Juventus v AS Roma Preview : Old Foe Zeman Visits Turin

JUVENTUS

v

AS ROMA

Juventus Stadium, Turin
September 30, 2012

****

Juventus lost their 100% record against FiorentinaAi??in last round but will be looking to bounce back against another bitter rival, AS Roma on Sunday. The presence ofAi??ZdenekAi??Zeman, who has often derided the club in past will act as an added incentive in this match.

Team News and Tactical Brief

Juventus

JuventusAi??didnai??i??t have the best of times against FiorentinaAi??in the last match. In some ways it was possibly the most insipid performance showed by the team since Antonio Conte took over. Bianconeriai??i??s 3-5-2 formation was replicatedAi??by FiorentinaAi??and the teams cancelled each other out for most of the match. Juventus were hampered by theAi??poor performances of Pirlo, GiaccheriniAi??and GiovincoAi??and thus didnai??i??t have enough bite in their attack. Bolstered by the home crowd, FiorentinaAi??came close to scoring twice in second half as JoveticAi??hit the cross-piece with a header while LjajicAi??shot wide despite being one on one with Buffon. Things didnai??i??t improve much in second half as Juventus failed to create goal scoring chances. As the final whistle went it felt more like a point gained rather than two lost.

The Carrera-Conte coaching team has a few headaches to worry about before facing AS Roma. Arturo Vidal looked jaded against FiorentinaAi??and mistimedAi??several tackles, one resulting in a yellow card. Vidal picked up an injury against Chelsea but hasnai??i??t been given a full rest since then. The Chilean is likely to beAi??a vital player against Zemanai??i??s energetic and high pressing midfield but his fitness is something which may become a problem. Claudio MarchisioAi??was restedAi??against FiorentinaAi??and he is likely to claim his spot back ahead of Giaccherini. Andrea PirloAi??also had an ordinary game but he is likely to start again with Paul Pogba getting a substitute role some time later in the match.

Sebastien Giovincoai??i??s form will be another cause of concern for the Bianconeri. The diminutive striker was wrestledAi??off the ball easily against FiorentinaAi??and didnai??i??t seem to combine well with any of his striker partners. He may not start against Roma with MirkoAi??VucinicAi??joining forces with Quagliarella.

AS Roma have been weak defensively till now, not a totally unexpected scenario from a ZdenekAi??ZemanAi??coached side. Juventus will be looking to take advantage of gaps in Roman defence which is why it is vital that Pirlo shakes off his recent underwhelming form. Fatigue will be an issue for Juventus. Their opponents have played just once in past 10 days while Juventus had to play 3 matches, including two away trips.

Expected Starting XI (3-5-2): Buffon(GK); Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Asamoah; Vucinic, Quagliarella

AS Roma

AS Romaai??i??s season has been a roller coaster ride till now, as one would expectAi??from a ZdenekAi??Zeman side. The Lupiai??i??s 3-1 away victory over Inter was hailed across the peninsula for the breathtaking display of attacking football. ZemanlandiaAi??had arrived. Few days later Roma raced to a 2-0 lead against Bologna in 16 minutes as the fans started wondering if they would see a tennis score. The script didnai??i??t quite go that way in second half. The home team had incredibly shipped in two goals on 72nd and 73rd minute and completed the capitulation just before the finalAi??whistle to lose 2-3. Zemanlandia had well and truly arrived.

After being awarded a 0-3 victory over Cagliari, Roma once again slumped to a disappointing home draw last week, allowing newly promoted SampdoriaAi??to snatch a 1-1 draw. Zemanai??i??s team has effectively won just one match out of five and they will be looking to bounce back with a win against Juventus.

ZdenekAi??ZemanAi??is likely to deploy his typical 4-3-3 formation which relies on high pressing and a fast passing game aimed atAi??exploiting gaps in opposition defence. The central defensive pairing of ageing Nicolas BurdissoAi??and Serie A newbie CastanAi??has been a major weakness for Roma, who have conceded 8 goals in 4 matches. Maarten StekelenburgAi??has not been very convincing either and it was his mistake which led to Sampdoriaai??i??s equalizer in the last game. Frederico BalzarettiAi??will be a very important player for the GiallorossiAi??against Juventus as he would be looking to exploit the space behind right-wing back Lichtsteiner.

The most interesting battle will take place in midfield where the trio of Michael Bradley, Danielle De Rossi and youngster Alessandro FlorenziAi??will clash against one of the best midfieldsAi??in Europe. Bradley, especially, had been very impressive when he played against Juventus for ChievoAi??last season and will be looking to maintainAi??his form. Roma Academy product FlorenziAi??has been a bright example of Zemanai??i??s faith in youth but he will be tested in the pressure cooker situation of Juventus Stadium.

Talismanic captain Francesco TottiAi??celebrated his 36th birthday few days ago and he continues to beAi??an inspiration for Roma. Tottiai??i??s rise to prominence came during Zemanai??i??s first stint in Roma 15 years back when he was usedAi??as a left winger-forward. Few expected Totti to performAi??to the levels he has done till now, playing in the exact sameAi??position. The Roma captain has so far provided two assists and scored his 216th Serie A goal against Sampdoria. Totti is likely to start on the left flank with Eric Lamela on opposite wing. Osvaldo, Roma top scorer till now, will play as the center forward.

Expected Starting XI (4-3-3): Stekelenburg(GK); Balzaretti, Burdisso, Castan, Piris; Bradley, De Rossi, Florenzi; Totti, Osvaldo, Lamela

Players to watch out for

MirkoAi??Vucinic (Juventus)

ai???Big gameai??? Mirko has often shown the ability to rise to the occasion for a high-profileAi??match. Vucinic has not found the back of the net in past few matches, despite starting the season on a high and will be looking to get his scoring touch back against his former club.

Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma)

The highest paid player in Serie A is likely to play a major role to nullify the threat of Andrea Pirlo in midfield. In Zemanai??i??s system he is also likely to push up for goals and his ability to score long rangers will be an asset.

Prediction

Juventus 2-1 AS Roma

This match will have an added animosity thanks to Zdenek Zemanai??i??s uneasy relationship with Juventus. Home advantage is likely to play a big part in this match.

Blast From The Past

Tags: AS Roma Juventus Serie A

Juventus v AS Roma Preview : Old Foe Zeman Visits Turin

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