MY ACCOUNT
The inaugural Europa Conference League final is nearly upon us, and fans of Roma and Feyenoord will soon be descending on Tirana for a highly-anticipated clash.
The Serie A giants will contest Wednesday’s final thanks to their 2-1 aggregate victory over Leicester in the semi-finals, while their Dutch opponents beat Marseille 3-2 over two legs to secure their spot in the showpiece.
Team news
Roma boss Jose Mourinho will be delighted ahead of kick-off, as attacker Nicolo Zaniolo proved he has shrugged off an injury by featuring from the bench during last Friday’s Serie A 3-0 success at Torino.
Sadly, a hamstring injury will keep Henrikh Mkhitaryan sidelined, while the likes of Bryan Cristante and Jordan Veretout are to fight it out for places in Mourinho’s midfield.
Feyenoord’s only injury concern should come in goal, with Justin Bijlow set to watch on from the stands, having been injured since March. Ofir Marciano will therefore step into the void for Arne Slot’s troops.
The stats
Feyenoord have an incredible record in this year’s Europa Conference League, having gone unbeaten in their 12 games so far in the competition. They may have failed to score in their latest match, but they have bagged two or more goals in each of their previous 10 games in Europe.
Roma’s record is not as strong, but it is still rather impressive, with the Italian giants only losing two of their 12 games in the competition. Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt got the better of them on two occasions, but they seem to have learned their lessons since those defeats.
Mourinho’s side have kept a clean sheet in two of their previous three games in the competition, although Feyenoord’s ability in the final third may put an end to that run.
Predictions
With Mourinho at the helm, Roma have one of the most experienced managers in Europe when it comes to winning trophies.
The Portuguese coach has the opportunity to clinch a third UEFA club competition trophy, having already won the Champions League and Europa League.
The Giallorossi have only lost two of their previous 10 matches in all competitions, while Feyenoord were beaten 2-1 by FC Twente in their last match.
Mourinho has often come up trumps on the big stage in Europe, and his experience could well prove to be the difference at full-time.
While Roma may eventually get their hands on the trophy, there is every chance that Wednesday’s game will be a high-scoring affair. The Italian club scored 18 goals during the group stages, while Feyenoord could give them a run for their money thanks to their impressive record in front of goal.
The Eredivisie outfit scored 11 goals in an unbeaten group campaign, but they have already proven they can be a real force in the knockout stages, having scored eight against Partizan and six against Slavia Prague across their two-legged ties.
Wednesday’s clash may go all the way into extra-time after an entertaining score draw, but it would not come as a surprise if Roma eventually outclassed their Dutch opponents.
