Sunday’s Serie A program closes out at the Stadio Olimpico with a blockbuster clash between top-four hopefuls Roma and third-placed Juventus. While the visitors have one foot in next season’s Champions League, the hosts still have work to do to secure a coveted top-five finish.
Roma became the latest side to fall victim to Bayer Leverkusen’s dominant run as Daniele De Rossi lost the first leg of their Europa League semi-final tie 2-0 at home on Thursday. With their hopes of reaching back-to-back finals narrowed to a minimum, Giallorossi’s best chance of booking a seat at Europe’s top table next term is through Serie A.
They avoided defeat in last Sunday’s Derby del Sole by the skin of their teeth. Tammy Abraham’s first league goal in over ten months salvaged a 2-2 draw against Napoli, preserving Roma’s slender two-point lead on sixth-placed Atalanta. However, La Dea have a game in hand, suggesting any slip-up down the final stretch could prove costly.
Despite being in a more comfortable position than Roma, Juventus will be desperate to scoop up points at the Olimpico following a scoreless draw against bitter rivals Milan last time out. That was their third consecutive stalemate in Serie A as the pressure continues to pile on under-fie head coach Massimiliano Allegri.
Amid all those negatives, Juventus would still confirm Champions League football by avoiding defeat in the capital. While looking to jog over the finish line in the Serie A top-five race, Bianconeri keep one eye on the upcoming Coppa Italia final, hoping to land their first major silverware since 2021.
Match Preview
Roma
With the stakes at an all-time high, Roma must rebuild their home fortress after two consecutive two-goal margin losses to Leverkusen and Bologna left the Olimpico in ruins. Indeed, formidable home results have been the backbone of Giallorossi’s top-five quest this season, and now’s not the time to fall off the cliff.
But the omens are against them. No side has beaten Roma more often than Juventus – 85 times. As four of those defeats came in the last six league meetings between the teams (W1, D1), the home fans await this contest with anxiety. Comfort stems from the fact Roma’s only success in that run saw them emerge 1-0 victors from this corresponding fixture in 2022/23.
Juventus
Juventus take this trip knowing a win would seal the deal and have them qualified for next season’s Champions League. However, Allegri’s troops have only won two of their last 13 Serie A games (D4, L7). On top of that, they’ve traveled poorly of late, dropping points on six consecutive league travels (D3, L3) since beating Lecce in January.
With five of those six winless away league outings seeing them concede the opening goal, Juventus fans would be forgiven for making this journey with trepidation. The visitors can find inspiration in Roma’s long-standing struggles against top Serie A clubs. Their hosts have lost all seven league matches against the sides currently above them in the standings.
Team News
Roma boss De Rossi can call upon his entire squad for this mouth-watering showdown after Romelu Lukaku and Chris Smalling recovered from injuries to feature against Leverkusen. Diego Llorente and Leandro Paredes are back from suspension after missing out on the Napoli game.
As for Juventus, Nicolo Fagioli and Paul Pogba are unavailable for selection for well-documented reasons. Allegri will also be without long-serving stalwart Alex Sandro, who’s out with a muscle problem. But all other first-team stars, including headline forward Dusan Vlahovic, are ready for this trip.
Roma vs Juventus Potential Lineups
Roma (4-3-3): Mile Svilar; Zeki Celik, Gianluca Mancini, Diego Llorente, Angelino; Bryan Cristante, Leandro Paredes, Lorenzo Pellegrini; Stephan El Shaarawy, Paulo Dybala, Romelu Lukaku.
Juventus (3-5-2): Wojciech Szczesny; Danilo, Gleison Bremer, Federico Gatti; Filip Kostic, Manuel Locatelli, Adrien Rabiot, Weston McKennie, Timothy Weah; Federico Chiesa, Dusan Vlahovic.
Roma vs Juventus Prediction
Given the stakes, it won’t be surprising if Allegri decides to play another chess match. Juventus and Milan bored fans to death last weekend, but such has been the theme of Bianconeri’s season. We’d back Roma to take advantage of their visitors’ scoring woes to grab an all-important win a month ago. However, they’ve recently shown signs of fatigue, leading us to believe a scoreless draw could be in store.
Prediction: Draw
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