Juventus Season 2015-2016

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

-

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

MATCH PREVIEW

http://www.football-italia.net/SerieA/match/preview/69837

 
Aug 28, 2015

Both Roma and Juventus will be attempting to bag their first three points of the season following mediocre results on matchday one.

The Giallorossi are ready to turn their point away to Hellas Verona into three more, welcoming last season's Scudetto winners to the Stadio Olimpico in an early six-pointer.

New signing Lucas Digne has teamed up with his former coach at Lille Rudi Garcia, and is likely to be involved on Sunday alongside home debuts for Mohamed Salah and Edin Dzeko, with the latter aiming to break his duck for his new club.

One new boy, Norbert Gyomber who signed from Catania on loan, is ready for the challenge of the Bianconeri.

“I think I'm ready,” the 23-year-old revealed in a press conference. I've already played against Juventus twice, I know them well and I feel I can play.”

Gyomber and Roma will have to be at their very best, welcoming a side who want to get themselves off the mark in regards to points, and also dampening the mood of their host's Scudetto ambitions.

Massimiliano Allegri has been hard at work this summer to improve a squad that has waved goodbye to Carlos Tevez and Andrea Pirlo, with the most recent exit coming in the shape of Fernando Llorente. The Old Lady have brought in Alex Sandro and Juan Cuadrado this week, in a bid to forget the 1-0 opening day defeat to Udinese.

Ex-Porto and Brazilian international Sandro is prepared for the fight with Juventus, and is already raring to go versus Roma.

“I'm sure the game against Roma will be difficult,” he mentioned during a press conference. “It's a 'clasico' and it'll be tough. I'm ready for Roma.”

The Stadio Olimpico has the possibility to host a classic come Sunday, though Roma’s Curva Sud will be silent in protest at new security measures, but both Garcia and Allegri will be looking for just three points to get their season well underway.


Keep an eye on: Edin Dzeko (Roma) – The Bosnian has the chance to announce himself to the Curva Sud, and for a player with vast experience of playing at the top level, he will take that chance. The 29-year-old grabbed himself 50 goals when at Manchester City including vital game changing strikes against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United.


Form Guide: Roma (- - - - D) Juventus (- - - - L)

Last season: Roma 1-1 Juventus

Stat fact: Expect goals from this one, as the last 0-0 draw came in 2002.


Roma (probable)

Szczesny; Maicon, Manolas, Castan, Digne; Pjanic, Keita, Nainggolan; Salas, Dzeko, Iaqo Falque

Suspended: None.


Juventus (probable)

Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Sturaro, Pogba, Pereyra, Evra; Morata, Mandzukic

Suspended: None.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

-

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

Roma-Juventus match protests from ultras
detracts from Serie A clash

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/as-roma/104/blog/post/2585786/roma-juventus-match-protests-detract-serie-a-contest?

 
Aug 29, 2015

Roma are not one of Serie A's traditional powerhouses. The league's base of operations is, both literally and figuratively, up north, where the big three of Juventus, AC MIlan and Inter play. It is, or at least was, where all the money is, where players and managers went when they wanted to make that step up to the big time. Despite having the fanbase, the money, one of the game's iconic No. 10s in Francesco Totti and one of the world's most famous capital cities as home, Roma have spent the majority of their history on the outside looking in.

With the recent collapse of the Milan clubs, a new, sleeker Juventus have risen from the ashes of calciopoli to take Serie A by the throat, and their downturn has also left a place at the top table for Italy's second tier clubs. Roma, with their American owners and plans for a modern ground akin to the Juventus Stadium, have made themselves the Old Lady's biggest on-field rivals, much like they did in the early 1980s, when the likes of Falcao and Carlo Ancelotti won the league and came within a penalty shoot-out of being European champions.

They did so in front of some of the world's most fanatical supporters: Comando Ultra Curva Sud, or CUCS. Many of those who lived through that era say that a game against Juventus was even more important than the Rome Derby. Beat Lazio and you won local pride; beat Juventus and you might win the scudetto.

The pair meet on Sunday evening in Rome, but there will be no flares, no drums, no flags. With Roma the closest challengers to a Juve side that started their search for a fifth straight title by losing 1-0 at home to Udinese, the heirs of CUCS' legacy won't even be chanting; instead they'll be stood in silent protest, mute due to Rome prefect Franco Gabrielli's decision to split the Curva Sud into two separate sections in the name of "public safety." The outrageous security measures put in place for Roma's friendly with Sevilla a week before the start of the season, which saw fans subjected to queues of 40 minutes in 35 degrees Celsius heat just to get into the stadium complex, let along the ground itself. Hundreds of armed carabinieri police officers and armoured cars greeted the fans once inside.

"All this," wrote the Roma ultras in a press release, "in front of children and families going to a peaceful summer friendly that didn't even have the presence of the visiting supporters," adding that, "while Europe is removing barriers, in Rome you throw us in a cage."

The club are not happy about the strike, and director Mauro Baldissoni managed to outline their desire for a powerful tifo while simultaneously and condescendingly accusing the fans carrying out the strike of not doing as they're supposed to, as though they were on the club's payroll rather than helping to pay his wages.

"Fans have the right to decide for themselves how to behave, but Roma needs them," Baldissoni said on Wednesday. "Anyone that comes to games to support the team should do just that, and fans going on strike are going against their role, particularly for a match like Roma-Juventus."

In making their displeasure clear, however, the club has revealed a truth unspoken amid the hang 'em, flog 'em talk that in Italy usually follows this sort of direct action from fans: for all the problems they create (and there are plenty) Italian football needs the ultras. The stadiums need the fanatical tifo the ultras groups organise and lead, as vocal support outside the curvas is almost non-existent. Without them, matches would be played in the sort of eerie quiet that accompanies reserve team games. No one wants to watch any game played in a silent stadium, much less the showpiece fixture of the current Serie A era. Not only is it not good for the players, it's not good for business.

