Europa League Tips: Mourinho magic to save Roma one of three bets on Thursday

• Roma excellent at home

• Juventus rock-solid defensively in UEL

• Leverkusen revived under Alonso

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Roma to turn the tide

Roma v Feyenoord
Thursday, 20:00
Live on BT Sport

Everything that could've gone wrong for Roma did go wrong in Rotterdam last week. Lorenzo Pellegrini smashed the post with a penalty, Roma had another effort cleared off the line via the crossbar, and Gini Wijnaldum hit a late drive a whisker wide.

At the other end, Feyenoord scored with one of just two efforts on target, as Mats Weiffer bounced in his first ever European goal.

Roma are now 2.35/4 to qualify, and that's a price I'm happy to snap up.

The Giallorossi have won ten of their last 12 competitive games on home soil, and they haven't conceded a single goal across those ten victories.

At the weekend Jose Mourinho's side dismissed a decent Udinese team 3-0 to strengthen their position in Serie A's top three.

Feyenoord lost to Roma in the final of last season's Europa Conference League, and although they won last week, Roma were the better side and won the xG battle according to Infogol's data.

Arne Slot is leading the Rotterdam giants to the Eredivisie title (they are eight points clear at the top), but in the Europa League they haven't won any of their four away games this season.

Feyenoord lost at Lazio and at Sturm Graz, and they won't have any travelling support to give them a boost. I think Roma can turn this around, and Mourinho is a proven master of the two-legged tie.

Allegri-ball to see Juve through

Sporting v Juventus
Thursday, 20:00
Live on BT Sport

Serie A in general has become a more open and attacking league in recent years, but Juventus have been invoking the spirit of teams of the past with their approach this term, especially in the Europa League.

Only the top two in the Italian premier division have a better defensive record (Juve have leaked just 25 goals in 30 games), and since dropping into the UEL from the Champions League, Juve have let in just one goal in five games.

Max Allegri's team have ridden their luck at times, and they certainly did that last week against Sporting.

Substitute goalkeeper Mattia Perin made a wonderful double save at the death, and Sporting won the xG battle, also having more shots, shots on target, possession and corners.

So therefore it makes sense that we should back Sporting here, right?

Well, maybe not, because this is the kind of situation where Allegri and Juventus thrive.

Juve won 3-0 at Nantes and 2-0 at Freiburg in the previous knockout rounds, and as much as I think Ruben Amorim is a wonderful coach, I'm not sure his Sporting side can turn this tie in their favour.

Sporting lost at home to Marseille and Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League group phase, and it's that defeat to Frankfurt that is relevant here.

The Lions didn't deal with the pressure of the occasion, just as they didn't when they lost at home to domestic rivals Porto in February.

Sporting have won just two of their last five games in all competitions, and although I was bullish about their chances ahead of the first leg, I now wonder if a long and hard season is catching up with them.

We can back Juventus +0 & +0.5 on the Asian Handicap at 1.9420/21. If the game is drawn, we get a half-win, and we win if Juventus win.

Bayer can reach final four

Union Saint-Gilloise v Bayer Leverkusen
Thursday, 20:00
Live on BT Sport

Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, Union Saint-Gilloise is clearly a club on the up.

Brighton owner Tony Bloom has a stake in the Belgian outfit, and his methodical approach has reaped rewards. Union finished second in the league last term, and they are pushing hard for the title this season.

Union have already dumped out a German side, as they overcame Union Berlin 6-3 on aggregate in the last 16. However, a tired Union Berlin made far more mistakes over the two legs than they usually would, and I believe that Bayer Leverkusen can provide more of a challenge.

The first leg in Germany ended 1-1, but Bayer were the better side.

Bayer have repaired what was developing into a disastrous season. Xabi Alonso has lifted Die Werkself out of a relegation battle and into the top six, and it's not even impossible that Bayer could power their way into a Champions League spot.

They needed penalties to squeeze past Monaco in the playoffs, but they beat Ferencvaros comfortably in the last 16.

In the Bundesliga, Bayer have won five and drawn two of their last seven games, including the win over Bayern Munich that ultimately got Julian Nagelsmann the sack in Bavaria.

Overall, they have won seven of their last ten on the road, and they haven't lost away from home since the first week of February.

With outstanding attacking players like Florian Wirtz, Moussa Diaby and Jeremie Frimpong on show, I'll back Bayer to qualify and there to be Over 1.5 Goals in the second leg at 1.814/5 on the Sportsbook.