When: 7/30/2017, 4:00PM EDT
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Tickets: Buy Here
A derby match between two of Italy’s biggest rivals AS Roma and Juventus is close to perfect closure of this year’s edition of the International Champions Cup.
Giallorossi and Bianconeri will lock horns in what is expected to be a highly competitive affair at the Gillette Stadium with both sides keen on grabbing the bragging rights and an important morale boost in the preseason.
AS Roma
Giallorossi are hoping to maintain the unbeaten record at the International Champions Cup as they prepare for a great preseason test against Serie A champions Juventus.
AS Roma opened their account with a 1-1 stalemate against Paris Saint-Germain whereas they managed to snatch a last-ditch winner in a clash against Tottenham Hotspur, leaving the Premier League side on the wrong end of the 3-2 scoreline in New Jersey. The game seemed to be over as Vincent Janssen pushed Spurs level to 2-2 in the stoppage time before Marco Tumminello once again put AS Roma upfront seconds later. Fans at Red Bull Arena were given more than they bargained for and there is no doubt that the crowd at Gillette Stadium will be hoping for a similarly action-packed affair. Eusebio Di Francesco is set for his first major test as AS Roma manager as he continues to prepare his team for the new season. Giallorossi have been proactive during the summer transfer window with sporting director Monchi making some bold and shrewd moves in the market. As Roma have signed Rick Karsdorp, Cengiz Under, Bruno Peres, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Juan Jesus, Hector Moreno, Maxime Gonalons, Gregoire Defrel and Aleksandar Kolarov who arrived last week as the latest high-profile addition to the squad. The Italian heavyweights also made sure to tie their influential midfielder Radja Nainggolan to a new four-year deal, whereas they are also said to be working on a deal to sign Leicester City key man Riyad Mahrez.
Team News
Eusebio Di Franco is once again expected to field his strongest line-up. AS Roma manager made all eleven changes in the previous game and there is no reason why that wouldn’t be the case this time as well as Giallorossi look to reward as many players with a chance to gain minutes during preseason.
Juventus
Bianconeri recovered from the Barcelona defeat with a 3-2 won over French giants Paris Saint-Germain achieved through a Claudio Marchisio penalty in the dying moments of the match.
Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain teamed up to open the scoring in Miami just second before the halftime, whereas the French giants levelled the score through Goncalo Guedes less than ten minutes into the second interval. A close-range shot from Marchisio put Juventus up again, whereas Javier Pastore made it 2-2 with ten minutes in the clock. Six-time defending champions of Italy grabbed the win through a penalty and will now look to finish the USA tour on a high against their fierce rivals AS Roma. It’s been a busy summer for the Italian giants who have made a couple of notable additions to their squad ahead of the forthcoming season. Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is one of them, whereas Federico Bernardeschi, Mattia De Sciglio, Douglas Costa and Rodrigo Bentancur complete the transfer arrivals list. Bianconeri are far from done in the summer window however as they look to add a couple of more signings, most of all the Lazio striker Keita Balde Diao and his teammate midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. On the other end, Juventus are facing great pressure on their first-team star Paulo Dybala who is wanted by Barcelona. The Italian champions are unwilling to let their most prized asset leave this season but could change their mind if they manage to wrap the aforementioned Lazio duo according to reports from the Italian press.
Team News
Juventus boss max Allegri will have all of his players at disposal and is expected to field his strongest side against AS Roma. Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Higuain and Mario Mandzukic will lead the line in attack once again.
Conclusion
It might be a preseason friendly encounter but such a word is not to be found in the vocabulary when AS Roma and Juventus go head to head. We should expect to see a committed performance from both teams and plenty of goals at either side of the pitch.
Fans who buy tickets here and find their place in the stadium are sure to be given an eye-pleasing performance and a quality football match.
Verdict: Both score no draw
Best Odds: 5/4
Bookmaker: William Hill
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