Jose Mourinho’s quest to win a second Europa League honour this term continues on Thursday, as AS Roma compete in the playoff round. They will be on the road for the first leg, as they travel to Austria to take on RB Salzburg.
Europa League Preview
Jose Mourinho always believes that trophies are a better way to ease any pressure on him when he is in a job, and that could make Roma a very serious contender for success in the Europa League this term. They were excellent in Europe last term, as they claimed victory in the Europa Conference League. This term, they are back in the Europa League, but they will need to navigate a playoff round to reach the next stage.
The Italian side could only finish second in Group C, as they finished six points behind Real Betis in the standings. Roma won three of the six games that they played, but two defeats ultimately proved to be costly. However, they come into this fixture in decent form overall, as they have won three of their previous five in Serie A. But, they were held to a draw in their most recent fixture.
Salzburg will be aware of the importance of this opening leg, as a solid result could make them clear favourites to reach the next round. They have already performed well on the road in Europe this term, as they picked up a deserved point at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea. However, they won just once in six Champions League fixtures to finish third in the overall standings.
Defensively, they were decent over those six matches, as they allowed just nine goals. However, they will need to show more quality in the final third against Roma, as they scored just five in six matches in the Champions League before Christmas.
Salzburg vs AS Roma Head to Head
This will be the first time that Roma and Salzburg have clashed in a competitive fixture. Roma has a fine recent record against Austrian sides, as they have gone six without defeat. Over that period, they have picked up three wins.
Salzburg vs AS Roma Prediction
Salzburg showed flashes of their best form in the Champions League before Christmas. However, they are very lightweight in the final third, and that is a concern for this fixture. Therefore, we could see the Italian giants picking up the win ahead of the second leg.
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