This protest has not come out of thin air. Ever since police officer Filippo Raciti was killed in violent clashes after the Catania-Palermo Sicilian derby of February 2007, the authorities have tried a series of increasingly tough measures to try and stamp out football violence. It's a serious problem -- and one created by a large chunk of the ultra community, let's be clear -- that had been left to fester for decades.

They've had some success, in the strictest sense of the word, but in their efforts to stop a small minority from stabbing and throwing flares at each other they've penalised thousands of perfectly normal supporters with ham-fisted measures. Among those are a nationwide fans ID card scheme similar to the one that Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government failed to implement, plus ramped up security checks that manage to be both draconian and cursory at the same time, and stadium banning orders that are dished out on the spot by the police, not the courts, and often for the most frivolous of reasons. In Italy, fans have to prove themselves innocent.

One has to wonder what Gabrielli thinks the division of the curva and increased security checks will achieve, given that football violence occurs away from the stadium. In short, all of this threatens to overshadow an important contest for two sides with something to prove: Juve are looking to bounce back after beginning a Serie A season with a home defeat for the first time in their history, while Roma need to show that they are a credible title challenger with, if not a win, then at least a cohesive team performance.

New left-back Lucas Digne will be straight in after signing from Paris Saint-Germain, while Maicon will replace Alessandro Florenzi to make his first appearance since February, with Rudi Garcia hoping that he can shore up a right flank that was repeatedly exposed during the opening 1-1 draw at Verona. It's likely that the starting midfield and attack will be the same that underwhelmed last week, although Totti is almost certain to feature at some point.

The Roma captain, who at 38 years old has had to accept a place on the bench instead of being kingpin, is stuck on 299 career goals and would love to make it 300 against Juve. It was his wonder strike that sealed Roma's last league triumph against Juve back in February 2013, a 1-0 win that in the end led to nothing: that season ended with Roma missing out on European football and losing a humiliating Coppa Italia final to Lazio. The stage set for a living legend to make a big impact early on in the title race; it's just a shame that audience won't be playing their part.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

-

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

AS Roma vs. Juventus: Team News, Predicted Lineups

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/as-roma/104/blog/post/2585786/roma-juventus-match-protests-detract-serie-a-contest?

 
Aug 29, 2015

The past two seasons have seen AS Roma and Juventus clearly establish themselves as Serie A’s leading clubs, with the Giallorossi blossoming into the closest challenger to the dominance enjoyed by the Turin giants.

Rudi Garcia’s side have struggled to make the title race a genuine contest, however, finishing 17 points behind the Bianconeri each time.

On Sunday, the duo go head-to-head once again, the fixture list providing an early test of where each club stands almost before the 2015/16 campaign has truly begun.

Each struggled in their opening fixture; Roma held to a 1-1 draw away to Hellas Verona last Saturday, with Juventus suffering a surprise defeat at home to Udinese just 24 hours later. Both will be seeking to bounce back and kick-start what they hope will be yet another season among the division’s top sides.

La Madama boasts an excellent recent record against the team from the capital, winning two of their last three meetings, with the other encounter ending in a draw. The matches have not been without controversy, with three red cards in their two clashes last term while October’s game in Turin saw the sides share no fewer than three penalties in a hotly contested affair.

They have also delivered goals, finding the back of the net on seven occasions over the two fixtures in 2014/15, games that truly set the tone for the entire season. Massimiliano Allegri will hope to welcome a number of important players back from injury but is likely to be without Claudio Marchisio and Sami Khedira.


Predicted Formations

AS Roma (4-3-3):

 

Wojciech Szczesny; Douglas Maicon, Kostas Manolas, Leandro Castan, Lucas Digne; Miralem Pjanic, Seydou Keita, Radja Nainggolan; Mohamed Salah, Edin Dzeko, Iago Falque

Unavailable: Kevin Strootman (injured) , Antonio Rudiger (injured)


Juventus (3-5-2):

 

Gigi Buffon; Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Martin Caceres; Stephan Lichtsteiner, Roberto Pereyra, Stefano Sturaro, Paul Pogba, Patrice Evra; Mario Mandzukic, Paulo Dybala

Unavailable: Sami Khedira (injured), Claudio Marchisio (injured), Kwadwo Asamoah (injured)


Player to Watch

Edin Dzeko arrived amid much fanfare at AS Roma this summer and would appear to be the ideal striker to feature in the central attacking role of the 4-3-3 formation used by the Giallorossi. The former Manchester City man combines pace and aerial prowess with a keen eye for goal, making him a perfect fit for the creative midfield selected by Rudi Garcia.

Yet the problem for the French coach is that the front man occupies the only position where Francesco Totti slots in, too, putting both the player and his boss under pressure immediately. Each will need to regularly deliver if the captain—and his adoring fans—are to remain content with seeing their hero sitting on the bench.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

-

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

Roma - Juventus Preview:
Champions seek to bounce back

The Bianconeri were upset by Udinese on the opening weekend of the Serie A
season and must now travel to the home of last season's runners-up.

http://www.goal.com/en/match/roma-vs-juventus/2120393/preview

 
Aug 29, 2015

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri expects his side to exhibit an improvement in form when they take on Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.

The champions, who are seeking a fifth successive Serie A crown, suffered a shock defeat on the opening weekend, going down 1-0 at home to Udinese.

And Allegri is hoping for more from his players ahead of their trip to the capital on Sunday - which will see Juve face their closest domestic challengers in the 2014-15 campaign.

"Serie A is not a 100 metre race but a marathon," Allegri said.

"You need patience to find the right rhythm. We know we have a great team, with players that have to grow, but we need to be given time to do so.

"We will improve game by game, we just have to think about working and getting back to winning ways."

Juventus, drawn alongside Manchester City, Borussia Monchengladbach and Sevilla when the draw for the Champions League group stage was made on Thursday, confirmed the loan signing of Chelsea winger Juan Cuadrado earlier this week.

Allegri may choose to hand the Colombian his debut, while Lucas Digne will hope to make his first appearance for Roma after joining Rudi Garcia's side on loan from Paris Saint-Germain.

Digne is determined to make a big impression in the Italian capital.

