HJK Helsinki vs. Roma 10/27/22 UEFA Europa League Soccer Pick, Predictions, Odds

HJK Helsinki and Roma face off on Thursday in a Group C Europa League showdown at Sonera Stadium. 

When these two teams faced off on September 15th it was Roma that secured the 3-0 victory. Roma scored all three goals after the 47th minute, but they had quite the advantage all game, with HJK Helsinki picking up a red card in the 14th minute. Roma had 68 percent of the possession and 10 shots on target. HJK Helsinki had 32 percent of the possession and four shots on target. 

Roma comes into this game sitting in third place in the group having picked up four points. Roma’s last Europa League game came against Real Betis, and that game ended in a 1-1 draw. Andrea Belotti scored in the 53rd minute to pick up the point. On Sunday, Roma faced off against Napoli, and they were defeated 1-0. Nemanja Matic and Lorenzo Pellegrini are both dealing with minor injuries, and it’s unclear if they are going to be good enough to go here. 

HJK Helsinki comes into this game sitting in 4th place in the group, having picked up a point. On October 13th, Helsinki faced off against Ludogorets, and they were defeated 2-0. HJK only had 37 percent of the possession and one shot on target. Jukka Raitala picked up a red card in the 93rd minute and won’t be able to go in this game. On Sunday, they faced off against KuPS, and they were defeated 1-0. Nicola Zalewski is back after missing time with illness, and the young player is going to need to have a big game here. 

Roma is shorthanded here, but I expect they are going to find success here. This HJK Helsinki team just isn’t a great offensive team, and it’s not going to take Roma more than a goal here to get the job done. Look for Roma to score a goal or two, and they are going to secure the victory on the road.