AS Roma vs FC Porto: Europa League Predictions & Betting Tips 20/02/2025
AS Roma and FC Porto head into Thursday’s Europa League knockout play-off decider at the Stadio Olimpico with everything on the line after battling to a 1-1 draw in the first leg.
Roma will feel they’ve done the hard part by keeping themselves in the tie after holding Porto in Portugal, and with 13 wins in their last 16 EL home matches—keeping clean sheets in their last three—they’ll back themselves to finish the job in front of their fans.
Currently, on a nine-game unbeaten run in Serie A, during which they’ve amassed a league-best 21 points, Claudio Ranieri’s side come into this clash with serious momentum. However, they’ll have to navigate it without the suspended Bryan Cristante and Alexis Saelemaekers.
However, the return of Gianluca Mancini should help solidify the defence, and in even more encouraging news for the Giallorossi, their last home meeting with Porto in 2019 ended in a 2-1 victory, a result they’ll hope serves as a good omen for their chances here.
Porto to Maintain Knockout Hold Over Roma?
Porto, however, won’t be overly concerned by memories of that loss at the Olimpico, given they’ve won all three previous two-legged knockout ties against Roma.
That should provide a much-needed confidence boost for the Portuguese side, who arrive with a worrying case of travel sickness, having won just five of their last 26 UEFA knockout matches—only one of those victories coming away from home.
Porto did manage to snap a five-game winless run in the league over the weekend, but they barely scraped through to this play-off round, requiring a last-gasp 1-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv to make it. So, despite their historically strong record against Roma in knockout ties, their current form does little to inspire confidence about their chances here.
Even more concerning for the visitors, striker Samu Aghehowa, their leading scorer in this competition with five goals, hasn’t scored in his last eight games. However, in positive news for Porto, Alan Varela, Stephen Eustaquio, and Tiago Djalo are all fit for this encounter, which should improve their chances here.
Betting Tip: Bet Builder – AS Roma Win or Draw + Goal/Goal + Paulo Dybala 1+ Shots on Target
20/02 18:45 AS Roma – FC Porto AS Roma Win or Draw + Goal/Goal + Paulo Dybala 1+ Shots on Target @ 3.05 (Betano)
History suggests Porto, having eliminated Roma in their last three two-legged UEFA knockout ties should have the edge here.
However, their poor form both domestically and in Europe, coupled with the fact that just one of their five wins in their last 26 UEFA knockout matches has come on the road, raises serious doubts about their ability to win inside 90 minutes here.
Roma hold a solid record at home in this competition, winning 13 of their last 16 Europa League matches at the Olimpico. They have also gone nine games unbeaten in Serie A and defeated Porto 2-1 the last time these sides met in Rome, so they should at the very least avoid defeat here.
Paulo Dybala will be key to Roma’s chances, with the Argentine averaging 1.6 shots per game, 0.6 of those on target, but with key players returning, Porto should at least get on the scoresheet.
Therefore, our recommended betting tip is a Bet Builder treble of AS Roma Win or Draw + Both Teams to Score + Paulo Dybala 1+ Shots on Target, available at a solid 3.05 odds on Betano.
AS Roma vs FC Porto - AS Roma Win or Draw + Goal/Goal + Paulo Dybala 1+ Shots on Target @ 3.05
AS Roma vs FC Porto - AS Roma Win or Draw + Goal/Goal + Paulo Dybala 1+ Shots on Target @ 3.05Possible Lineups:
- AS Roma: Svilar (GK); Mancini, Hummels, Ndicka; Abdulhamid, Kone, Paredes, Angelino; Soule, Pellegrini; Dovbyk
- Porto: Costa (GK); Djalo, Perez, Otavio; Mario, Eustaquio, Varela, Moura; Pepe, Mora; Aghehowa
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