Roma vs Zorya Luhansk: the Giallorossi to win by a narrow margin

Jose Mourinho's Roma will play a key match in the group stage of the Conference League. If the Giallorossi beat Ukraine's Zorya, they will make the playoffs. Can the Romans do it? There are several options to bet on.

The Giallorossi got a very important victory on Sunday. In round 13 of the Italian Serie A, Jose Mourinho's team defeated Andriy Shevchenko's Genoa on the road 2-0, as the capital team sealed the place near the top 4, Champions League zone. Roma is 5th in the standings, only 3 points behind fourth-placed Atalanta.

Both goals against Genoa were scored by 18-year-old Ghanaian player Felix Afena-Gyan. A good sign, considering the realization of goal-scoring chances is one of the main problems for the Giallorossi this season. Betting on young Shomurodov and Abraham isn't exactly working. How else could it be? Even taken together, these talented forwards don't reach the level of Edin Dzeko, who left Roma before this championship.

For the third season, the team from Luhansk is led by Viktor Skrypnyk, one of the best Ukrainian coaches of the day. Under his guidance, Zorya sealed their positions as the third-best team in the country, along with Kyiv Dynamo and Shakhtar. The team became the bronze medalist of the UPL twice in a row, and no doubt will claim third place in the current championship. Following 15 rounds of the championship, Zorya takes 5th place, which is only 2 points behind the third Vorskla.

After four rounds of the Conference League group stage, Zorya still stands a chance to go on in the playoffs. Those chances are more potential, though. In order to do this, the Ukrainian team has to at least draw with Roma away, and in the last round to beat the Norwegian Bodo/Glimt at home. But even in the case of a draw in Rome, it is far from certain that Zorya will be in the top-two. If the Norwegians and Italians beat the group outsider CSKA Sofia, they will be above Zorya. In fact, the Luhansk team needs two wins in the remaining matches, which, of course, is hardly attainable.

Roma confidently handled Zorya in the first-round match, winning 3-0.

Zorya is a very strong coaching team, but their limit is not the highest by European Cup standards. Even after giving their best, it is unlikely that the Luhansk team will have any chance at least for a draw in Rome. Whatever limited personnel resources the Giallorossi have, they must take three points in their game against such an inferior team.

Prediction: Mourinho will rotate the squad, Roma will play in energy-saving mode, but still win. Although, like the bookmakers, we should hardly expect a smash, too.

• Asian Handicap Zorya (+2.25) for 1.898;
• Roma To Win by 2 goals for 4.20;
• Correct score 2-0 for 5.51.