Thursday is reserved for the first matches of the round of 16 of the second highest quality European club competition, and this time we have analyzed the duel between Feyenoord and Roma. The start of the match between the Dutch and Italian representatives is scheduled for 18:45.
Feyenoord: Can Feyenoord take revenge on Roma for their defeat in the Conference League final?
Feyenoord is among the most trophy-laden Dutch teams, and it’s worth noting that this team has been crowned champions of the Netherlands sixteen times, along with thirteen Cup trophies. Of course, we must not forget their three major feats in European competitions, the most important of which dates back to 1970 when they became European champions after triumphing in the grand final against Scottish Celtic, with a score of 2:1. Additionally, the team from Rotterdam has twice won the Europa League (formerly the UEFA Cup), in 1974 and 2002. Last season, the club from Rotterdam participated in the second highest quality European club competition but was eventually eliminated in the quarterfinals by Roma. Interestingly, these two clubs had played in the Conference League final the season before that, where Roma also emerged victorious, and now these teams will cross paths in the round of 16 of the Europa League.
The last season will certainly be remembered for Feyenoord’s spectacular performances in the national championship, where the team somewhat unexpectedly clinched the title. Under the guidance of Arne Slot, who has been doing a great job at the helm of this team, they secured first place in the table with a seven-point lead over second-placed PSV, and thirteen points more than third-placed Ajax, who significantly underperformed last season. In 34 championship matches, Feyenoord suffered only two defeats, one of which occurred in the last round against Vitesse, when everything had already been decided. This time, the team from Rotterdam is not performing as well, as the current Dutch champions are in second place in the Eredivisie, ten points behind PSV.
In their last five league matches, Arne Slot’s squad achieved three victories and two draws, and in the previous round, they secured a very important win at their stadium against Sparta, thus extending their lead over third-placed Twente to five points. Regarding the Champions League, in a group with Atletico Madrid, Lazio, and Celtic, the Dutch representative finished third and had to settle for continuing in the Europa League. The key match occurred three rounds before the end when Feyenoord was defeated away by Lazio with a score of 1:0, which ultimately finished four points ahead of the Dutch team. This will be a great opportunity for Feyenoord to take revenge on Roma for two painful defeats in the past two years, with the acknowledgment that it won’t be an easy task since the Wolves have been playing excellently since De Rossi took over as coach of the team.
Roma: De Rossi has revitalized the Wolves!
As we have mentioned several times before, last season Roma dedicated everything to winning the Europa League, but the Italian representative failed as they were defeated by Sevilla in the grand final after a poorer penalty shootout. Interestingly, the Wolves were in contention for fourth place in Serie A until a few rounds before the end, but Mourinho decided to save players for the semifinals and final of the Europa League, which backfired on the Romans as they ultimately failed to achieve their set goal of qualifying for the Champions League, a long-standing ambition. The ambitions haven’t changed this time either, but after just two or three months, it seemed that José Mourinho wouldn’t be the one to bring the Romans to the most prestigious European club competition, leading to the Portuguese coach’s dismissal and the somewhat surprising appointment of Daniele De Rossi.
As time passes, it appears that this could be one of the best decisions made by Roma’s top brass in recent years, even though the former Italian champions were defeated at their stadium by Inter in the last round after a great comeback in a truly brilliant duel that ended 2:4. The hosts had led 2:1 at one point, after Inter initially took the lead. Regardless, at this moment, De Rossi’s charges are in sixth place in the table, four points behind Atalanta and Bologna, who currently share the fourth position. At first glance, this doesn’t seem like an insurmountable difference, and since De Rossi’s arrival at the club, the Wolves have achieved three consecutive victories, along with the mentioned defeat to Inter in the last round, although it must be realistically acknowledged that Inter has been playing at a top level throughout the championship. Before that defeat, the capital club celebrated at home against Cagliari with a 4:0 victory, which many consider to be Roma’s best match of the season so far.
In the Europa League, the Romans finished second in their group, somewhat unexpectedly, as Czech Sparta took the top spot with two more points than the Italian representative, so Roma will have to seek a harder path to the Europa League finals. What is somewhat good is that their opponent is Feyenoord, who is certainly not an easy rival, but as we have already mentioned, Roma has fared quite well against the Dutch representative, as evidenced by their victory in the grand final of the inaugural Conference League and the elimination of the Rotterdam team from last year’s Europa League quarterfinals.
Our Betting Suggestions
Feyenoord has been playing at a very high level lately, and as we have already mentioned, Roma has breathed new life since Daniele De Rossi took over the club. We advise you to avoid predicting the final outcome and focus on goals, which, in our opinion, will be plentiful at De Kuip. First of all, we suggest you try the Over 2.5 Goals bet, for which Mozzartbet has prepared odds of 1.90.
Also, perhaps an ideal prediction for this duel between the Dutch and Italian representatives is the Both Teams to Score (gg) bet, which Mozzartbet offers at odds of 1.73.
Finally, Roma has been extremely efficient since De Rossi took over the team’s coaching duties, and it’s very possible that the Romans could score two or more goals in this away game. Therefore, we boldly recommend you try the Roma Over 1.5 Goals bet with a great odds of 3.10 at Mozzartbet.
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