Feyenoord are all set to host Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League quarter-final.
Feyenoord and Roma are set to square up against each other in the Europa League quarter-finals. The 1st leg of this tie will be played at De Kuip. The upcoming match holds significant importance for the home team as they aim to avenge their loss against Roma in the Europa Conference League final last year.
Meanwhile, the in-form Dutch side are also leading the Eredivisie table and are hopeful of clinching the league title this season. The stage is thus set for an intense battle between these two top-performing teams on Thursday.
Feyenoord will approach the match with a sense of revenge after losing to Roma in the Europa Conference League final last year. The Dutch side have been on an exceptional run of form, winning their last eight league games and sitting at the top of the Eredivisie table.
They have also been impressive in the Europa League, scoring 19 goals in their last six games, including a 7-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the last-16 second leg. Despite their recent loss to Ajax in the KNVB Beker semi-final, the home team will aim to continue their strong run in the Europa League.
The Feyenoord players will need to maintain their focus and discipline against a Roma side that has shown resilience in recent games. If they can do so, Feyenoord will be confident of securing a positive result and taking a step closer to their European aspirations.
As far as the visitors are concerned, the Europa League quarter-final against Feyenoord provides a chance to continue their quest for European glory under the guidance of Jose Mourinho. After beating Real Sociedad and Red Bull Salzburg in the previous rounds, the Italian side will be confident of getting a positive result here.
Mourinho’s men have won eight of their last ten games in all competitions. However, they will need to be cautious against Feyenoord, who are in exceptional form and have not lost in the league since November.
Despite their away form being a concern for Mourinho, Roma will look to build on their recent victory over Torino in the Serie A to get a positive result at De Kuip. The Roma boss will hope that his side’s solid defence, which has kept 12 clean sheets this season, will be able to deal with the threat posed by Feyenoord’s attacking prowess.
The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at this fixture and tries to predict the tactics the teams could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Feyenoord
Arne Slot will be without the services of Justin Bijlow and Rick Karsdorp due to injury. Meanwhile, Alireza Jahanbakhsh is a doubt for this fixture.
🎙️ Dávid Hancko:
‘One of the biggest games of my career, but I've already played a few of those this season’#feyrom • #UEL
— Feyenoord Rotterdam (@Feyenoord) April 12, 2023
Apart from the three, every other player should be available at the disposal of Slot who is expected to start with the 4-3-3 formation where Timon Wellenreuther will be in goal. Lutsharel Geertruida and Quilindschy Hartman will be the full-backs. Gernot Trauner will pair up with Dávid Hancko in the heart of the defence.
Mats Wieffer and Sebastian Szymanski will support the highly sought-after Orkun Kokcu in the centre of the park. The trio will look to dictate the pace of the game and not allow the Roma players to get on top.
As far as the attack goes Igor Paixao and Oussama Idrissi will start out wide as the wingers. Marksman Santiago Gimenez, who is on the radar of multiple clubs will lead the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Wellenreuther; Geertruida, Trauner, Hancko, Hartman; Wieffer, Szymanski, Kokcu; Paixao, Gimenez, Idrissi
AS Roma
Jose Mourinho will be without the services of Ola Solbakken, who suffered a dislocated shoulder in his last outing. Apart from him, there are no other injury concerns for Roma. Their skipper Lorenzo Pellegrini is still a doubt after missing their last fixture due to an illness. However, he is expected to recover in time and could even start this match.
🖐️ Next stop: Rotterdam! 🇳🇱#ASRoma #UEL pic.twitter.com/KJfP4XvzOm
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) April 12, 2023
The Portuguese manager is expected to start this fixture with the 3-4-2-1 formation, where Rui Patricio will be in goal. Gianluca Mancini, Chris Smalling and Diego Llorente are likely to be the defensive trio for the Serie A club.
Nicola Zalewski and Leonardo Spinazzola will start in the midfield four and play the role of wing-backs. Bryan Cristante and Georginio Wijnaldum will be the central midfielders, who will look to dictate the pace of the game.
Skipper Pellegrini and Paulo Dybala will play behind the striker as attacking midfielders. Former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham will be the number nine for the Italian club.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Patricio; Mancini, Smalling, Llorente; Zalewski, Cristante, Wijnaldum, Spinazzola; Dybala, Pellegrini; Abraham
Key Stats
- AS Roma and Feyenoord have squared up against each other on two occasions, and the Dutch side are yet to win one game, having lost one and drawn one.
- Santiago Gimenez has found the back of the net on ten occasions in his 15 league starts for Feyenoord.
- Feyenoord midfielder Orkun Kokcu has ten goal contributions in his 25 league starts.
- AS Roma’s summer signing Paulo Dybala has 17 goal contributions in 20 league starts for the Giallorossi.
- Former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham has nine goal contributions in 21 league starts for the Italian club.
Player to Watch
Paulo Dybala
Paulo Dybala’s signing has been a major boost for Roma, and the Argentine has been impressive in his debut season, scoring 11 goals in the league so far. His early penalty goal against Torino proved to be the winner. And his performance will give Mourinho confidence as he prepares his team for the upcoming match against Feyenoord.
His overall record in the ongoing season has been sensational. The World Cup winner has 23 goal contributions in his 31 outings. And, all eyes will be on him as he looks to add to his existing tally. In the meantime, several prospective suitors, like Real Madrid, will also eagerly run the rule over him.
Prediction
Feyenoord 1-2 AS Roma
Feyenoord have been on an incredible run in the Eredivisie, and they have even impressed in the Europa League. They have been in red-hot form of late and are expected to push AS Roma all the way.
Meanwhile, Jose Mourniho’s men have also done a great job so far this season. Even they have a stellar record of late and will try to get a positive result away from home. The Portuguese tactician might just get the better of Arne Slot in this outing. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the visitors.