Prediction: AS Roma vs Frosinone

Verdict: Draw

Best odds: 7/2

Bookmaker: Betfair

Promoted Frosinone will be looking to continue their fine start in Serie A and further compound Roma’s woes when the two teams face off at Stadio Olimpico on Sunday evening.

Frosinone, last season’s Serie B champions, have made a smooth transition to Italy’s top flight and have suffered just one defeat thus far. Meanwhile, Roma finds themselves in a state of crisis, having experienced a humiliating defeat to Genoa in midweek, which has led to them matching their worst points tally at this stage of the season since the 1990s.

AS Roma

Roma’s start to the Serie A season has been disappointing, with just one win in their first six matches, including a recent 4-1 defeat to Genoa on Thursday. They conceded an early goal and despite Bryan Cristante’s equalizer, Genoa went on to score just before halftime and added two more goals in the second half.

Roma’s current points total stands at five, and this marks one of their slowest starts in recent years. If they either draw or lose in this match, they will set a club record for the fewest points after seven games this century.

Before their return to European action against Swiss side Servette next week, Roma is looking to bounce back from a series of Serie A setbacks. Historically, they have performed well against their upcoming opponents. In their previous four top-tier matches against Frosinone, Roma has won all four with an aggregate score of 12-3.

The most recent Serie A meeting between these teams took place in February 2019, with Roma winning 3-2 under the management of Eusebio Di Francesco, who is now the coach of Frosinone and returns to Stadio Olimpico with a point to prove.

Roma have an impressive record of being unbeaten in their last 24 home games against promoted teams, winning 22 of those matches while averaging nearly three goals per game. On the other hand, failure to win would be a significant setback and would severely hamper their ambitions for a top-four finish in the league.

Team News

Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini made his return to the lineup in the midweek match after being sidelined for several games with a muscular issue. However, Spanish center-back Diego Llorente picked up an injury that might rule him out of Sunday’s game.

Bryan Cristante filled in the back three after Llorente’s injury. Jose Mourinho may need to call upon Cristante to play in a defensive role once again, as defensive duo Chris Smalling (thigh) and Marash Kumbulla (ACL) are still unavailable.

Despite the potential desire to rotate his attacking options due to a congested schedule and concerns about his forwards’ fitness, Mourinho might opt to pair Paulo Dybala and Romelu Lukaku up front, as there is strong need for his team to win.

Frosinone

While Mourinho faces increasing pressure, Di Francesco has made an impressive return to Serie A as the Frosinone boss since taking over during the summer, following the departure of promotion-winning coach Fabio Grosso.

During his time as the manager of Roma from August 2017 to March 2019, Di Francesco, a former Giallorossi midfielder, achieved a career-high average of 1.9 points per game. Now, in charge of Frosinone, his unfancied team has collected nine points from their first six league games of the season, following a Coppa Italia win.

Frosinone managed to secure a 1-1 draw against Fiorentina on Thursday, with Matias Soule, on loan from Juventus, scoring an equalizer in the second half. This result extended their unbeaten streak to five games, with only Napoli, the reigning Serie A champions, managing to defeat them so far this season.

In the process, Frosinone have drawn their last two away matches, and they have the opportunity to avoid defeat in three consecutive away matches for the first time ever in Italy’s top flight.

Team News

Frosinone will be without Abdou Harroui, who is recovering from foot surgery, and Francesco Gelli, who is unavailable due to a flexor injury. Additionally, loan signings Kaio Jorge and Pol Lirola are facing a race against time to be fit and available for the match.

One key player for Frosinone is Argentinian forward Matias Soule, who holds the distinction of being the youngest player to both score and provide an assist in Serie A this season. He is expected to play a significant role for the team and will likely support Napoli-owned Walid Cheddira in the forward line.

Conclusion

Roma are under immense pressure to secure a victory on Sunday after a series of underwhelming performances and disappointing results.

However, their opponents, Frosinone, are not to be underestimated. With astute coaching and the contribution of on-loan talent, Frosinone has the potential to be a formidable opponent and could very well frustrate their more illustrious hosts at the Olimpico.

Verdict: Draw

Best odds: 7/2

Bookmaker: Betfair