Bayer Leverkusen vs. Roma Betting Tips: 15/1 cards double available for Europa League second leg

Roma take a slender one-goal advantage to the BayArena, hoping to carry Jose Mourinho to his 17th career major cup final.

Here are our strongest betting angles for I Giallorossi's Europa League semi-final second leg with Bayer Leverkusen...

The first leg saw "The Special One" come up against Xabi Alonso - the former Real Madrid player who had featured in 151 games over three seasons for the Portuguese.

That match was as evenly contested as the stats suggested, with clear cut chances for either side being few and far between. 20-year-old Edoardo Bove broke the deadlock in the second half and ultimately gave Roma their first win since April's quarter-final second leg victory over Feyenoord.

Hosts Leverkusen are the 21/20 favourites with various betting sites. Mourinho's Roma can be backed at a generous looking 3/1, while the draw is priced up at around 5/2.

BTTS - No was a wise bet in the pair's first leg encounter considering the selection has clicked in 76.5% of Roma's home matches in Serie A this term.

However, the circumstances surrounding Thursday's reverse meeting supports backing the opposite in Germany.

Despite the fact that Roma are likely to adopt a conservative approach, Leverkusen should offer a real stern test for Mourinho's men.

11 of the Italian side's 18 Serie A away trips have seen both teams score, including their two most recent journeys.

Lupi have shipped 21 goals on the road compared to just 12 at the Stadio Olimpico, showcasing that they are vulnerable without the security of playing in front of their home fans.

In Leverkusen's case, this bet has been successful in five of their last six Bundesliga home matches, with Alonso's side notching 14 times during this run.

As well drilled and difficult to break down as Roma will be, they'll also be acutely aware that another goal could put this tie beyond Leverkusen.

Michael Oliver had his hands full keeping a lid on the pair's first leg, and we expect Slavko Vincic to earn his money's worth on Thursday also.

The Slovenian has brandished 27 yellows across the six European fixtures he's taken charge of this term which works out at a combined average of 4.50 yellows per game.

Seven players were cautioned in the first leg, with both of the highlighted players in this bet scribbled into Oliver's book. Roger Ibanez and Leonardo Spinazzola found great difficulty in containing Moussa Diaby, Jeremie Frimpong and Exequiel Palacios down Leverkusen's right channel.

Both Palacios and Frimpong drew three fouls during the first leg, and we can expect similar numbers if Roma are to keep them under wraps again.

Frimpong is the Bundesliga's sixth most fouled player, while only four players have hit more than Diaby's total of 74 shots in the division.

Ibanez stands as Roma's most carded player with nine from 31 games in Serie A, and a further four in this competition. Spinazzola has three from 25 in the Italian top flight, and has been shown an additional three across his 11 22/23 Europa League appearances.

Funnily enough, the last time Vincic reffed a Roma game was February's 2-0 win over Salzburg in this competition - a game where four of Mourinho's players were booked, including Ibanez and Spinazzola.

The 15/1 on offer at BetVictor seems a very reasonable price, especially considering that you'll manage to find only half the valuation for the same bet elsewhere.