"It's a great game to be involved in and a really important one for the team," said Digne, who came through the ranks under Garcia at Lille.

"This is a great club, and a project that also includes the Champions League.

"Juventus are a really good side, who have won lots of titles and reached the Champions League final, so it's a real test for my first game.

"We have to go out on Sunday and play our football, but still show them respect because that is what they deserve.

"We are a good side, and we will attack because that is how the manager wants to play, and personally, I want to show my best, and attacking allows this."

Roma - held to a 1-1 draw by Verona last weekend - will need to overturn recent history if they are to prevail.

They have won only one of their last 10 Serie A games against Juventus - that victory coming in February 2013 when Francesco Totti secured a 1-0 home win.


OPTA FACTS

This will be the 163rd meeting in Serie A between Roma and Juventus – the Bianconeri currently lead by 77 wins to 37 (48 draws).

No team have won more Serie A games against Roma than Juventus.

Roma have won only one of their last 10 Serie A games against Juventus (3D 6L): the last win was in February 2013 (1-0, Francesco Totti).

Juventus have failed to find the net in only one of their last 20 Serie A meetings against Roma.

Roma’s 1-0 win in 2013 was the only one for the Giallorossi over their last 10 league meetings at the Olimpico against the Old Lady (D3 L6).

Moreover, Roma have never managed to score more than once in a game over their last seven clashes at home against Juventus in Serie A.

Rudi Garcia’s side have failed to keep a clean sheet over their last five league games: they have never conceded goals in six Serie A fixtures in a row under the French manager.

Neverthless, Roma have scored in each of their last 12 league games, currently the longest streak among Serie A sides.


LAST FIVE MATCHES

Roma D W W L L

8/22/15 - Hellas Verona 1 - 1 Roma
8/14/15 - Roma 6 - 4 Sevilla
8/8/15 - Valencia 1 - 3 Roma
8/5/15 - Barcelona 3 - 0 Roma
8/1/15 - Sporting Portugal 2 - 0 Roma


Juventus L W L W L

8/23/15 - Juventus 0 - 1 Udinese
8/8/15 - Juventus 2 - 0 Lazio
8/1/15 - Olympique Marseille 2 - 0 Juventus
7/29/15 - Lechia Gdańsk 1 - 2 Juventus
7/25/15 - Borussia Dortmund 2 - 0 Juventus


HEAD TO HEAD

3/2/15 - Roma 1 - 1 Juventus
10/5/14 - Juventus 3 - 2 Roma
5/11/14 - Roma 0 - 1 Juventus
1/21/14 - Roma 1 - 0 Juventus
1/5/14 - Juventus 3 - 0 Roma

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

-

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

Know your enemy: Talking
Juventus-Roma with Chiesa Di Totti's overlord

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2015/8/29/9223551/know-your-enemy-talking-juventus-roma-with-chiesa-di-tottis-overlord

 
Aug 29, 2015

For the second straight season, Juventus and Roma enter with the same kind of situations in the league table. In the Italian capital, Rudi Garcia's squad is trying to catch the team in front of them. And that team just happens to be Juventus, who enter the 2015-16 season gunning for a fifth straight Serie A title.

I bring this up because this Sunday is the first Juventus-Roma showdown of the season, with the second round of games in Italy's top flight giving one heck of an early-season main event.

And seeing as we've done the whole exchange questions thing once before — and hopefully bring a couple of laughs along the way — I decided to keep with tradition and ask the leader of SB Nation's Roma blog about his favorite team. Let's hear when Mr. Bren has to say. He does know a thing or two about Roma, methinks.

BWRAO: Roma played out a 1-1 draw against Hellas Verona on the opening day of last season. Obviously it's extremely early and things can change, but what makes you think that kind of start isn't just an extension of the second half of last season?

CdT: You've just touched on our biggest fears, Danny. Well done. There is a sizable chunk of the fanbase that fears this is simply the same story with different characters, with Mohamed Salah and Edin Dzeko representing minor upgrades on Iturbe and Mattia Destro, respectively, while our defense is notably thinner, so, as I said, you've touched a nerve with this question.

Having said that, just watching Dzeko, whether the run of play was heading his way or not, you could tell something was different; the attack has some teeth and an actual endpoint this season, while Salah is a more well-rounded player at this point that Iturbe. But if we're being honest, given the run of draws Roma had in 2015, we're all very concerned that Garcia's stilted, wing oriented tactics will rear their ugly head again.

BWRAO: Going off that, do you think Rudi Garcia has learned from what went so incredibly wrong for Roma last season?

CdT: I'm not certain what the BWRAO policy is on cursing, so I'll just say I flipping hope so. 2013-2014 was such a revelation, everything worked and everything came so easily, but last season was the reverse; we had to scratch and claw just to manage draws, so we're not quite sure where Garcia stands. Garcia catches a lot — and I mean a lot — of flack around CDT, but he is a professional, title winning manager, so the more level headed among us (which doesn't always include me) have faith that he's done his due diligence this season to make the necessary tactical corrections to avoid a repeat of last spring, while the naysayers believe he's a one-trick pony, that one trick being give the ball Gervinho, close your eyes and pray.

BWRAO: Of all the new players Juventus has signed this summer, who do you think is the one that Roma fans are fearing the most entering the weekend?

CdT: Hmm, I suppose the easy answer is Paulo Dybala, simply because we were connected to him ever so briefly, plus, you know, he's really good. Roma has Leandro Castan returning from BRAIN SURGERY, a young and rash Kostas Manolas, a winger playing rightback (Florenzi) and new signing Lucas Digne at leftback, so our defense gives many of us nightmares. So, take your pick: Dybala or Mandzukic could give us fits.

BWRAO: Over at CdT, you guys spent about five million hours covering the Edin Dzeko move to Roma. Now that he's actually on your team, how do you think he can grow into the squad?

