There are no more Roma-Juventus games than once. The bitter (so to speak...) consideration derives from the press conferences on the eve, under the banner, as they would say in the capital, of "we love each other". "I wish Zeman and Andreazzoli all the best for his future" said Antonio Conte, "Watching Juve play is a pleasure for the eyes" retorted the new Giallorossi coach. Congratulations on one side, compliments on the other. Maturity of our football or simple side effects? We lean towards the latter, which in order are: Zeman's exemption and Roma's stellar distance from the noble areas of the standings. Indeed, in the first leg, with the Bohemian on the bench and the Giallorossi theoretically battling for the Scudetto, the tones were very different. One group later, also in light of the 21-point gap and a situation that is about to explode, Roma choose to keep a low profile, also in order not to wake up the sleeping dog.
In fact, Juventus lives a daydream called the Champions League, and that is exactly what the Giallorossi are appealing to, who hope to find an opponent with dead batteries. “It will be an important match, I would have preferred to play it on Sunday evening but instead we have to play three games in seven days – warned Conte. – Roma have great technical values, it's a challenge with a high degree of difficulty. Juve always give great stimuli and motivation, so we have to take the match with a grain of salt and with great attention". It is no coincidence that the coach will confirm the Celtic Park formation almost en bloc, except for a couple of forced changes. The disqualifications of Marchisio and Peluso will relaunch Pogba and Asamoah, the latter returning after a long absence linked to the African Cup of Nations. And then there will be Vucinic and Matri, Juventus' new goal duo. “In attack there are no hierarchies – explained Conte. – I choose among my 5 forwards, now Vucinic and Matri are doing well, before there were Vucinic and Giovinco, before that Quagliarella. I don't have big problems ahead."
To tell the truth not even behind, as the numbers testify. Reading them it would not seem that there could have been a match: the best defense in the championship (16 goals conceded) against the penultimate (45, 4 less than Pescara), and parity in attack (50 goals scored each) certainly does not balance things out. But football is known, it often manages to escape the banality of predictions, so nothing should be taken for granted. Appointment at the Olimpico then, hoping that on the Rome-Juventus field it will return to what it has always been. A game with a high level of entertainment.
POSSIBLE FORMATIONS
Rome (3-4-1-2): Stekelenburg; Piris, Burdisso, Marquinhos; Torosidis, De Rossi, Pjanic, Balzaretti; The Apple; Osvaldo, Totti.
On the bench: Goicoechea, Lobont, Taddei, Romagnoli, Tachtsidis, Perrotta, Marquinho, Bradley, Florenzi, Lopez.
Trainer: Aurelio Andreazzoli.
Unavailable: Castan, Dodò, Destro.
Disqualified: Guberti.
Juventus (3-5-2): Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Caceres; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Vucinic, Matri.
On the bench: Storari, Rubinho, Marrone, Isla, Padoin, Giaccarini, Quagliarella, Giovinco, Anelka.
Trainer: Antonio Conte.
Unavailable: Chiellini, DeCeglie, Pepe, Bendtner.
Disqualified: Marchisio (1), Peluso (1).
Referee: Gianluca Rocchi (Florence).
Line Assistants: By Liberatore – Manganelli.
Port Assistants: Orsato – Damato.
Fourth official: Tonolino.
