The first legs of the Europa League semi-finals take place on Thursday, with Roma, last season's runners-up, welcoming Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen to the Stadio Olimpico for the first instalment of the standout tie of the round.
The two met at this exact stage of last year's competition and Bayer will be looking to exact revenge on the Italian side, which lost 1-0 on aggregate on that occasion.
Both sides are in excellent form, with midfield-turned-managerial maestros Daniele De Rossi and Xabi Alonso set to put on an intriguing tactical battle in the Italian capital, and there may be little to split the pair as a result.
The other first-leg clash will see Marseille welcome Atalanta for what could turn into an exciting affair between two entertaining sides. The hosts are three-time runners-up in this competition and Jean-Louis Gasset will be looking to break that barren run, while Atalanta are vying to make a first-ever European final.
- THE DRAW - ROMA VS LEVERKUSEN
- BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE AND OVER 2.5 GOALS - MARSEILLE VS ATALANTA
- LUKAKU AND AUBAMEYANG TO SCORE ANYTIME - CROSS MATCH DOUBLE
Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen's 46-game unbeaten streak will be on the line when they head to Rome on Thursday as they look to gain retribution for last season's semi-final exit to the Giallorossi.
Alonso's side were recently named Bundesliga champions, ending Bayern Munich's 12-year dominance, and their knack for scoring late on to salvage results is unbelievable.
Of their last 11 goals, 10 have come in the second half of games while they have needed strikes in the 89th minute or later to keep their unbeaten streak intact in draws to Borussia Dortmund, West Ham and Stuttgart in their last three outings - with Robert Andrich's equaliser against the latter coming in the 96th minute.
Bayer's never-say-die attitude combined with an extremely talented squad featuring the likes of Florian Wirtz and Victor Boniface, who will both be well-rested after starting on the bench against Stuttgart, will make it extremely difficult for Roma to replicate their 1-0 win in this fixture last season.
However, the hosts have been exceptional at the Stadio Olimpico. They have lost just two of their last 22 home games while they are on an 11-match unbeaten run on their own patch in the Europa League, winning nine times in that run with seven of those victories coming to nil.
Roma held out for a 2-1 win over AC Milan in the home leg of their quarter-final despite being reduced to 10 men in the 31st minute, highlighting their grit and desire to succeed under returning legend De Rossi.
A win may be beyond the Giallorossi given Leverkusen's exceptional record this season, but buoyed by the home crowd they should have enough to head to Germany on a level playing field by making it four draws on the spin for Bayer.
Marseille vs Atalanta
Marseille have been the bridesmaid in this competition three times, but never the bride, with the general feeling that they may not get to be either this time around.
Atalanta were exceptional in their quarter-final against outright favourites Liverpool, earning a sensational 3-0 victory at Anfield, where the Reds had avoided defeat in 33 consecutive games prior to the visit of the Italians.
Gian Piero Gasperini's men have won four of their last six matches, only narrowly losing the second-leg of their quarter-final 1-0 in that run, and will certainly make their presence known in France.
The visitors have netted 11 times in their last six away games and their three-goal haul at Anfield, led by two strikes from Gianluca Scamacca, highlights the attacking talent in their ranks, so expect them to net at the Stade Velodrome.
Marseille themselves should also have no issues in scoring, having netted twice in each of their last three games, and this clash could turn into a relatively high-scoring affair with goals at both ends.
Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals has been a winning bet in eight of Marseille's 12 Europa League games this term and with both sides in excellent scoring form, it could pay to back the same outcome on Thursday.
BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE AND OVER 2.5 GOALS
Cross-Match Double
With so much offensive talent on display across the two ties, it makes sense to back a scorer in each game, with the Europa League's all-time record goalscorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang rating a solid first leg of a double.
The Gabonese forward has netted 10 times in 11 Europa League games for Marseille this season and has been in excellent form, scoring four goals in his last six appearances.
Atalanta have kept just two clean sheets in their last 13 away matches and Aubameyang, who has netted six goals in his last four home games in this competition, could exploit that leaky backline on Thursday.
In Rome, it could be Romelu Lukaku, whose seven goals in the Europa League this term puts him second in the top scorers chart behind only Aubameyang, who makes the biggest impact for the hosts.
The Belgian is the third-highest scorer in the competition's history with 27 strikes and has netted four times in his six Europa League home games this term. This suggests he could trouble Leverkusen on Thursday, with Alonso's side having kept just one clean sheet in their last five away matches.
Bayer's defenders struggled to contain Michail Antonio in the second-leg of their quarter-final with West Ham and Lukaku, a striker with similar attributes to the Hammers forward in terms of strength and pace, could trouble Jonathan Tah and co at the Stadio Olimpico.
LUKAKU AUBAMEYANG TO SCORE ANYTIME
