Roma vs Leicester Europa Conference League semi-final preview: Where to watch, kick-off time, predicted line-ups
Thursday, May 5, 2022
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When is it? How can you watch it? What are the possible line-ups? All you need to know about the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final second leg between Roma and Leicester.
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Roma and Leicester meet in the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final second leg on Thursday 5 May.
Roma vs Leicester at a glance
When: Thursday 5 May (21:00 CET kick-off)
Where: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
What: UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final second leg
How it stands: The sides are level at 1-1 after the first leg
How to follow: Build-up and live coverage will appear here
Where to watch Roma vs Leicester on TV
Fans can find their local UEFA Europa Conference League broadcast partner(s) here.
What happened in the first leg?
Roma took the lead with a sweeping attack on 15 minutes, Nicola Zalewski powering down the wing before threading a delightful pass through for captain Lorenzo Pellegrini to slot through Kasper Schmeichel's legs. Brendan Rodgers made changes midway through the second half and was rewarded as substitute Harvey Barnes cut the ball back for Ademola Lookman, whose shot found the net via Gianluca Mancini.
Starting line-ups
Roma: Rui Patrício; Mancini, Smalling, Ibañez; Karsdorp, Cristante, Sérgio Oliveira, Pellegrini, Zalewski; Zaniolo, Abraham
Leicester: Schmeichel; Ricardo Pereira, Fofana, Evans, Justin; Maddison, Tielemans, Dewsbury-Hall; Lookman, Vardy, Barnes
Form guide
Roma
Form (all competitions, most recent first): DDLDWW
Where they stand: 5th in Italian Serie A
Leicester
Form (all competitions, most recent first): LDDDLW
Where they stand: 11th in English Premier League
Expert predictions
Vieri Capretta, Roma reporter
José Mourinho rested a few players in the goalless home draw with Bologna, with the focus on having everyone at their peak against Leicester. Only Henrikh Mkhitaryan looks set to miss out. Mourinho will be hoping Tammy Abraham rediscovers his scoring boots having struck just once in his last eight matches. There promises to be an electric atmosphere at the Olimpico which could push the Giallorossi over the line.
Away goals rule abolished
There has been a rule change for 2021/22: ties level after the second leg will go to extra time and a penalty shoot-out if required, irrespective of the number of away goals a team has scored.
Joseph Terry, Leicester reporter
Brendan Rodgers made eight changes to his line-up for Sunday's loss against Tottenham, clearly keeping his powder dry for the second leg. The rest was also necessary for key players James Maddison and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to get over slight niggles to hip and calf respectively. It essentially boils down to a straight shoot-out between the two on Thursday, but Leicester will have to contend with one of the most fervent atmospheres in Europe, so they need their best players and strongest characters to step up to the plate.
What the coaches say
José Mourinho, Roma coach: "I wouldn't mind a game like the first leg, where Rui Patrício only had to make one save. That would mean we are well organised. We know we are playing a really good side and will have to be at our best. The fans can make the difference."
Brendan Rodgers, Leicester manager: "We're playing now in a one-off game. I know we have been able to do a good job against difficult teams and that has really helped us [...We will show] the same character we have shown to get to this stage. We know how to get the job done, Rennes and PSV were difficult games against good sides. It’s a similar mentality."
Where is the 2022 Europa Conference League final?
Tirana's Arena Kombëtare will stage the final on Wednesday 25 May.
The winners gain a place in the 2022/23 UEFA League group stage, if they have not qualified via their domestic competition.