Famous Ukrainian journalist and commentator Roberto Morales has prepared a forecast for the playoff match of the Europa League "Roma" — "Athletic".
— For the "wolves", the 2024/2025 season is currently divided into two segments: a crisis at the start and a rebirth after the arrival of Claudio Ranieri. The experienced specialist has made the team more practical and cautious, which has yielded results: under him, there are 13 wins, five draws, and five losses.
Currently, Paulo Dybala, Artem Dovbik, and their partners are in good shape. The capital team has already won four matches in a row, defeating "Como" 2:1 last Sunday at the "Stadio Olimpico". The absence of Leandro Paredes due to suspension will be a problem for "Roma". Ranieri fully trusts him.
Last Saturday, the Basques lost away to Diego Simeone's "Atletico", 0:1. The match against a principled and tough opponent turned out to be energy-consuming, which may negatively affect the "lions" to some extent. However, at the same time, "Athletic" is in good order overall: they firmly hold their place in the top four of La Liga and had not lost for six matches before the previous slip. The Basques' calling cards are their supersonic attack led by the Williams brothers and strong defense.
The guests have two absences — Jalo and Sunset will not play in Rome. The former is a rotation player, but Oiyan is currently one of the best attacking midfielders in the world. The bet is on both teams to score, said Morales.