Prediction: Juventus vs Roma

22nd April 2012

Juventus will be aiming to extend their winning run to six games and thus remain at the top of Serie A standings when they take on Roma, a team that are back in the race for Champions League places. With both sides needing all three points in order to edge closer to realizing their ambitions, we should see an enthralling encounter in Turin.

While Juventus were expected to enter the race for Champions League places following some shrewd dealings in the summer transfer market, nobody could expect that the Bianconeri would enter the season finale from the top of Serie A standings and having secured their place in the Coppa Italia final. None of this would have happened if the Old Lady had been playing in a European competition, but Antonio Conte’s side made the best out of the situation and are on the road to make this season one of their finest in recent history. The Bianconeri recovered well from the run of four straight draws in Serie A as they went on to win next five games in the competition, beating the likes of Inter, Napoli and Lazio in their last three games at Juventus Arena. With absolutely no selection problems to worry about, the Bianconeri are expected to get one step closer to the Serie A title with yet another home win.

Just like Juventus, AS Roma invested considerable funds into new players last summer, but their season hasn’t gone as planned. The Giallorossi had no European exploits to worry about after Slovan Bratislava denied them the chance to enter Europa League group stage, but Luis Enrique’s side have been struggling for consistency from the start of the league campaign. Numerous injuries and suspensions certainly played a part, but that cannot be considered an excuse for the under-par results. While midfield area and attack were usually in perfect working order, the shaky back line proved to be a major problem, as witnessed by the record of 42 conceded goals in 32 Serie A games. Having allowed no less than eight goals in last four league games, and boasting a record of six defeats in last nine away games, the Giallorossi clearly don’t have much to hope for before the trip to Turin. In the absence of Juan and Nicolas Burdisso, Daniele De Rossi is likely to continue in the heart of defence, while Bogdan Lobont and Marco Cassetti are also sidelined.

Conclusion

Juventus are on top of their game at the moment and after beating three top 3 contenders in a row, they should be able to defeat Roma as well. The Giallorossi are simply pathetic on the travels and it is highly unlikely their poor defence will be able to prevent the Serie A leaders from scoring a couple at their Juventus Arena.

Verdict: Home win Juventus (1)

Best Odds: 1/2

Bookmaker: Paddy Power