CdT: I'm assuming you're referring to our four-month long #DareToDzeko campaign. As I mentioned earlier, and though it was just one match, you could tell something was different out there; Dzeko is a more complete and more clinical striker than Roma's had in ages, even when the ball wasn't coming his way, he was impacting the play on the pitch. Certainly there will be an adjustment, but I think he realizes this is his best last chance at becoming a household name, so to speak. If we wants to be known as one of the game's best forwards, the recipe is here; between Miralem Pjanic and Roma's wingplay, there will be no shortage of chances for Dzeko this season; the offense is essentially built around him, so we're expecting some pretty large returns

BWRAO: What will Roma have to do to get a win against Juventus on Sunday?

CdT: Well, they have to get Dzeko some clear cut chances for starters and they have to be more disciplined and organized at the back. They handled Luca Toni pretty well last week, but they just settled for shots from distance and made a couple defensive errors that ultimately cost them the match. You can't do those sort of things against Juve and even hope for a draw, so Roma just needs to execute and be more proficient in their chances.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

-

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

AS Roma v Juventus: Preview

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/italian-serie-a/match/432253/as-roma-juventus/preview?

 
Aug 29, 2015

Roma will look to prove they are genuine Scudetto contenders on Sunday when they take on four-time defending champions Juventus at the Stadio Olimpico.

The Giallorossi have finished a distant second behind Juve the past two seasons and are hoping to clinch their first league title since the 2000-01 campaign.

Despite the departures of Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez at the end of last season and a surprise home defeat to Udinese in their opener last week, Juventus are expected to do well again.

Roma also failed to pick up a win in their first outing, drawing 1-1 at Hellas Verona, but coach Rudi Garcia is looking to the future with optimism.

``Obviously there's still a lot of work to be done but it will be a great game, as we always expect,'' Garcia said on his club's official website.

``We're stronger with our fans' support.

``If we work together, we'll have a great chance.''

Though the attention is on the big game against Juve, Roma's coach, players and fans are also excited to be in the Champions League again.

They begin their European campaign on September 16 at home against Barcelona, who are coached by former Roma boss Luis Enrique.

The Giallorossi were also paired with Bayer Leverkusen of Germany and BATE of Belarus in Group E.

``It looks like it's all to play for behind Barcelona,'' Garcia said.

``It will be great for our supporters to watch the holders at the Olimpico.''

Massimiliano Allegri's Juve made it to the Champions League final last year before falling to Barcelona, and they also face a stern test in Europe's elite competition this season.

They will begin their campaign at Manchester City on September 15 and later take on Europa League winners Sevilla of Spain and Germans Borussia Monchengladbach.

``The Champions League will be a test for them too,'' Garcia said of Juve's draw.

``Sevilla and Manchester City are strong sides.

``We were lucky to draw Leverkusen in pot two, thus avoiding opponents like Wolfsburg and Borussia Monchengladbach, the two strongest sides in pot four if you ask me.''

Allegri is upbeat about the challenges that are ahead for his club, though.

``They are tough games but fascinating ones,'' he said.

``I'm confident we will pull through.''

In the meantime, the Bianconeri will look to get their Serie A campaign up and running.

Brazilian left-back Alex Sandro is looking forward to making his Serie A debut on Sunday.

Sandro joined Juve from Porto earlier this month and could feature against Roma after watching his team's league opener from the bench.

``I'm ready for Roma,'' Sandro said.

``I'm sure the game against Roma will be difficult.

``I'm feeling better every day, more confident and more in tune with the team.''

New signing Juan Cuadrado is also expected to feature after joining on a season-long loan from Chelsea this week.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

-

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

Roma-Juventus Betting: Allegri's side to settle
for a point at the Stadio Olimpico

With both managers desperate to avoid defeat after enduring disappointing starts
to the season, Al Hain-Cole expects the points to be shared in a typically edgy encounter.

http://www.goal.com/en-za/news/4563/main/2015/08/29/14857982/-?

 
Aug 29, 2015

Last season’s top two will be looking for their first win of the Serie A season when Roma welcome Juventus to the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.

Having drawn their opening game 1-1 away to Hellas Verona, the hosts are available at 17/10 (2.70) with Paddy Power to get up-and-running with a big victory against the champions.

Meanwhile, the Bianconeri suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat against Udinese in their first outing but are 7/4 (2.75) favourites to bounce back by coming out on top in the capital.

The side shared a 1-1 draw when they last met in March, and you can get odds of 21/10 (3.10) on them cancelling each other out once again here.

After seeing his side lose an opening match on home turf for the first time in club history, Massimiliano Allegri is suddenly under pressure to steady a ship that has enjoyed plain sailing over the past few seasons.

With high profile players such as Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal departed over the summer, the Udinese defeat seemed to underline exactly what the team that won a domestic double and reached the Champions League final has lost.

With this in mind, Allegri will be desperate to ensure that a potential blip does not turn into a full-on crisis with a second consecutive defeat at the hands of last season’s closest challengers.

Similarly, although keen to see his side come out on top after a disappointing performance in Verona, opposite number Rudi Garcia will probably be most determined to avoid a defeat that would come as a severe blow so early on in the campaign.

Considering this fixture has been particularly tight over the past few seasons, with just five goals scored in the previous four at this ground, those 21/10 (3.10) odds are well worth the investment on Roma and Juventus cancelling each other out in their efforts to not lose.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

-

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

Garcia: 'Roma must chase Juve'

http://www.football-italia.net/72237/garcia-roma-must-chase-juve?

 
Aug 29, 2015

Rudi Garcia wants Roma to start against Juventus “as if we’re already chasing the game,” but Lucas Digne won’t start.

It kicks off on Sunday at 17.00 UK time (16.00 GMT), click here for a match preview.

“I would like to see a higher tempo from the start. Against Verona we only played to win after going a goal down. I want to see that attitude from the get-go this time, as if we were chasing the game already,” said the Coach in his Press conference.

Have Juventus been weakened this summer by losing Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez?

“The season will give the response. I have already said what I think, they remain a top level team and we must be at the top of our current potential to win tomorrow.

“They’ve got so many world class new players, won the last four Scudetti and reached the Champions League Final. We know that practically no teams are ready at this stage of the season.

“We’ve worked to get closer to being 100 per cent fit, though it’s strange to play a game of this standing in Week 2. We don’t do that in France. We have to make the most of playing in front of our home fans.”

