Second-placed Juventus will aim to close the gap to Serie A leaders Inter when they welcome Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma for a heavyweight showdown at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday.
Two Italian giants lock horns on Serie A’s Saturday night fixture as title contenders Juventus host AS Roma at the Allianz Stadium, with the two sides separated by 12 points in the standings.
Juventus have Dusan Vlahovic to thank, as the Serbian forward netted a fine late header to secure his side all three Serie A points at Frosinone last time out. The result means the Bianconeri returned to winning ways after their pale 1-1 draw against Genoa on December 16 and remain second in the table, four points behind leaders Inter Milan.
With no European commitments due to a UEFA ban, Juventus have been able to focus on honing their craft in training and then producing resilient, winning performances on the pitch, albeit without much finesse. So regaining the Scudetto is a credible target come 2024. For that reason, slipping up against a top-four hopeful, AS Roma, must therefore be avoided at all costs.
Jose Mourinho’s Roma come into this clash off the back of beating Napoli 2-0 before Christmas. There was little to separate the two sides until Matteo Politano was sent off in the 66th minute in what was an ill-disciplined match as Victor Osimhen received his marching orders for a second yellow card late on.
Goals from Lorenzo Pellegrini and Romelu Lukaku ensured that Roma took advantage of their numerical advantage as the hosts leapfrogged nine-man Napoli into sixth in the Serie A table, just three points off fourth-placed Bologna.
Both sides are guided by adept tacticians, and the outcome might be decided by razor-thin margins. A long-range missile from Gianluca Mancini proved decisive in the last meeting between the two sides as AS Roma battled to a 1-0 win over Juventus. The Hard Tackle now looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Juventus
Federico Chiesa, Dusan Vlahovic, and Manuel Locatelli have all recovered from their respective injuries and will be available for Juventus against AS Roma after resuming group training at the orders of Massimiliano Allegri.
But Allegri will still be without the services of as many as six first-team players against the Giallorossi, as Andrea Cambiaso has picked up a one-match ban, Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli are suspended, and Mattia De Sciglio, Moise Kean, and Alex Sandro are all out injured.
Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has been a reliable presence between the sticks for the Bianconeri this season and could be a busy man if Paulo Dybala and Romelu Lukaku have their scoring boots on. The Polish international will start behind a back-three of Danilo, Gleison Bremer, and Federico Gatti.
Allegri appears likely to ring in the changes in midfield, and youngster Fabio Miretti could replace Andrea Cambiaso in the starting XI, with Weston McKennie switching back to the right wing-back role. Manuel Locatelli is likely to keep his spot, while Adrien Rabiot will start on the left-hand side.
Filip Kostic’s presence will give Juventus more impetus going forward thanks to his deadly deliveries into the box and down the channels to feed attackers Chiesa and Vlahovic.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Szczesny; Gatti, Bremer, Danilo; McKennie, Miretti, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; Vlahovic, Chiesa
AS Roma
Jose Mourinho will be without the services of Tammy Abraham (knee), Houssem Aouar (adductor), and Marash Kumbulla (ACL). Chris Smalling has been on the sidelines since September. Although the exact date of his return is uncertain, the latest reports state that February is the new target for the long-awaited comeback of Smalling.
However, Paulo Dybala (thigh) is said to have completed a third successive training session with the first team on Thursday, and he is likely to feature in Roma’s starting XI against his former club, having missed the last two Serie A games against Bologna and Napoli with a hamstring injury.
Should Mourinho be tempted to pair him alongside in-form striker Romelu Lukaku, who has netted in each of his last three games, Stephen El Shaarawy could make his way out of the attack.
The capital side are likely to deploy a 3-5-2 system that will cater to their counter-attacking strengths. A crowded midfield can outnumber Juventus to establish dominance in the middle of the park. That could set the tempo for the visitors to dictate the pace of the game through Leandro Paredes and Bryan Cristante, with Edoardo Bove offering the energetic legs to cover open midfield spaces.
Rui Patricio will start in goal behind a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Diego Llorente, and Evan Ndicka. They will be flanked by Rasmus Kristensen and Nicola Zalewski, both of whom will be tasked with dominating their flank. Keeping Kostic quiet should cut off the supply to Juve’s forward line.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Patricio; Mancini, Llorente, Ndicka; Kristensen, Cristante, Paredes, Bove, Zalewski; Lukaku, Dybala
Key Stats
- Juventus have won eight of their last 10 games.
- Roma have lost 10 of their last 12 league trips to Allianz Stadium and have not won consecutive games against Juventus since 1995.
- The visitors have lost nine away games in Serie A throughout 2023.
- The Giallorossi have already lost to each of the other top three sides in the league this term.
- Juve have lost just once in their last 12 home games against Roma.
Player to Watch
Romelu Lukaku
The Belgian striker may have had to wait until the final kick of the game to get his goal last time out. But he was a mighty pest for the Napoli defenders to deal with all night with his movement and strength, asking no end of questions.
His return from suspension was a huge boost and provided the Giallorossi with a focal point of attack that they lack in his absence. With partner-in-crime Paulo Dybala more and more likely to start against his former club Juventus on Saturday, Lukaku will look to wreck havoc in Juventus’ defence and add to his tally of eight Serie A goals.
Prediction
Juventus 1-1 AS Roma
Despite the fact that Juventus are having a better season and are currently challenging Inter Milan for the league title, this encounter against AS Roma is expected to be a formidable challenge. Considering how both managers set up their teams, it is not hard to see that the game will not be the most exciting and goal-scoring game.
Expect a very tactical game from Massimiliano Allegri and Jose Mourinho’s sides, with no margin for error in the match, and any chance a team gets, they will punish their opponents dearly. A fairly low-scoring but edgy and fiery 1-1 draw looks likely at the Allianz on Saturday.