Kick-off: 2000, 15/04/2021
Stadium: Olimpico
TV: BT Sport
Ajax will look back on the first leg of their Europa League clash with Roma as a missed opportunity but there is still time to make amends.
The Dutch outfit wasted a number of goalscoring opportunities but should still be hopeful of turning around a 2-1 deficit at Stadio Olimpico.
We certainly think 7/5 for an away win on the night is fair value for our initial Roma vs Ajax prediction.
A Look At AS Roma’s Betting Odds
Davy Klaassen pounced on some indecisive defending to put Ajax ahead just before half-time in Amsterdam.
Dusan Tadic then had a poor penalty saved before Kjell Scherpen somehow let Lorenzo Pellegrini’s free-kick slip through his gloves and into the net.
Brian Bobbey and Antony missed chances to put Ajax back in front and Ibanez made them pay with a fiercely-struck late volley.
“It’s an important win for us in a difficult time,” declared Roma coach Paulo Fonseca. “Winning here is huge.
“Ajax are a great side and the tie is by no means over, but this is a big win.”
The Giallorossi followed that up with a 1-0 defeat of Bologna but are only seventh in Serie A after a moderate campaign.
We feel Roma will look to keep things tight early on at home, but they may be vulnerable as the game progresses.
That makes 11/2 for Draw HT/Ajax FT stand out from the Roma vs Ajax odds.
A Look At Ajax’s Betting Odds
Ajax bounced back by winning 1-0 at RKC Waalwijk in the Dutch Eredivisie, with former West Ham forward Sebastian Haller hitting the target.
That kept them 11 points clear at the top of the table and made it 18 victories from their last 20 outings in all competitions.
Lille and Young Boys were both beaten on the road in earlier rounds of this tournament, so there are no fears of travel sickness.
Reflecting on the first leg, Tadic admitted: “This was a painful lesson, because we should have won by a couple of goals.”
A lack of supporters gives the Amsterdam giants every chance of putting the record straight in Italy, though.
We feel 23/10 for the visitors to still advance and book a likely date with Manchester United in the semis is worth adding to our Roma vs Ajax betting tips.
Additional stats
First-leg result:
AJAX 1-2 ROMA – Davy Klaassen + Lorenzo Pellegrini, Ibanez
Previous head-to-head: Roma 1-1 Ajax, Ajax 2-1 Roma
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