Garcia warned former PSG left-back Digne is unlikely to start tomorrow, but Douglas Maicon has recovered.

“We’ll have to do a fitness test tomorrow with Vasilis Torosidis, as he had a muscular problem. If he’s fit then he will start on the left and we can give Digne a little more time to adapt to his new squad.

“Maicon is not 100 per cent, but close, so he is called up and available. The medical staff told me there is no more risk.

“We will begin with one strategy, but will have at least another two up our sleeves and will do everything to get the three points.

“We must be balanced and able to find the right moment to spread the play or go for a through ball. It’s only normal that the new players need a little time to adapt to these tactics, but the quality is there.”

Francesco Totti did not feature at all in the 1-1 draw with Verona, so can he co-exist with Edin Dzeko?

“They can both play, it is a possibility. We will keep that option open and will use it during the season.”

Juan Manuel Iturbe is on the verge of a transfer to Genoa, but he is included in the squad to face Juventus tomorrow anyway.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

-

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

Pjanic: Dzeko Will Be An Important Player For Roma

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/08/pjanic-dzeko-will-be-an-important-player-for-roma/?

 
Aug 29, 2015

Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic praised his new team-mate Edin Dzeko while stating that Juventus are still a formidable opponent despite the departures of some big names.

The Giallorossi will go head-to-head with the Old Lady in what is considered an early title showdown on Sunday evening.

“Juventus are still a great team,” said Pjanic to Roma TV.

“They have lost some of their most important players in [Andrea] Pirlo, [Carlos] Tevez and [Arturo] Vidal, but they have the experience and the desire to remain at the highest level.

“But the Bianconeri have done an excellent job in the transfer market and they’ll fight for the title.”

The 25-year-old went on to talk about fellow Bosnia and Herzogovina international, Dzeko, who joined the Lupi from Manchester City earlier this month.

“Dzeko will be an important player for us, he adds another dimension to our game and he played well against Hellas Verona,” Pjanic added.

“He is very happy, even before he signed we talked every day.

“He was determined to come here. He wanted Roma.”

Both Roma and Juventus will be seeking their first win of the season when they meet at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday at 18.00 CET.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

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Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

Cuadrado in Roma-Juve squad

http://www.football-italia.net/72243/cuadrado-roma-juve-squad?

 
Aug 29, 2015

Juan Guillermo Cuadrado and Alex Sandro are in the Juventus squad to face Roma tomorrow.

It kicks off on Sunday at 18.00 CET.

New buys Cuadrado and Alex Sandro are included, although Coach Max Allegri confirmed in his Press conference that they will be on the bench.

He also stated Simone Padoin will again take the midfield role in front of the defence, but Paulo Dybala is in the starting XI.

Absentees are Claudio Marchisio, Sami Khedira and Kwadwo Asamoah, but Alvaro Morata returns after a month on the treatment table.

Kingsley Coman and Mauricio Isla are left out, as they will leave the Bianconeri before Monday’s transfer deadline.

Coman is heading to Bayern Munich, while Napoli, Fiorentina and Olympique Marseille are interested in Isla.


Juventus squad for Roma

 

Buffon, Chiellini, Caceres, Zaza, Morata, Pogba, Alex Sandro, Barzagli, Cuadrado, Mandzukic, Bonucci, Padoin, Dybala, Rugani, Neto, Lichsteiner, Sturaro, Evra, Rubinho, Pereyra, Vitale

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

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Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

Allegri: 'Entertaining Roma-Juve'

http://www.football-italia.net/72242/allegri-entertaining-roma-juve?

 
Aug 29, 2015

Max Allegri hopes for “a spectacular encounter” between Roma and Juventus, but told critics to calm down.

It kicks off on Sunday at 18.00 CET.

“I hope it will be a spectacular encounter. Over the last couple of years it has been one of the most important games in Serie A,” said the Coach in his Press conference.

“I hope there will be no incidents of violence, that we see a great game with intensity, technique and above all quality.

“Roma did very well over the market and reinforced, while above all they are determined to make up for last season. They have everything it takes to win the Scudetto, as do Juventus, Inter, Milan and Napoli.

“As things stand, I’d say Roma and Juve are the main contenders for the Scudetto.”

Juventus lost the opening round to Udinese, but have never started a campaign with two consecutive defeats.

“People said after the Super Cup in Shanghai that Juventus were like cannibals, that we’d crush everything in our path and win everything. After one Serie A game, suddenly we’re treated like flops. That’s not right.

“This team had quality a few weeks ago and the quality is still there. It requires patience and balance.

“We experienced the last week with bitterness and anger inside, which is normal after a defeat like that. Results influence mood and attitude, that is without doubt the case.

“Tomorrow we must play good football and, regardless of the result, be aware that Juventus are a team with everything it takes to win the title once again and go through the Champions League group phase.

“Nothing in football can be taken for granted. We must work to put us in the right condition to succeed and that has to be done with balance. There are moments when a game can turn one way or another, but over the course of the campaign the strongest side wins out.

“I have never seen a team win the title when being weaker than the runners-up.”

Juan Guillermo Cuadrado arrived on loan from Chelsea, so where will he feature for Juventus?

“Cuadrado is a player with mainly attacking qualities, so whether he plays wide, near the box or as a trequartista matters little. He needs to be involved in the play, he’s very talented and useful to this squad.”

There were reports Paul Pogba would be moved into the Andrea Pirlo role, but instead Allegri confirmed Padoin during injuries to Sami Khedira and Claudio Marchisio.

“I think Simone Padoin will play tomorrow. I have players with specific characteristics and right now the only one who can play in front of the defence is Padoin.

“I tested out others to take away my doubts, but they’d all be gambles. It is more logical to stick with Padoin.

“He had a decent game against Udinese, we had about 20 shots on goal and held over 67 per cent of possession with an infinite number of corners. Udinese had one shot on goal and won, but that’s football. We cannot judge the entire performance only on the result.

