A resurgent AS Roma host Juventus at Stadio Olimpico as these are two sides part of a multi-club scramble for a top-four finish.
The Serie A battle for a top-four place gets intense with every passing week, as AS Roma may have a big say in who finishes in those coveted UEFA Champions League positions, including in the game against Juventus. Claudio Ranieri has enjoyed a stellar period of late with the club, as the win over Lecce secured the Giallorossi’s seventh successive win on the bounce.
A late Artem Dobvyk goal proved enough to secure a seventh win in a row, as well as climbing above local rivals Lazio in the standings. Ranieri will also bank on Roma’s superior form against Juventus on home soil, as well as the momentum on their side.
Ranieri will want to stay steady in their run into a top-four place, and could potentially go level on points with Juventus in the standings. The ultimate target will be to overtake Bologna who are sitting in that fourth spot, as a win for the Giallorossi will ensure there is more excitement heading into the final part of the season.
Meanwhile, Juventus began life under new manager and former Scudetto winner Igor Tudor in a successful manner. The Bianconeri saw off Genoa as a solitary Kenan Yildiz striker secured the points and a winning start to life after Thiago Motta.
There is tremendous pressure on Tudor to deliver Champions League football next season, and currently, Juventus are only a point behind fourth-placed Bologna. They will run the risk of further opening the race for a top-four race should they lose or drop points against Roma, especially if other rivals like Lazio and even Bologna win.
Team News & Tactics
AS Roma
AS Roma’s fine form in Serie A could potentially be better if they can have all key players fit, as Claudio Ranieri is missing some stars ahead of this clash with Juventus. Chief among those is Paulo Dybala, who will miss the remainder of the campaign, while Devyne Rensch and Saud Abdulhamid are also absent due to fitness issues.
Alexis Saelemaekers will also miss out through a suspension, which will see Ranieri make some minor tweaks to his setup. Roma will continue with a back three of Zeki Celik, Gianluca Mancini, and Evan Ndicka. Stephan El Shaarawy and Angelino will feature in the wing-back roles for the capital club.
Manu Kone and Leandro Paredes will operate in the middle of the park. Lorenzo Pellegrini and Matias Soule are expected to operate in the advanced role, while Dovbyk will continue to lead the line for AS Roma against Juventus on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Ndicka; El Shaarawy, Kone, Paredes, Angelino; Pellegrini, Soule; Dovbyk
Juventus
Juventus have more long-term absentees such as Gleison Bremer, Juan Cabal, and Arkadiusz Milik are on their injury list, while Federico Gatti will miss around a month of action. Tudor is not expected to make too many tweaks, as the only one ahead of the AS Roma game will probably see Francisco Conceicao come in for Teun Koopmeiners.
Tudor will also bring in Piere Kalulu to replace Gatti in that back three, with Renato Veiga and Llyod Kelly set to retain their spots. Weston McKennie and Nico Gonzalez will play the wing-back roles, with Yildiz and Francisco Conceicao operating in advanced roles in the final third.
Manuel Locatelli and Khephren Thuram appear to be the starting midfielders under Tudor, with the duo set to continue their partnership. Up front, Dusan Vlahovic might be the preferred choice to lead the line under the new manager, and the out-of-form Randal Kolo Muani may have to bide his time before sneaking up an opportunity.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Veiga, Kelly; Gonzalez, Locatelli, Thuram, McKennie; Yildiz, Conceicao; Vlahovic
Key Stats
- AS Roma are unbeaten in their last 14 Serie A games.
- AS Roma have won their last seven Serie A games.
- AS Roma have kept a clean sheet in six of their last seven matches in Serie A.
- Juventus have lost only one of their last nine games against Roma.
- Juventus have won only one of their last five games against Roma.
Player to Watch
Artem Dovbyk
The AS Roma top scorer added a crucial goal to his tally last time out as he scored the winner to secure a seventh straight win for the Giallorossi. He will be a key aspect of Claudio Ranieri’s side between now and the end of the campaign, especially with Paulo Dybala ruled out until the end of the season.
It is all about finishing chances, and Dovbyk has shown plenty of poise over the last few weeks in that aspect. The striker has three goals in his last four games, and will certainly want to add to his tally when they face Juventus, as he is probably Roma’s most lethal player on the pitch.
Prediction
AS Roma 1-0 Juventus
Juventus are still figuring out a new system and how the players operate in the way that Igor Tudor wants, which may work against them in this late run-in. However, they have the quality to face up to a big team like AS Roma, as they could put in a resilient performance on Sunday.
Roma, on the other hand, are on the upward curve, following seven wins on the bounce as well as an unbeaten run in Serie A stretching to 14 games. Ranieri’s side have also been the better team in this fixture especially on home soil, as their momentum will likely secure an eighth straight win in the league.
