has been a very long time since these two sides clashed in European competition, but don't let that fool you. There is bad blood between them, and especially the supporters. That, though, should not stand in the way of a thrilling tie. Both teams have a physical nature that allow them to get up and down the pitch as well as a talent to possess the ball. With Liverpool at home in the first leg, the edge is to them and they should leave Anfield with something to hold onto in Rome.
Roma have failed to win any of the last six ties (two-legged) against English sides, and they will look to erase that fact against Liverpool.