Al Seeb's patient build and East Bengal's direct running set up a contest over the first clean pass into the box. East Bengal have shown they can create those contacts against this group's defences. Roma's pressure faces a Cagliari side whose recent possession has brought little second attack after conceding.
Al Seeb can find Meye through Busaidi on the left, but their group matches have yielded little clean finishing from that route. East Bengal have reached Lalhlansanga with early passes and created another route through Ramirez's restarts. Loba and Zwolinski supplied recent finishing minutes, while Bhatt played the full Inter Kashi match after an earlier injury exit. Edmund was unused in that last match, so the away attack here rests on its other observed receivers. I expect East Bengal to keep producing a response even after Al Seeb's first spell. That's why I'm siding with East Bengal.
Roma can recover high and find Malen or Soulé before Cagliari settle, then use wide deliveries and restart rebounds for another box contact. Cagliari can play directly into Mendy or Kevin Carlos, but their possession against Bologna produced few close chances and little after conceding. Winks left that match injured and is listed out; Roma's Pellegrini is also out after his Slovan injury, while Gollini played their last match. Mina played the full Monza match, yet Roma's second-contact routes still give them a way to extend an early lead. That's why I'm siding with AS Roma.
