Serie A Preview: Roma vs Juventus – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

One of the most exciting fixtures in this Serie A round pits Roma and Juventus against each other at the Stadio Olimpico. Sunday’s encounter in the capital ought to have significant riding on one of the most intense top-four races in recent memory.

What seemed impossible before Claudio Ranieri’s appointment in November has become a distinct possibility for Roma. The 71-year-old has turned a downtrodden side into a formidable force, leading the Giallorossi to sixth in the Serie A table and within touching distance of fourth-placed Bologna.

Four points separate Roma from a coveted Champions League qualification with eight matches left, underscoring the importance of scooping up another victory in this high-profile contest. The hosts left it late to beat bottom-half Lecce as Artem Dovbyk’s 80th-minute winner inspired them to a scrappy win at Stadio Via del Mare.

An identical scoreline saw Juventus get the better of Genoa on home soil last Sunday, courtesy of Kenan Yildiz’s goal midway through the first half. After a winning start to his interim tenure in Turin, caretaker boss Igor Tudor will aim to impress on his touchline debut outside the Allianz Stadium and solidify Juventus’ top-four pursuit.

Nothing less will do as Juventus trail Bologna by a point after humiliating back-to-back losses to Atalanta and Fiorentina toward the end of Thiago Motta’s regime. However, beating Roma at the Olimpico could be a tall order even for the record-time Italian champions.

Match Preview

Roma

Despite his age, Ranieri, who came out of retirement to rekindle Roma’s faltering campaign, continues to write history. Fresh off a seventh consecutive Serie A win, Roma can make it eight on the trot for the first time since March 2016 and potentially take a decisive step toward hauling back a four-point deficit on the final Champions League qualifying spot.

Stadio Olimpico has been a fortress, with the Giallorossi racking up an eye-catching 12 wins from their last 13 home outings in all competitions (D1). Therefore, Roma fans can dare to dream big as the hosts bid to halt a three-game winless run against Juventus in Serie A (D2, L1), bookended by a 0-0 draw in September’s reverse fixture.

Finding an all-important opener could be a game-defining milestone, especially considering Roma’s habit of converting leads into victories. Indeed, they’ve won all eight home league matches when going 1-0 up this season. It will, then, be a recipe for success. However, they lament a dire record of no win from seven games against a side starting this round in the top five (D3, L4).

Juventus

Like their hosts, Juventus have immensely struggled against the division’s best teams this term. Only three of the visitors’ 14 Serie A victories this season have come against sides starting this matchday in the top nine (D3, L7), with three of their last four matches against such opposition yielding a dismal return of three defeats (W1).

However, Juventus have fared decently in hostile environments this term, avoiding defeat on 12 of their 14 Serie A road trips (W6, D6). Yet, both those losses came across their last four travels against fellow European qualification hopefuls. Furthermore, a 3-0 loss in Florence halted Juve’s outstanding run of breaking the deadlock in seven consecutive away league games.

Poised to return to winning ways on the road, Juventus will turn to their decent-looking run of just one defeat from their last five Serie A visits to Roma’s home ground for inspiration (W2, D2). Worryingly, they’re without a clean sheet at this venue since a scoreless draw in May 2018, highlighting the magnitude of the task awaiting them on Sunday.

Team News

Roma cannot call upon the injured trio – Saud Abdulhamid, Devyne Rensch, and Paulo Dybala – though the Dutch wingback could start on the bench. Meanwhile, Milan loanee Alexis Saelemaekers must watch the game from the stands due to accumulated yellow cards.

Meanwhile, Federico Gatti has joined long-term absentees Arkadiusz Milik, Juan Cabal, and Gleison Bremer in the treatment room. Andrea Cambiaso and Douglas Luiz are not fully fit, meaning they’ll either stay on the sidelines or make the bench.

Roma vs Juventus Potential Starting Line-ups

Roma (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Mancini, Hummels, Ndicka; Gourna-Douath, Kone, Cristante, Angelino; Matias Soule, Pellegrini; Dovbyk.

Juventus (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Veiga, Kelly; Gonzalez, Locatelli, Thuram, McKennie; Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Vlahovic.

Roma vs Juventus Prediction

A draw wouldn’t benefit either side, but it’d still do more good than damage for Juventus. Roma must take all three points to stay in contention for a top-four finish, and the team’s renaissance under Ranieri suggests they can do just that.