AS Roma could threaten Juventus and their position should they manage a home victory, with both clubs chasing UEFA Champions League football.
AS Roma, who face Juventus this weekend, have been resilient under Daniele De Rossi, losing only four games since the legendary former midfielder took over. They did suffer their latest defeat at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen, who took a brilliant 2-0 lead in the Europa League semifinal first leg in Rome.
With that result, Bayer Leverkusen kept their incredible unbeaten run in all competitions this season intact and took a significant step towards meeting either Marseille or Atalanta in the Final. As for Roma, they will now focus on matters in the league, as they have a Champions League place to consolidate, and logically, that is the prize a club gets for winning the Europa League.
In recent weeks, De Rossi’s side have suffered a few hiccups on their way to cementing their place in the table. Before the Leverkusen defeat, they had managed only a draw with Napoli, and now, should they win over Juventus at home, fans can dream of an unlikely chase with the Bianconeri for third or fourth place.
The fact that Italy have a fifth Champions League spot makes the pressure less on Juventus heading into the final few games of their season. From being title contenders at one stage of the season, the Bianconeri are now fighting tooth and nail to consolidate their third place, as Massimiliano Allegri will not want any more hiccups along the way.
Juventus had a golden opportunity even to go close to second place in Milan, but they could only manage a draw with the Rossoneri on the previous matchday. Should Milan win at the weekend, they might race away with the runners-up spot.
Hence, Juventus must avoid a defeat against Roma to keep a stronghold of a top-four place. But in that scenario, they might loosen their grip on the third spot with Bologna lurking closely behind. Overall, the three Champions League positions could still be interchanged before the season ends, with Roma, Juventus and Bologna all hunting for supremacy, with Atalanta and Lazio in the mix.
Team News & Tactics
AS Roma
Daniele De Rossi will have a triple boost as he welcomes Zeki Celik from his European suspension. At the same time, Diego Llorente and Leandro Paredes will be available again after serving domestic bans.
There are also possible places in the matchday squad for Dean Huijsen and Rasmus Kristensen, with the drop omitted from the European roster. De Rossi might use this game to rest star forward Paulo Dybala, who has been fantastic since arriving from Juventus and has a direct hand in 40 goals in 50 league appearances.
Tommaso Baldanzi might replace the Argentine on the right-hand side of the attack, while Romelu Lukaku and Stephen El Shaarawy will retain their places in the front three.
With Paredes returning, the Argentine will slot directly at the base of the midfield alongside Lorenzo Pellegrini and Edoardo Bove. Llorente will also feature at the back alongside Gianluca Mancini as his central defensive partner, while Celik will take his place right back for Roma.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Jose Sa; Celik, Mancini, Llorente, Angelino; Bove, Paredes, Pellegrini; Baldanzi, Lukaku, El Shaarawy
Juventus
Apart from Mattia De Sciglio and Alex Sandro, Massimiliano Allegri has no fitness concerns with his squad. So, he will only look to make a few changes.
Allegri will line up with the usual back three: Federico Gatti, Gleison Bremer, and Danilo, who are taking shape, with Andrea Cambiaso and Filip Kostic stationed in those wing-back roles for Juventus.
Similarly, Allegri will not look to make any alterations to his midfield, with Weston McKennie, Adrien Rabiot, and Manuel Locatelli firmly settled in their respective roles. Meanwhile, Dusan Vlahovic and Federico Chiesa will continue to lead the attack for the Bianconeri, with the former still harbouring hopes of catching Lautaro Martinez.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Szczesny; Gatti, Bremer, Danilo; Cambiaso, McKennie, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; Vlahovic, Chiesa
Key Stats
- There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 12 of Roma’s last 15 games in Serie A.
- AS Roma are winless in three of their last four matches in all competitions.
- AS Roma can go within three points of Juventus with a win on Sunday.
- Juventus have drawn their last three matches in Serie A.
- Juventus have only two wins from their last 13 league games.
Player to Watch
Dusan Vlahovic
Juventus has a busy summer ahead, wherein they might consider making plenty of changes, and even Vlahovic’s name has been thrown around in the speculation. The striker has not taken his chances in the race for the Golden Boot in Italy, despite top scorer Lautaro Martinez not scoring since the end of February.
There are still some games to go, although Vlahovic might have to be highly prolific in those to stand a chance to catch Martinez. While there’s less chance for that to happen, he can still propel Juventus’s chances of finishing third or even second with some stellar displays in the remaining games, starting with the visit to Rome.
Prediction
AS Roma 1-1 Juventus
AC Milan tried on the last matchday to ensure that Juventus did not get closer to them on the table, and the Bianconeri might repeat the pattern against AS Roma. Drawing this game will be a good result for the Turin giants, as they have to protect their place in the top four. They might open the gates for Bologna to take over, but this is a risk Massimiliano Allegri might be willing to take.
AS Roma will come under pressure heading into this clash as they are eager to get ahead of Atalanta and Lazio, the chasing pack for fifth place in the Champions League. Hence, while they might try to take advantage at home, Juventus have the ingredients and defensive quality to ensure this game ends in a draw.