Leverkusen vs Roma Europa League semi-final second leg preview: Where to watch, kick-off time, predicted line-ups

Bayer Leverkusen and Roma meet in the UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg on Thursday 9 May.

Where to watch Leverkusen vs Roma

Fans can find their local UEFA Europa League broadcast partner(s) here.

What do you need to know?

After making it 47 games unbeaten in 2023/24 with a 2-0 first-leg win in Italy, Leverkusen will look to keep their bid for a treble of trophies alive against a Roma team they dominated for large spells at the Stadio Olimpico. Goals from Florian Wirtz and Robert Andrich gave the German side their first win in ten attempts against Italian opposition and now they will try to extend their run without loss in the Europa League to 13 matches (W8 D4).

Having lost at home for just the second time in 33 UEFA competition matches, Roma will look to respond as they try to resurrect their bid to make it to a third successive European final. Romelu Lukaku – second in the leading scorer standings to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – will likely spearhead their attack as they seek to turn around their deficit and reach a second successive Europa League decider in Dublin.

Predicted line-ups

Leverkusen: Kovář; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Stanišić, Andrich, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Wirtz; Frimpong, Adli

Roma: Svilar; Zeki Çelik, Mancini, Smalling, Spinazzola; Cristante, Paredes, Pellegrini; Dybala, Lukaku, El Shaarawy

Form guide

Leverkusen
Form (all competitions, most recent first): WWDDDW
Most recent result: Frankfurt 1-5 Leverkusen, 05/05, German Bundesliga

Roma
Form (all competitions, most recent first): DLDWLW
Most recent result: Roma 1-1 Juventus, 05/05, Italian Serie A

Expert prediction

Matthias Rötters, match reporter
Leverkusen are now just five games away from completing the most remarkable all-conquering season imaginable – an unbeaten treble is within their grasp. They are in control of this tie and it has become almost impossible to envisage them losing at all, let alone throwing away a 2-0 lead. Expect to see them in Dublin.

What the coaches say

Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen coach: "It's a top game, with a top atmosphere. It's the semi-final of the Europa League; it's a big occasion. I still remember how we were welcomed by the fans on Bismarckstrasse last year [ahead of the semi-final second leg against Roma]: it was unbelievable. We have not forgotten the pain of last year [a 1-0 aggregate loss]. We have to make use of this so we can celebrate with our fans at full-time.”

Daniele De Rossi, Roma coach: "We believe we can do it. We know it will be difficult, but we came here to win. I trust my boys: I have great faith that we will put in a good performance to try to achieve a minor miracle. We have no margin for error, fortunately we can still recover some mistakes but we need to be perfect."

Destination: Dublin

Sportsfile via Getty Images

The 2023/24 Europa League season will conclude at Dublin Arena in the Republic of Ireland on 22 May.