Roma vs. Leicester Predictions: Cards on the menu in Rome

After an electric couple of days of Champions League action, Thursday sees yet another instalment of Europa League and Conference League action - including Leicester City’s trip to Italy to take on AS Roma.

The two sides will battle it out under the lights of the Stadio Olimpico for a place in the Europa Conference League final, with the tie finely balanced at 1-1 after a hard-fought first leg at the King Power Stadium.

It’ll likely be Jose Mourinho’s side that will have been happier with that result though, combating an onslaught in which Leicester created three ‘big’ chances and failed to convert any of them.

Now they welcome Brendan Rodgers’ side to one of Europe’s most intimidating stadiums, safe in the knowledge that they have been exceptionally hard to beat there in 2022.

The Giallorossi haven’t tasted defeat at home in this competition yet (W4 D2) and remain unbeaten in each of their last 10 home matches in all competitions (W6 D4) as they look to secure European football for the season ahead.

Three points separate Roma, city-rivals Lazio, Fiorentina, and Atalanta in the race for the two Europa League group stage berths in Serie A - and there is potential they could have one eye on next Monday’s crunch-clash with the Viola.

The Foxes have less pressing worries with re-qualifying for European football via league competition an unlikely goal for the rest of their season.

With five games to play, 11th-placed Leicester are 10 points behind West Ham in the lone Europa Conference League qualification place and have made very clear their priorities for the remainder of the season.

Brendan Rodgers’ side are winless in any of their last four Premier League fixtures and have committed to resting players - particularly centre-back duo Wesley Fofana and Jonny Evans - to the detriment of their domestic campaign.

Disappointing draws with Everton and Aston Villa have been bookended with lacklustre defeats at Newcastle and Tottenham as Leicester put all their eggs in the Conference League basket.

If they are to book a place in the final in Tirana they will have to do so without both Wilfred Ndidi and Ryan Bertrand who are ruled out, though James Maddison and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall should be fit enough to feature - as will Jamie Vardy who started Sunday’s game on the bench.

Roma, meanwhile, are without Henrikh Mkhitaryan who left the first leg with a muscle strain but might be able to welcome full-back Leonardo Spinazzola back to the pitch for the first time since before the delayed Euro 2020 tournament.

With so much on the line it’s only right to expect that a Jose Mourinho-led side may end up amongst the cards here.

The Romans certainly haven’t been disciplined when it comes to Serie A - where they have picked up far more cards than any other side.

Their total of 106 cards in 35 games (3.03 per 90) is ten more than any other side and almost bafflingly higher than the tally of the likes of Napoli (56), Inter (67), and Juventus (68).

Mourinho’s side have also picked up the joint-most straight red cards (8) and second yellows (6) in the division, making them by far the least disciplined side among their compatriots.

They are much more susceptible to cards at home too and, with the exception of last weekend’s game against Bologna in which Roma made extensive changes, they have seen at least three cards or more in each of their seven home league games in 2022 and over 72% of them over the course of the season.

One player that has found himself playing a huge part in Roma’s ill-discipline is Gianluca Mancini.

The physical central defender has picked up 13 bookings, one second-yellow sending off and a straight red card in his 31 Serie A starts this season - and leads the league for most cards.

That physicality has transferred over to the Europa Conference League too, with the Italian topping the charts for bookings in this competition too.

With four in his last six starts in the format he has remarkably been booked against each opponent his side have faced so far, with only the exception of tonight’s opposition.

Mancini had a torrid time in the first leg - committing three fouls and scoring the own-goal that levelled the tie.

In trying to atone for his error his over-zealous nature could get the better of him here, especially if things aren’t going Roma’s way in the latter stages.

Whilst the vast majority of his cards are for fouls, he has been known to get into it with referees and players alike - picking up bookings for ‘arguments’ against both AC Milan in Serie A and Vitesse Arnhem in this competition in 2022.