Direct knockout excitement in Germany
Due to not being able to play the first leg of their Europa League clash courtesy of Covid-19, Sevilla and Roma face off at the neutral venue of MSV-Arena, Germany, in a direct qualifier for the quarter finals.
Sevilla
The Andalusian's travel to Germany without having played a single game since the end of their season back in mid-july which is good due to the amount of rest they have gotten but definitely bad in regards to their "match fitness" as a whole.
Strong finish
Sevilla finished 4th in La Liga, behind 3rd placed Atletico Madrid only by goal difference but were a hefty 10 points ahead of 5th placed Villareal due to a fantastic second half of the season that saw them avoid defeat in 15 straight games (8 wins).
Furthermore, they managed to score a healthy 25 goals during said 15 games but also showcased their defensive prowess after conceding only 11 times during the same period which is the main reason Sevilla conceded 3rd fewest goals in the league.
Hinder or gift?
The interesting question is however whether or not their small break from official games will hinder them from performing at their absolute best which will definitely be needed to see off an inspired Roma team or will it see them come back fresh and motivated.
Roma
I Giallorossi will be disappointed with their 5th place finish and lack of Champions League football next season but should be buzzing after ending the season on an 8 game streak without defeat, 7 of which in victory.
They managed to score a whopping 23 goals during that period whilst conceding 8 in the process meaning that Roma really turned the heat up towards the end of the season.
Impressive turnaround
Paulo Fonseca's men were projected to struggle against Sevilla after losing 5 of their 7 games leading up to the clash but were handed time to rest and recuperate during lockdown. The recuperation did the team from the capital well and Roma eventually went on the winning streak mentioned above that culminated with their win against Juventus a few days ago and a solid 5th place finish.
European experience
An interesting aspect that should not be overlooked is that Roma have been solid performers in the Europa League having avoided defeat in all but 1 of their last 9 outings (4 wins, 4 draws) meaning that this fixture will be much more closely matched than initially thought.
Betting tip
Roma have seen both teams score in 15 of their last 17 games whilst Sevilla have found the back of the net in 13 of their last 14 which is why i will be backing Both teams to score at 1.72 with Betway.