“Alex Sandro is behind the others and has only been with us for five days. Paulo Dybala will start, so you are all happy to put that in your headlines! Cuadrado will be on the bench, as he too only just got here.

“We will target the objectives that are in the Juventus DNA. We have Serie A, a difficult but not impossible Champions League group and a squad able to face all those competitions, including the Coppa Italia.”

Julian Draxler is expected to join from Schalke 04, as negotiations continue ahead of transfer deadline day.

“A Coach must make the most of the characteristics of the players put at his disposal by the club. The market is strange, as nobody thought Coman would leave or that certain other players wouldn’t arrive.

“The important thing is to keep the technical and quality level of the team high, as that is crucial for Serie A and above all the Champions League.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

-

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

AS Roma V Juventus – Team News,
Tactics, Line-Ups And Prediction

http://www.thehardtackle.com/2015/as-roma-v-juventus-team-news-tactics-line-ups-and-prediction/?

 
Aug 29, 2015

AS Roma have been presented with an excellent chance to end their poor recent run against Juventus when the two meet on Sunday. The titleholders are still caught in a rebuilding process and Roma should look to capitalize on it. Juventus and Roma have finished first and second in Serie A in each of the last two seasons and meetings between the two during that time have been dominated by the Turin side. Juve have dominated in last 10 league trips south, challenging the Giallorossi in their own backyard and winning six of those games while at the same time losing just once through a period stretching back to March 2005. Hosts Roma began the new Serie A campaign with a 1-1 draw at Hellas Verona last weekend, while Juventus were caught cold by Udinese in a sensational 1-0 defeat. It also represented a first home defeat for the Bianconeri since January 2013, when 10-man Sampdoria shocked the perennial Scudetto holders.


Team news and tactical brief

AS Roma

Roma are seen by many as the biggest threat to Juventus’ dominance over Italian football, but they cracked under pressure last season and saw their hopes of winning the title fade before the end of January. They managed to put together a strong run of four wins from six games in the final month of the campaign to seal a place in the Champions League, but there was an air of disappointment around the Stadio Olimpico. Rudi Garcia will be hoping that his team can get closer to Juventus this campaign, after finishing 17 points behind the Old Lady for the past two seasons. He has made a number of new additions to his playing squad, with the likes of Edin Dzeko, Mohamed Salah and Iago Falque brought in to bolster their attack. In the past 10 days the Giallorossi have also made a number of defensive signings, as Antonio Rudiger, Norbert Gyomber and Lucas Digne have all joined. However, despite the changes made by the club, they started their season with a 1-1 draw at Verona. Bosko Jankovic had given the Gialloblu the lead, but five minutes late, Alessandro Florenzi fired in to earn his side a point. They created numerous chances to score a second late on, but despite having 20 efforts on goal, they could not force a late winner. It was a familiar result for supporters of the club, as their team drew 13 games in the league last season, the highest of any club in the top six.

Many of Roma’s problems last term also came at home as they went on a frustrating spell between December and March without winning any of their league games at the Stadio Olimpico. Giallorossi coach Rudi Garcia hopes to have experienced defender Maicon back in the fold after his recovery from a knee injury which plagued him last term. Recent addition Lucas Digne is pencilled in for his debut at left-back following his transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. Fellow new boy Antonio Rudiger is expected to be out for ten days, while Kevin Strootman’s injury nightmare continues amid speculation that the Dutchman will be forced to undergo a third operation on his left knee in the space of 18 months. Florenzi, who has been covering at right-back is expected to play in a more advanced role in support of Dzeko and Salah.

Probable Starting Line-up (4-3-3):
Szczesny; Maicon, Manolas, Castan, Digne; Pjanic, De Rossi, Nainggolan; Salah, Florenzi, Dzeko
 
 

Juventus

Massimiliano Allegri has been hard at work this summer to improve a squad that has waved goodbye to Carlos Tevez and Andrea Pirlo, with the most recent exit coming in the shape of Fernando Llorente. The Old Lady have brought in Alex Sandro and Juan Cuadrado this week in a bid to forget the 1-0 opening day defeat to Udinese. Juventus can ill-afford to be four points down on their rivals, even at this early stage of proceedings. Despite losing key personnel over the summer, the general consensus is that the Scudetto is theirs to lose. They opened their campaign last weekend with a clash against Udinese. Things did not go according to plan though, as a late strike from Cyril Thereau condemned them to a shock 1-0 defeat in Turin. Massimiliano Allegri’s side had gone the past two seasons without suffering a home league defeat, a run that stretched to 47 games. The result has left many of their rivals sensing that the title race could be a much more open affair this season. But, Allegri has refused to panic and has said that he expects his team to bounce back quickly.

Massimiliano Allegri has a selection headache to contend with up front where he must decide whether to risk Juve star Alvaro Morata on his return from a calf problem. Midfielders Claudio Marchisio and Sami Khedira are both missing due to thigh injuries, along with long-term absentee Kwadwo Asamoah. Fresh arrival Alex Sandro from Porto appears likely to begin life with the Turin giants on the bench. Having dropped three points at home, Juventus will be hungry for a win tomorrow.

Probable Starting Line-up (3-5-2):
Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Pogba, Sturaro, Pereyra, Evra; Morata, Mandzukic


Key Facts

This will be the 163rd meeting in Serie A between Roma and Juventus – the Bianconeri currently lead by 77 wins to 37 (48 draws).

No team have won more Serie A games against Roma than Juventus.

Roma have won only one of their last 10 Serie A games against Juventus (3D 6L): the last win was in February 2013 (1-0, Francesco Totti).


Players to Watch Out For

Edin Dzeko (AS Roma)

The Bosnian has the chance to announce himself to the Curva Sud, and for a player with vast experience of playing at the top level, he will take that chance. The 29-year-old grabbed himself 50 goals when at Manchester City including vital game changing strikes against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United.

Alvaro Morata (Juventus)

Juventus will welcome Alvaro Morata back to their starting lineup, after the striker missed last week’s game against Udinese.


