Juventus-Roma could eliminate one giant from epic Serie A title battle

Saturday’s meeting between Juventus and Roma at the Allianz Stadium has the feel of an early knockout in what has so far been an astonishingly narrow Serie A title race.

With the campaign shaping up to be a five-team scrum – Inter, AC Milan and Napoli separated by a point and Roma only a couple behind – this weekend’s key fixture in Turin feels less like a potential momentum breaker.

A loss here could see one contender slip from a genuine challenger to playing catch-up for months.

The current table has Inter on 33 points, AC Milan 32, Napoli 31 and Roma sitting on 30, with Juve back on 26 – which makes Saturday’s showdown about points and psychology as the campaign’s midway point approaches.

Roma arrive in Turin with confidence after grinding out a gritty 1-0 win over Como on Monday, a victory that showcased the pragmatism that has underpinned their solid start to the season so far.

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Previously at Atalanta, manager Gian Piero Gasperini was renowned for producing dynamic attack-oriented teams; since taking charge of the Giallorossi, he has shown an ability to craft a resolute rearguard, as Roma own a league-best defensive record, with just eight goals conceded in 15 games.

That narrow win over Como moved Roma up the table and underlined that their season to date is founded more on defensive discipline than on fluent forward play. As encouraging as their sturdy backline has been, their lack of attacking bite remains a concern. With just 16 goals to their name, they are the lowest-scoring side in the top half of the table. Leaders Inter have more than doubled Roma’s goals return.

Juventus, meanwhile, have shown flashes of real punch – including a comfortable 2-0 Champions League victory over Pafos on 10 December to rebound from the previous weekend’s 2-1 Serie A loss to Napoli – but injuries and suspensions have bitten into Luciano Spalletti’s line-up.

The absence of midfield linchpin Teun Koopmeiners for the Roma clash is potentially damaging. The Dutchman’s energy in central areas and quality on the ball will be missed against the side from the capital.

Juventus can, however, count on the services of one of Serie A’s brightest young stars. Twenty-year-old Turkish sensation Kenan Yildiz, named the league’s MVP for November, has delivered six goal involvements (three goals, three assists) in his last seven appearances and has the talent and unpredictability to test Roma’s outstanding defence.

Any result that occurs before the calendar changes cannot be considered fatal to a team’s title ambitions. But as two of Serie A’s traditional powerhouses meet in Turin on Saturday, aiming to keep themselves among the cabal of tightly bound contenders, the psychological damage of a defeat could be as punitive as the three points lost. No one wants to be playing catch-up before Christmas.

 

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