Nigeria Internationals Kelechi Iheanocho, Ademola Lookman hope to bring an end to Leicester City three-game winless run when they host Roma in the semi-final of the Europa Conference League today.
Brendan Rodgers goes up against his former mentor Jose Mourinho in the first leg of the last-four tie and both teams will be determined to gain the upper hand at King Power Stadium.
Leicester have dropped to 10th in the Premier League, so winning the Europa Conference League is their only route to qualifying for next season’s Europa League.
They are on a three-game winless run, having lost to Newcastle and drawn against Everton and Aston Villa in recent weeks.
The Foxes are boosted by the return of Jamie Vardy, however, as the striker came off the bench against Aston Villa to make his first appearance since early-March. This poses great competition for Kelechi Iheanacho as he now has to fight for a place in the starting 11 with Jamie Vardy and Patson Daka.
Roma, meanwhile, were held to a 1-1 draw by Napoli and beaten by Inter, but they remain fifth in Serie A and on course for a place in the Europa League, though Lazio and Fiorentina are breathing down their necks.
In the Conference League quarter-finals, the Italian capital outfit were condemned to a shock 2-1 defeat by Norway side FK Bodo/Glimt in the first leg. Roma replied in fine fashion in the second leg at home, registering a 4-0 victory to qualify for the semi-finals.
Roma are currently fifth in the Serie A with an outside chance of finishing in the top four. Mourinho, along with pushing for a top-four berth, will want to lead the side to a silverware with the Conference League title.
The Foxes will be without Nigeria International Wilfred Ndidi and left-back Ryan Bertrand. Centre-back Jonny Evans, goalkeeper Danny Ward and midfielder Boubakary Soumare are doubtful for the encounter and will likely miss it.
None of the aforementioned players featured in Leicester’s recent draw against Aston Villa and thus Brendan Rodgers isn’t expected to make a lot of changes to the starting XI. Harvey Barnes and Jamie Vardy could get a look in. Kasper Schmeichel will man the goal with Rodgers expected to continue with a 4-3-3 that he has used in Europe this season. A back four of Ricardo Pereira, Caglar Soyuncu, Wesley Fofana and Timothy Castagne is expected to protect the goal with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Youri Tielemans and James Maddison forming the three-man midfield.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3):
Schmeichel, Pereira, Soyuncu, Fofana, Castagne; Maddison, Tielemans, Dewsbury-Hall; Albrighton, Vardy, Barnes
Mourinho will be without the services of midfielder Bryan Cristante and forward Nicolo Zaniolo. The latter, who scored a hat-trick in their second-leg win over FK Bodo/Glimt, could be a big miss on their trip to England.
Leonardo Spinazzola has completed his return to fitness after rupturing his Achilles tendon in last year’s Euro. He has been named on the bench in Roma’s last three league matches but it is unlikely that Mourinho will use him from the start against Leicester. Reports in Italian media have claimed that Spinazzola could be used as a second-half substitute in Roma’s next league fixture against Bologna.
Nevertheless, the Portuguese tactician is expected to field his best XI and continue with a 3-4-2-1. Rui Patricio will continue in goal for the Giallorossi with a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Chris Smalling and Roger Ibanez.
Rick Karsdorp and Matias Vina will be the two wing-backs with Jordan Vertout and Sergio Oliviera lining up as the double pivot in the centre of the park. Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Lorenzo Pellegrini will be the two attacking midfielders with Tammy Abraham leading the attack.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1):
Patricio; Mancini, Smalling, Ibanez; Karsdorp, Oliveira, Veretout, Vina; Mkhitaryan, Pellegrini; Abraham
Leicester City will be playing in their first-ever European semi-finals when they take the field against Roma on Thursday night.
This will be Roma’s third European semi-finals in five seasons. Both the previous semi-finals were against English sides – 2017/18 UCL vs Liverpool and 2020/21 UEL vs Manchester United – and they lost both.
This will be the first meeting between the two sides.
Tammy Abraham is the joint top-scorer in the Conference League this season with eight strikes.
Roma have scored in 20 consecutive away European matches heading into the Leicester encounter.
The match promises to be exciting, exhilarating and full of action.
Leave a Reply