Prediction

AS Roma 2–1 AC Juventus

Both coaches must feel some sort of pressure going into this week’s fixture. A win for either team may put the opposite coach under the microscope over the next few weeks. Roma starting off the season with one point in two games will not sit well with the fans in Curva Sud. Similarly, zero points in two games will make for a long journey back to Turin for Allegri. At the end of the day, Sunday’s fixture between the two Italian giants will make for a great game to watch.


Blast From the Past

Last season’s corresponding fixture saw Roma bounce back to claim only their sixth point against the Bianconeri in a decade, thanks to Seydou Keita’s equaliser after a Carlos Tevez opener.
 

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

-

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

Garcia Hoping Roma Learn
Lessons From Opening Day Draw

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/08/garcia-hoping-roma-learn-lessons-from-opening-day-draw/

 
Aug 29, 2015

Roma coach Rudi Garcia is hoping his Giallorossi side have learned their lessons from the draw with Hellas Verona when they play Juventus on Sunday.

Last season’s top two both choked on the opening weekend, with the Lupi being held in Verona while Juve were at odds during their clash with Udinese, succumbing to a 1-0 defeat in front of a stunned Juventus Stadium.

“I want to see a higher tempo than the Verona game, starting the game by playing to win,” said Garcia to reporters.

“It was not all bad before Verona scored but we must have more pace.

“Juventus are always a team of high quality although no one is at 100% so early in the season, but we have worked hard and must exploit our home advantage.”

New Roma signings Edin Dzeko, Iago Falque, Mohamed Salah, and Wojciech Szczesny all made their debut last Saturday and Garcia believes the new-look squad is gelling well.

“We have made the most of the short time to work with the new players,” the French coach continued, “it is normal that players like Salah and Dzeko will need time to fit into our plans and we will get there soon.

“At the moment Torosidis is recovering from an injury very well and is 90% ready, if fit he will play instead of [new signing Lucas] Digne who needs time to settle in.”

Roma take on The Old Lady in Serie A at 1800 CET at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

-

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

Garcia: Roma will attack Juventus from the first whistle

The French coach was disappointed his troops only started playing after
they were 1-0 down at Verona and wants a flying start against the champions.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2557/news/2015/08/29/14868472/-?

 
Aug 29, 2015

Roma boss Rudi Garcia says his side will attack Juventus right from the first whistle in Sunday's Serie A showdown at the Stadio Olimpico.

The Giallorossi made an underwhelming start to their league campaign, with the capital club having to come from behind to claim a 1-1 draw at Verona last Saturday, but the Bianconeri fared even worse on the opening weekend, suffering a shock 1-0 loss at home to Udinese.

Garcia dismissed suggestions that Juventus have been weakened by the loss of key players such as Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo and Carlos Tevez over the summer, but is nonetheless telling his troops to immediately take the game to their visitors.

"All the clubs – and not just Juventus – have an entire season to prove their doubters wrong," the French coach told reporters on Saturday.

"I've already said what I think about them: They remain a top-level side and tomorrow will be a top-level match. We'll have to be at our best to win it.

"They've signed Mandzukic, Zaza, Dybala, Khedira and Alex Sandro.

"The team that won the last four league titles is always going to be top quality.

"No one is at their best at the start of the season but we've tried to work our way up towards 100 per cent over the last week.

"It will be a great game, the sort you always like to be involved in even though it's a bit strange to be playing it in the second week.

"We have to make home advantage count for us in front of our fans and I want to see more intensity than we showed at Verona.

"We have to start the game as if we were trailing by a goal and play to win from the off.

"We did that in Verona after the goal but not enough before it. We weren't terrible before but our tempo wasn't high enough."

Star summer signings Edin Dzeko and Mohamed Salah failed to sparkle against Verona but Garcia says that the pair merely need time to settle.

Consequently, the former Lille boss admitted that he is unlikely to throw Lucas Digne straight into the starting line-up, with the left-back only having arrived from Paris Saint-Germain during the week.

"The new guys like Salah and Dzeko, it's normal they should take a little while to settle in before we can fully exploit their fantastic quality," he added.

"I've got the line-up 90% set in my mind. I'm waiting to see if Torosidis is fully fit when the guys limber up tomorrow morning. If he is, as I expect him to be, he'll start at left-back. That way we can give Digne a bit of time to adjust to his new team.

"As for the other positions, I took De Rossi off in Verona because I didn't know if he had 90 minutes in him after his ankle problem but he's fine now.

"Maicon isn't 100% yet but he's recovered from injury..."

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

-

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

ROMA V JUVENTUS – SERIE A MATCH PREVIEW

http://www.juvefc.com/roma-v-juventus-serie-a-match-preview-scouting/?

 
Aug 29, 2015

 

Juventus

After last week’s stinker, Juventus will have a chance to bounce back big time on Sunday afternoon against Roma, which once again is the most credible threat in the Scudetto race. Against Udinese, Juventus have looked fairly good for about seventy minutes, mostly dominant but never asphyxiating, unable to create clear-cut chances at will. Then things went south after the unexpected Cyril Thereau goal and the reaction was disjointed, also because of some questionable subs.

Although it was the first time that Juventus lost the opening match at home in their history, the aftermath has not been too much gloomy, overshadowed by the storylines of the ongoing transfer market window. It is clear that the team has growing pains and needs to find new reference points and maybe tweak its playing style a little bit: it will not happen overnight and maybe not even in a month. Moreover, the absences of Claudio Marchisio and Sami Khedira in a moment when you need experience and leadership should not be underestimated.

A couple of good news during the week for Juventus. Alvaro Morata has resumed training and is ready to make an appearance: it certainly helps to have back a player that is fully familiar with the system and one more quality option. One thing has to be said: players dropped like flies during the pre-season due to muscular injuries, but their recoveries have been quick and, hopefully, complete. Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini have not struggled at all and looked at top condition right after healing up.

Juan Cuadrado has joined the team on a season-long loan from Chelsea: there is no option to buy but I think that it will not be a problem to negotiate a fee if we want to make the move permanent. It will be interesting to see how Massimiliano Allegri will use him: the roster certainly lacked a pure right winger, but we rarely use 4-3-3 and we never move away from a three-man midfield, which drastically reduces the options. At Fiorentina, he was used also as second-striker, left winger, right wing back and right back.

