Roma vs Zorya Predictions

• Roma need a result to secure qualification, after picking up 1 point in back-to-back meetings with Bodo/Glimt.
• Jose Mourinho’s team hammered Zorya 3-0 in Ukraine back in September.
• There have been 20 goals scored in Roma’s four group games to date, and Mourinho’s team have the second-highest expected goals tally in Serie A.

Mourinho’s Men Need a European Win

Upon taking the Roma job, Jose Mourinho declared that he would take the UEFA Europa Conference League seriously, and has remained true to his word for the most part. Roma have sent out strong teams in the competition to date, with the likes of Rui Patricio, Stephan El Shaarawy, Lorenzo Pellegrini and others featuring heavily.

However, Roma enter the penultimate matchday needing a result to secure qualification, having picked up just a single point in back-to-back fixtures against Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt, who hammered Mourinho’s team 6-1 around a month ago. Ukrainian outfit Zorya remain in contention to qualify after beating bottom-of-the-group CSKA Sofia home and away, and sit just a point behind the Italians.

Roma to Profit Against Porous Visitors

Playing home games away from their own city due to the armed conflict in Ukraine, Zorya sit 5^th in their domestic league and are chasing European qualification. Realistically, they need a win here to have any chance of progressing, and been involved in numerous high-scoring matches already this campaign, with an absolutely staggering 36 goals being scored in their 7 away games to date in their domestic league.

Meanwhile, those who expected Mourinho to build another dull but efficient team in the Italian capital might be surprised to know that Roma have Serie A’s second highest expected goals tally. Roma have also averaged almost 3 goals per game in this competition, and should be expected to put their opponents to the sword at Stadio Olimpico on Thursday.

With Roma likely to again go strong and Zorya being wide open on their travels, I’m backing a home win with over 2.5 match goals here, while a repeat of Roma’s 3-0 win in the return fixture is a decent correct score prediction.