Following a rare setback at home earlier in the week, AS Roma aims to maintain their hold on a top-five position in Serie A as they host Juventus at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday. Both teams are vying for a place in next season's Champions League, yet neither has secured their berth as of yet.
After securing a 1-0 victory in the December reverse fixture, Juventus boasts a favorable record against AS Roma, winning four of their last six Serie A encounters and keeping clean sheets in half of those matches. This history could provide them with a psychological edge as they approach their latest clash.
Daniele De Rossi's side brace themselves for an entertaining showdown at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday, only a few days after the team's disappointing defeat to Bayer Leverkusen.
For the second consecutive season, Roma find themselves facing Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League semi-finals, with the two clubs clashing in the Italian capital for the first leg on Thursday. They now have an uphill task if they are to overturn a two-goal deficit against Xabi Alonso's unbeaten Leverkusen.
The recently-crowned Bundesliga champions sought retribution for last year's semi-final defeat and not only extended their record-breaking unbeaten streak at AS Roma's expense, but also took a significant step towards reaching the Europa League final against either Olympique Marseille or Atalanta.
With goals conceded in each half, The Giallorossi suffered just their fourth loss since the legendary midfielder took over as interim head coach in January, leaving them facing an uphill battle in the upcoming trip to Germany next week.
Despite recently extending his contract, De Rossi's hopes of securing silverware have diminished, but he remains determined to guide his team to a crucial top-five finish in Serie A, ensuring Champions League football for the next campaign.
Sitting fifth in the league standings, just ahead of Atalanta, AS Roma are still some distance away from guaranteeing a spot at Europe's elite level, even after salvaging a point in a 2-2 draw against Napoli in last week's Derby del Sole.
While a late Tammy Abraham goal rescued a draw in Naples, Roma has shown resilience throughout the season, scoring more goals (20) than any other Serie A team in the final 15 minutes of matches.
However, De Rossi faces a persistent challenge - his team has yet to earn a single point in encounters with Italy's top five sides this season, losing all seven matches thus far.
With Zeki Celik returning from a UEFA suspension, Daniele De Rossi has the luxury of having Diego Llorente and Leandro Paredes back in contention after serving bans in Roma's draw with Napoli last weekend.
Elsewhere, Rasmus Kristensen and Juventus loanee Dean Huijsen are eligible to return, having not been registered to play in the Europa League knockout stages. This gives the home side ample room to rotate ahead of their upcoming trip to Leverkusen next week.
One player who might benefit from a rest is the injury-prone forward Paulo Dybala. Dybala, who spent seven seasons at Juve from 2015 to 2022, made 293 appearances and scored 115 goals across all competitions for the glorious Italian club. Since leaving Turin, he has been directly involved in 40 goals from only 50 league games.
The Bianconeri find themselves only six points ahead of their hosts in the table, signaling a shift from their once-promising campaign to a period of stagnant mediocrity in recent months.
Drawing their last three matches against Torino, Cagliari, and most recently, AC Milan, Max Allegri's side is now cautiously monitoring the teams below them in the standings.
With an average of just 1.27 points in the second half of the season, Juventus is experiencing their worst such rate since 2010, raising questions about Allegri's future with the club.
Despite these challenges, Juventus has a glimmer of hope with an upcoming return to Rome for the Coppa Italia final, having secured a place with a 3-2 aggregate win over Lazio. They will face Atalanta at the Stadio Olimpico for the second time in four years.
While their league form has been disappointing, the Bianconeri remain on course to qualify for next season's revamped Champions League, a feat Allegri may argue represents success amidst a transitional period for the club.
Roma's Paulo Dybala and Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic have been involved in the most Serie A goals this calendar year, contributing to 12 goals each since the start of 2024. Vlahovic is expected to partner either Federico Chiesa or Kenan Yildiz up front on Sunday.
With only Alex Sandro sidelined due to a calf problem, Allegri is likely to field a similar XI to the one that kept Milan at bay in their previous outing. Chiesa may replace Yildiz, while Weston McKennie could come in for fellow American Timothy Weah, but no further changes are anticipated.
AS Roma: Mile Svilar - Zeki Celik, Gianluca Mancini, Diego Llorente, Angelino - Edoardo Bove, Leandro Paredes, Lorenzo Pellegrini - Tommaso Baldanzi, Romelu Lukaku, Stephan El Shaarawy. (4-3-3)
Juventus: Wojciech Szczesny - Danilo, Bremer, Federico Gatti - Andrea Cambiaso, Adrien Rabiot, Manuel Locatelli, Carlos Alcaraz, Weston McKennie - Federico Chiesa, Dusan Vlahovic. (3-5-2)
While Juventus seems to have lost momentum and is stuttering towards the end of another troubled season, Roma might find themselves distracted by their Europa League semi-final tie.
Furthermore, the Giallorossi have a poor record against Italy's other top clubs, suggesting that Juventus could secure a fourth straight Serie A draw.
