Once again paired in the Europa League semi-finals, AS Roma and Bayer Leverkusen will clash at Stadio Olimpico for the first leg on Thursday, 2 May.
Seeking redemption for their loss in last season's semi-finals, the newly crowned German champions are determined to face either Olympique Marseille or Atalanta in this season's final in Dublin on 22 May.
All in all, The Giallorossi are unbeaten in their last five matches against Bayer Leverkusen in UEFA competitions, winning two of them. Leverkusen, on the other hand, will be eager to claim their first victory over the Italian club since a 3-1 home win at BayArena in the Champions League in October 2004.
After emerging victorious from an all-Italian clash in the Europa League quarter-finals, AS Roma sealed their progression against AC Milan. They built on a narrow lead from the first leg at San Siro with a 2-1 win on home soil a week later.
Gianluca Mancini found the net for the second time in the tie, followed by Paulo Dybala's decisive strike. Despite Zeki Celik's dismissal, Roma held firm, extending their quest for a third consecutive European final, albeit the first under new management since the departure of former boss Jose Mourinho.
Last year, Mourinho's squad secured a 1-0 aggregate victory over Leverkusen in the semi-finals but fell short against Europa League specialists Sevilla in the final. Serie A clubs have yet to clinch the Europa League title since its rebranding in 2009. In this season's draw, Roma and Atalanta avoided facing each other in the semi-finals, leaving open the possibility of a showdown in the final.
De Rossi recently extended his contract with the club and aims to conclude the season with silverware while securing a top-five finish in Serie A to ensure Champions League qualification for the next campaign. Currently occupying fifth place in the Serie A standings, Roma sit just ahead of Atalanta. However, following a 2-2 draw in the recent Derby del Sole against Napoli and a loss to fourth-placed Bologna, they still have work to do.
Though they needed a late equalizer from Tammy Abraham to salvage a point against Napoli, Roma's Europa League triumph could secure their place in Europe's elite competition next season.
While Roma will miss right-back Zeki Celik due to suspension following his red card in the second leg against AC Milan, Bryan Cristante returns from a European ban. Elsewhere, Diego Llorente and Leandro Paredes are both available after serving suspensions in Serie A last weekend.
Romelu Lukaku, a specialist in the Europa League with seven goals this season and 27 overall, has resumed full training after missing the Naples trip. The Belgium forward is expected to lead the Giallorossi's attacking trident, with Sardar Azmoun and Tammy Abraham likely to be backup options on the bench.
Captain Lorenzo Pellegrini, enjoying more freedom under Daniele De Rossi, is set to overcome a minor muscular issue to feature in midfield.
There's a chance experienced English defender Chris Smalling could return from injury in time to play a role, but defenders Rasmus Kristensen and Dean Huijsen were omitted from Roma's UEFA squad list for the knockout stages.
Leverkusen also secured a 2-2 draw in their recent Bundesliga match against Stuttgart, yet their domestic situation stands in stark contrast to that of Thursday's hosts. They already clinched the German championship in sensational fashion, with several weeks to spare.
The Bundesliga title holders pulled off a dramatic last-minute equalizer for the third consecutive match, thwarting Stuttgart over the weekend and extending their remarkable unbeaten streak to 46 games across all competitions. Within this streak, they've emerged victorious in 38 encounters.
Their 44th match in this unbeaten run was the 1-1 draw against West Ham United, securing their place in the Europa League semi-finals. Jeremie Frimpong's late goal in that match also helped them set a new record for the longest unbeaten streak across Europe's top five leagues.
Die Werkself's Bundesliga points and goals tallies - 81 and 77 respectively - are both club records at this stage of the season. Under the admirable leadership of Xabi Alonso, the club has shed its 'Neverkusen' label.
With an upcoming trip to Berlin for the DFB-Pokal final, where they are expected to be favorites against Kaiserslautern, they have the opportunity to secure an historic treble. Furthermore, Leverkusen are still in contention to become the first team to go through an entire Bundesliga campaign undefeated.
Like De Rossi, Xabi Alonso has confirmed that he will remain with the club for at least another year. The clash between these two up-and-coming coaches promises to be fascinating, with the first leg unfolding in Italy's 'Eternal City.'
Granit Xhaka, Bayer Leverkusen's midfield linchpin, returns from suspension after missing the draw against Stuttgart. This means either Robert Andrich, who scored their 96th-minute goal on Saturday, or Exequiel Palacios will have to sit out.
Adam Hlozek and Borja Iglesias are the only injury concerns for the German side, but both could still feature in Thursday evening's clash.
With 11 goals each, German international Florian Wirtz joins Victor Boniface as the joint top goalscorer for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. However, the Nigerian forward contributes with more goals in the Europa League (five goals in seven appearances), but Wirtz's influence has been outstanding in addition to his goal tally.
· AS Roma: Mile Svilar - Rick Karsdorp, Gianluca Mancini, Evan Ndicka, Angelino - Bryan Cristante, Leandro Paredes, Lorenzo Pellegrini - Paulo Dybala, Romelu Lukaku, Stephan El Shaarawy. (4-3-3)
· Bayer Leverkusen: Lukas Hradecky - Odilon Kossounou, Jonathan Tah, Piero Hincapié - Jeremie Frimpong, Exequiel Palacios, Granit Xhaka, Alex Grimaldo - Florian Wirtz, Amine Adli - Patrik Schick. (3-4-2-1)
Guided by club legend and current head coach Daniele De Rossi, who has overseen 13 wins and only three losses in 20 games since assuming temporary charge in January after Mourinho's departure, AS Roma brings a wealth of experience from their recent European campaigns.
Considering AS Roma's weak away record, there might be some pressure on them to secure a first-leg advantage. They can't afford to sit back and defend against Bayer Leverkusen, especially in front of their home crowd at Stadio Olimpico. While Leverkusen have shown vulnerability in recent matches, their ability to score late goals, with 17 coming after the 88th minute this season, means the Romans must stay vigilant until the final whistle.
