Odds comparison, Roma-Ajax: Giallorossi, semi-final dream

Roma dreams of the Europa League semi-final. The 2-1 obtained on the Ajax field in the first leg (goals by Pellegrini and Ibanez after the advantage of Klaassen) opens up very interesting scenarios in view of the return, scheduled for Thursday 15 April at 21 at the Olimpico. But Fonseca’s men will still have to sweat to get into the top four of the competition.

THE MOMENT

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Whoever qualifies between Roma and Ajax will see it in the semifinals against the winner between Manchester United and Granada: the Red Devils won 2-0 away in the first leg and already have one foot in the next round. But how do the Giallorossi and Lancers arrive at this appointment? In the last round of the championship, Fonseca’s men won 1-0 at home against Bologna thanks to Borja Mayoral’s goal: Roma returned to success after only one point won in the previous three matches. The fifth place occupied by Napoli is five points away, Atalanta fourth is at +7. Ajax, on the other hand, have long since got their hands on the Eredivisie: +11 over PSV Eindhoven and one game less than the second in the standings. The roadmap of Ten Hag’s men in the league is impressive: twelve wins and one draw in the last thirteen days.

PREVIOUS

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Before the first leg match, Roma and Ajax had faced each other only on two occasions in the European cups: Champions League 2002/03, second group stage with the old formula. After the 2-1 for Ajax in Amsterdam (goals by Ibrahimovic, Litmanen and Batistuta), the two teams canceled out at the Olimpico: 1-1 with goals from Van der Meyde and Cassano. The Dutch are unbeaten in six away games in Italy: the last defeat against Inter in the Champions League, 1-0 in the second leg of the round of 16 in 2005/06 after a 2-2 first leg. As for the knockout rounds in European cups against Italian teams, Ajax’s record is seven eliminations and six passes of the round: the last against Juventus in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in the 2018/19 season.