AS Roma will be keen to break into the top four when they travel to Turin to take on Torino on Saturday
Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma will travel to Turin to take on Torino on Saturday fully knowing that a win will see them break into the top four.
Inter Milan’s stoppage time capitulation against Salernitana will be welcome news for Roma in their bid to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. They now travel to the Olympic Grande Torino Stadium, just a point behind Inter with a game in hand.
The visitors lost to Lazio after the international break before putting Sampdoria to the sword last weekend. Their form has been far from exemplary but with just ten games to go, every point will count. With Inter spiralling downwards, the onus is on them to seize the day. Carpe Diem indeed.
Mourinho will be pleased with his side’s fighting spirit, even if it can get a tad too much at times. Torino are comfortably in mid-table but can prove to be a dogged contender on their way, especially at home.
Ivan Juric’s side are ten points off the sixth spot and will need several results beyond their influence to secure a spot in Europe. However, with Antonio Sanabria finding form, he will be hopeful of causing an upset at the weekend.
Torino were handily beaten 4-0 by Napoli in their last home game. The last time they lost two home games on the spin in Serie A without scoring a goal was in May 2022 when they faced Napoli and Roma. Surely the visitors will be hoping for a deja vu of the same.
The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Torino
🎙️ | CONFERENZA
Juric: "Gioco, concentrazione, spirito”
👉 https://t.co/1DRYbio054#SFT | #TorinoRoma pic.twitter.com/5zVvwK27Fj
— Torino Football Club (@TorinoFC_1906) April 7, 2023
Il Toro will be without Ola Aina and David Zima, both of who are nursing injuries. Meanwhile, Ivan Ilic and Ronaldo Vieira continue to struggle with ankle and thigh injuries respectively. The latter two could yet make the cut but a starting spot remains debatable.
However, it is not all bad news for Ivan Juric with Aleksei Miranchuk back available. They will be keen to give their fans something to celebrate following the humbling loss to Napoli. But with Roma smelling blood, it will be far from easy.
The home side are likely to be deployed in a 3-4-2-1 formation for the night. Vanja Milinkovic-Savic is expected to start in goal behind the back three of Andrew Gravillon, Perr Schuurs and Alessandro Buongiorno.
Wilfried Singo and Ricardo Rodriguez will provide the width and can drop back to form a back five when needed. The duo will function on either side of the double pivot of Samuele Ricci and Karol Linetty providing the defence with a shielding effect.
Nikola Vlasic and Aleksei Miranchuk will act as dual number tens and can also drop back into midfield if needed. The in-form Antonio Sanabria should lead the line and will look to grab the Roma defence napping.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Gravillon, Schuurs, Buongiorno; Singo, Ricci, Linetty, Rodriguez; Vlasic, Miranchuk; Sanabria
AS Roma
Jose Mourinho does not need to be told twice of an opening to get into the top four and the former Inter boss will be keen to get one over the Nezarruzzi. Securing Champions League football while potentially also going all the way in the UEFA Europa League would be a perfect way for the manager to attract attention from other clubs across Europe.
The Portuguese tactician will also welcome back several stars who will have served their suspensions against Sampdoria. Bryan Cristiante, Gianluca Mancini, Marash Kumbulla and Roger Ibanez will all be available for the trip to Turin.
Roma are likely to make several changes to their starting XI and line up in a 3–4-2-1 formation that should mirror the home side. Rui Patrício should start in goal behind the trio of Gianluca Mancini, Chris Smalling and Roger Ibanez.
Nicola Zalewski and Leonardo Spinazzola provide the width and can also drop back if needed. The duo will be busy on the night, running for the overlap and also pumping in crosses for Tammy Abraham to nod in.
✈️ Flight mode: 🔛#ASRoma #TorinoRoma pic.twitter.com/HuWpBb01Pk
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) April 7, 2023
Bryan Cristante and Georginio Wijnaldum’s ability to retain possession and get the ball out of tight spaces will be key. The duo will also provide the muscle in central midfield and provide Paulo Dybala with the foundation to push forward.
Stephan El Shaarawy and Lorenzo Pellegrini will act as the dual tens. The former scored last time around while the latter’s return will free up Paulo Dybala to act as the false nine. The Argentine has been Roma’s standout player this season and has fulfilled the same role earlier in the season against Juventus and Inter Milan.
Former Torino man Andrea Bellotti has failed to hit the ground running at Roma and Tammy Abraham has fallen off this season. With both strikers failing to fire all cylinders, the time might be ripe for Mourinho to try something new up front.
With allegations of Torino spying on Roma, there is some much-needed heat to the fixture that Mourinho can take advantage of. The Portuguese boss is unlike any other to pump up his players and you know that they will be raring to go this Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Patricio; Mancini, Smalling, Ibanez; Zalewski, Cristante, Wijnaldum, Spinazzola; Pellegrini, Sharaawy; Dybala
Key Stats
- Torino and Roma have drawn just one of their last 14 Serie A games.
- A stalemate on the night will see both teams draw both of their league games for the first time since the 1994/95 season.
- Torino have drawn 27 games at home against Roma in the league. Only against AC Milan have they drawn more games at home in the league.
- Only Napoli and Juventus have won more games than Roma in Serie A in 2023.
- Roma have dropped just two points from a winning position this season, more than any other side in Serie A bar Napoli.
Player to Watch
Paulo Dybala
Guess who? 🧉🇦🇷#ASRoma pic.twitter.com/W4oe3RLIUD
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) April 7, 2023
The Argentine World Cup winner is the first Roma player since Mohamed Salah in 2015/16 to register ten goals and five assists or more in his debut season in the capital club. He also scored at the weekend against Sampdoria and is the visitors’ most potent attacker going forward.
He could be deployed as a false nine on the night given that the club’s strikers have been drawing flanks. This could catch Torino off guard and give their defence something different to think about. As long as Roma turns up, it is very likely that Dybala will have a hand in their attacks in the game.
Prediction
Torino 1-2 AS Roma
With a Champions League spot up for grabs, the pressure is on Roma to take advantage of the opening. Torino are a decent outfit but are beatable. Roma have good form and also the upper hand in quality when it comes to players. It should be a tight first half but Roma should turn up the heat and settle the tie in the second 45 minutes.
