Leverkusen vs Roma Europa League semi

Thursday, May 18, 2023

When is it? How can you watch it? What are the possible line-ups? All you need to know about the UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg between Leverkusen and Roma.

Leverkusen and Roma meet in their UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg on Thursday 18 May.

Leverkusen vs Roma at a glance

When: Thursday 18 May (21:00 CET kick-off)Where: BayArena, LeverkusenWhat: UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg (first leg: 0-1)How to follow: Build-up and live coverage can be found hereWinners are the nominal away team in the final against Sevilla or Juventus in Budapest

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

Leverkusen showed in the opening minutes of the first leg that they have enough to worry a Roma side which has emerged victorious from ten of their last 11 UEFA knockout phase ties. However, the Bundesliga outfit may be without Odilon Kossounou and Robert Andrich, who both hobbled off at the Stadio Olimpico, as Xabi Alonso looks to get one over on his old Real Madrid boss José Mourinho.

Roma have a first-leg lead to defend but have not generally enjoyed the most favourable results in Germany of late – including a 3-1 loss to Leverkusen in the group stage of the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League. Their last away success against a Bundesliga outfit came against Hamburg in the 2000/01 UEFA Cup.

Leverkusen: Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Palacios, Demirbay, Bakker; Diaby, Wirtz, Adli

Roma: Rui Patrício; Mancini, Cristante, Ibañez; Çelik, Bove, Matić, Spinazzola; Pellegrini, Wijnaldum; Abraham

LeverkusenForm (all competitions, most recent first): DLLDWWWhere they stand: 7th in German Bundesliga

RomaForm (all competitions, most recent first): DWLDDLWhere they stand: 6th in Italian Serie A

James Thorogood, Leverkusen reporterWhile they felt there was more on offer during the first leg in Rome, the message out of Leverkusen's camp was defiant as they felt that their performance had proven that Mourinho's men were beatable. Alonso's side have gone from a 14-game unbeaten streak to a three-game winless streak, but with a chance to reach a first major European final since 2002 on offer, they'll be hoping to throw the form book out the window on home soil. The key will be injecting more pace into the game to tap into their array of attacking talents.

Francesco Corda, Roma reporterBuoyed by the first leg win, Roma face Leverkusen determined to repeat their round of 16 second leg performance against Real Sociedad. Mourinho, who rested several players last Sunday, will not risk Chris Smalling and probably Paulo Dybala either, while Georginio Wijnaldum is ready to start. The problem lies in the lack of goals from the strikers, but against Alonso's team for the Giallorossi it will be important above all to get a clean sheet, as they managed at the Stadio Olimpico.

Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen coach: "We are going to be ready. We have prepared well, the tie is still very open, and our goal is for people to remember tomorrow's game in a few years' time for good reasons. The guys are ready, and hopefully this will be the first of many semi-finals."

José Mourinho, Roma coach: "We want to win this so much for the fans. They are absolutely extraordinary and deserve happiness. But we must play an exceptional match to progress to the final. I don't think about the past, about my old finals, I just think about the present."

Where is the 2023 Europa League final?

Budapest's Puskás Aréna will host the final on 31 May 2023.

The winners gain a place in the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League group stage, if they have not qualified via their domestic competition.