Rome and Roma are ready: the match that could change the fate of the Giallorossi's Champions League group will take place at the Olimpico, who will face battleship Bayern Munich. The Germans lead the group with full points, thanks to successes (both 1-0) against Manchester City and CSKA Moscow. Roma are there, two points behind, after the overwhelming success against CSKA (defeated 5-1) and the precious away draw against City. A challenge, the one against the Bavarians, which will be played in a sold out Olimpico, which will offer a spectacular glance with 70 people and three and a half million in proceeds. In Rome there is an air of enterprise, and Garcia wanted to further charge the environment: “We always respect the opponent but we are not afraid of anyone. We are hungry and want to impose ourselves, we want to play a great match in front of 70 Giallorossi fans. The role of outsider suits us, what matters is to play the game and not be mere spectators. Of course we will have to take advantage of the opportunities we will have. Anything can happen in a football match, it's not because they are the most powerful in the world that they have already won it”.
Alongside Totti there will be Gervinho, who remained on the bench on Saturday against Chievo, and Iturbe, who overcame the knee knock he sustained against Juve. As for the rest of the formation, a run-off between Astori and Yanga Mbiwa to support the returning Manolas in central defence. On the left Holebas favorite over Cole.
The starting trio made up of Pjanic, Nainggolan and De Rossi were confirmed in midfield, who said he was confident of the strength of the team and believed more than ever in the possibility of going forward: "I am convinced that we can go through – said De Rossi -, I see it from the players, from our game, from how we faced the first two games. We'll have to play with joy, which is what we do best, we also saw it in the league. Here there are players at their first experience in the Champions League but also with a great past in the national team: we want to go through and we can do it. Roma's ambitions have changed compared to the 2010 match, even four years ago we were strong, we played a great game (Roma came back from 0-2 to 3-2, ed), but Bayern were already qualified, they were softer. This time it will be a decisive match, we are just as strong, if not more."
Approximately five thousand Bayern fans are expected at the Olimpico, for whom a special order service has been provided with 1100 policemen who will guard the entire city. Following the meeting of the technical table with the new Rome commissioner Nicolò D'Angelo, a meeting point will be set up for German supporters in piazzale delle Canestre, in Villa Borghese and from there they will be transported to the stadium by bus. The opening of the Olimpico gates has been brought forward to 18pm.
