Roma vs Real Madrid Prediction and Preview – 17/02/16
Champions League preview – Roma v Real Madrid prediction.
Daniele De Rossi and Francesco Totti are expected to be fit and could bring some invaluable experience as the pair were involved when Roma beat Real Madrid in the 2008 Champions League quarter finals. Right back Vasilis Torisidis is doubtful as he nurses a calf injury which leaves Maicon competing with Alessandro Florenzi for a place in the starting eleven. Central defender Konstantinos Manolas and right winger Mohamed Salah are being watched after picking up knocks in the 3-1 win against Carpi on Friday.
Marcelo has been named in the Real Madrid squad and could return at full back with Daniel Carvajal making way. Isco is expected to return to central midfield after being rested against Athletic Club with Mateo Kovacic returning to the bench. Zinedine Zidane is without Pepe who has injured his foot and Gareth Bale, out with a calf injury. Cristiano Ronaldo is the leading scorer in this season’s Champions League scoring a record 11 goals in the group stage and will start on the wing.
Possible Line-ups
Roma 3-5-2 formation: Szczesny; Manolas, De Rossi, Rudiger; Maicon, Vainqueur, Nainggolong, Pjanic, Digne: Salah, Dzeko
Real Madrid 4-3-3 formation: Navas; Danilo, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; Modric, Kroos, Isco; Ronaldo, Benzema, Rodriguez
Statistics
- Roma have won 5 drawn 4 and lost 1 of their last 10 matches
- Real Madrid have won 7 drawn 2 and lost 1 of their last 10 matches
- Over the course of their previous 10 matches, Roma have scored an average of 1.7 goals and conceded an average of 0.9 goals per game
- Over the course of their previous 10 matches, Real Madrid have scored an average of 3.8 goals and conceded an average of 1.1 goals per game
- There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 4 of Roma’s previous 10 matches
- There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 8 of Real Madrid’s previous 10 matches
Prediction
Roma are much improved since Luciano Spilletti took back control of team affairs in January having lost one (1-0 at Juventus) in the last nine league games and winning the last four. Roma finished second in Barcelona’s group with six points, qualifying by virtue of a better head-to-head record against Bayer Leverkusen who finished level on points. The Serie A side won 4-2 on aggregate the last time they met Real Madrid in the Champions League and also got the better of the Spanish side in the last two ICC pre-season friendly tournaments.
Real Madrid qualified with the highest points total of any group winners, taking 16 of the possible 18 points from Group A which included PSG, Shakhtar and Malmo. They have hammered 19 goals in six Champions League games which works out slightly better on average than their 70 from 24 in La Liga. Real Madrid have won five and drawn one since Zidane took over on 4 January.
This should be a closer game than the odds for favourites Real Madrid suggest and it could to pay to look at other match result options for better value.
Tips
Draw at 3/1 with BetVictor
Over 2.5 goals at 69/100 with Marathonbet
Correct Score 2-2 at 14/1 with BetVictor
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