AS Roma and Juventus meet at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday in a Serie A fixture, with Champions League qualification hanging in the balance for both sides.
The Giallorossi, currently in fourth place, hold a four-point advantage over sixth-placed Juventus and will be desperate to maintain their buffer in the race for Europe’s premier competition.
AS Roma vs Juventus – Match preview and team news
- Date: Sunday, 1st March.
- Kick-off: 7:45pm BST.
- Venue: Stadio Olimpico.
AS Roma team news
Gian Piero Gasperini faces a late fitness test on Paulo Dybala, who has been sidelined with a left knee injury for the past four matches.
Gasperini ruled out Matias Soule for the Juventus clash despite the forward recovering from a groin issue. “Soule won’t be available for Sunday,” Gasperini confirmed in his pre-match press conference.
Mario Hermoso is also back in contention after missing nearly three weeks with a foot injury, though he now faces a lower-body issue that could prevent his participation.
Stephan El Shaarawy, currently struggling with an Achilles strain, has resumed partial training and could potentially feature off the bench.
Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson remain out with their respective injuries, and both are expected to return in April.
Juventus team news
Luciano Spalletti’s side will be without captain Manuel Locatelli, who is suspended after receiving a yellow card against Como last weekend.
Teun Koopmeiners is anticipated to step into Locatelli’s role in midfield.
In positive news, Gleison Bremer is expected to return to the starting XI after missing the Como defeat and sat in the bench in midweek during the club’s Champions League clash against Galatasaray.
The other players that are confirmed unavailable are Dusan Vlahovic, Emil Holm, and Arkadiusz Milik.
Mattia Perin is set to continue as goalkeeper after starting Wednesday’s match against Galatasaray, replacing the struggling Michele Di Gregorio.
Form
AS Roma
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side has navigated a challenging period to maintain its top-four position. The Giallorossi ended February on a high note with a commanding 3-0 victory over Cremonese at home.
Gasperini acknowledged the significance of Sunday’s clash: “The four-point lead is significant for the path Roma have taken, but they are not decisive for the final standings. They do not decide anything definitively. I think this is a race that will be decided much later.”
Juventus
Juventus arrive in Rome in desperate need of three points after a tumultuous period that saw them exit the Champions League.
The Bianconeri suffered back-to-back Serie A defeats against Inter (3-2) and Como (2-0), sandwiched around their Champions League knockout play-off elimination against Galatasaray.
After losing 5-2 away to Galatasaray in the first leg, Juventus mounted a remarkable comeback at home to force extra time, despite Lloyd Kelly’s controversial red card, but conceded twice in the added period to bow out.
Predicted lineups
AS Roma: Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Ghilardi; Celik, Cristante, Kone, Wesley; Zaragoza, Pellegrini; Malen
Juventus: Perin; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; Thuram, Koopmeiners; Conceicao, McKennie, Yildiz; David
How to watch AS Roma vs Juventus?
UK fans can watch the game on TNT Sports and discovery+.
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