It looks like 3-5-2 will be choice this weekend too as there are still few midfielders available. However, the “Simone Padoin as deep-lying playmaker” experience will continue, hopefully Paul Pogba will be able to add creativity and move the move effectively. Stefano Sturaro and Roberto Pereyra will battle for the final spot in the midfield, with the Italian youngster as the favorite because a more defensive approach is more logical in this one. Patrice Evra is slated to start, Alex Sandro will debut after the break. In the attack, Allegri has announced that Dybala will start: Mario Mandzukic will likely play alongside him, with the returning Morata initially on the bench. Kingsley Coman is off to Bayern Munich: a surprising move after he was deemed part of the new nucleus, but I can not blame the management for accepting such a big fee. Mauricio Isla will not be called up as he is up for sale.

In the last ten games played at the Olimpico, Juventus have a record of six wins, three draws and one loss. In the last two year, when Roma have emerged as a serious contender, Juventus have tallied three wins and a draw against the archrivals.

Probable lineup:

3-5-2: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Sturaro, Padoin, Pogba, Evra; Dybala, Mandzukic.

Injuries:

Khedira (thigh), Marchisio (thigh), Asamoah (knee)

Suspended:

None


 

AS Roma

Roma did not have a good start of their Serie A campaign either, but managed to salvage at point in Verona. During the summer, Walter Sabatini has revamped the defense with the acquisitions of Lucas Digne, Antonio Rudiger and Norbert Gyomber and overhauled the attack, which was really their Achilles heel last season, thanks to the arrivals of Edin Dzeko, Mohamed Salah and Iago Falque.

Against Hellas Verona, they have looked good for long phases of the game, posing a constant menace, however they struggled to feed the strikers properly. Despite the many technical players on the pitch, nobody stepped up and took control of the pace of game. At times, they seemed unglued, with every player trying to win the match on his own. The addition of Dzeko is excellent and the team will learn how to use such a talented player as reference point on the long run. However, if your centre-forward spends more time trying to pass the ball around to get things going because nobody else is doing that rather than establishing position in the box, you have a problem.

Rudi Garcia, who was heavily criticized after a draw that looked a lot like the many ties that shattered their title hope last season, is preparing two option to solve the creativity problem. One is a familiar face: the 38-year-old Francesco Totti used in the hole in a diamond formation, ready to dish assists to Dzeko and his offensive partner. The other one is advancing Miralem Pjanic and use 4-2-3-1, as the Bosnian midfielder simply looks better when he does not have to defend that much. However, at this stage, their usual 4-3-3 and no Totti is the most likely scheme.

Some changes compared to the lineup in the Hellas Verona game could come in the defense. Maicon has recovered from a thigh injury and could replace Alessandro Florenzi at right back. If that happen, Florenzi could be used upfront. Leandro Castan has looked understandably tentative against Hellas Verona and may sit, but the replacements are scarce: Rudiger is out with a knee injury and Norbert Gyomber is raw. Inserting Daniele De Rossi in the defense and Seydou Keita, who anyway is more functional to their game than “Captain Future”, could be the best option, therefore the Brazilian defender is still the frontrunner to start, despite the doubts. Vasilis Torosidis should retain his spot at LB even if he is banged up, as Lucas Digne need a little more time to adapt. Because of the possible tactical variations, the attack is up in the air: Dzeko is the only lock, while Florenzi, Salah, Gervinho, Falque and Victor Ibarbo all have a chance to start. On the other hand, Juan Iturbe and Adam Ljajic look on their way out, so they will probably be spared.

Probable lineup:

4-3-3: Szczesny; Maicon, Manolas, Castan, Torosidis; Nainggolan, De Rossi, Pjanic; Florenzi, Dzeko, Salah.

Injuries:

Strootman (knee), Rudiger (knee)

Suspended:

None

 

Formation

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

-

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

Juventus vs. Roma Preview: Round 2 —
How about we try this again?

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2015/8/30/9193311/roma-juventus-2015-serie-a-round-2-preview-team-news-schedule

 
Aug 30, 2015

If Juventus' 1-0 loss to Udinese on the first weekend of the Serie A season was any kind of wake-up call for Max Allegri's new-look yet extremely talented squad, there will be no better chance to prove exactly that than what is happening in the Italian capital on Sunday.

Juventus got their early-season clunker out of the way in a hurry last weekend. Or, at least, that's what we all hope is the case. it wasn't as bad as some of the doom-and-gloomers say, but Juventus could have won and probably should have won simply based on the sheer volume of scoring chances they had seven days ago.

But the beautiful thing about this sport we love is that you're only able — or forced — to dwell on a meh game for so long. Juventus doesn't have just any game this weekend. Nope, it's against what many people feel like is Juve's closest competition once again this season. Sound the horns because it's Showdown Weekend, featuring Juventus and Roma.

Sounds fun!

Both clubs are coming off disappointing results in the opening week of the season. And because of that, Juventus aren't the only ones who are motivated to write the wrongs of seven days earlier. Roma continued their draw-happy ways against Hellas Verona last Saturday, which as pointed out in our Q&A with the Chiesa di Totti folks, is a worrisome sign for a club that really wants to challenge Juventus for the Scudetto this season.

But since this is a Juventus-centered place of the internet, we will keep it focused on Juventus.

Juventus had one of those games where half our photo tool here at BWRAO includes pictures where hands are on heads in utter frustration as to what just happened moments earlier. Paul Pogba was frustrated, Mario Mandzukic was frustrated, Max Allegri was frustrated, they were all frustrated with how things developed. That's pretty much what we all felt, too, so now worries there. They won't only need to be better in front of goal and no have one defensive breakdown kill them, they will need to play a much more complete game if they want any chance of beating Roma on their home turf.

Having an international break after two weeks of the recently-started season is stupid, but there's no denying that Juventus need to go into the next two weeks without games with good vibes in their heads. They don't need hands on their heads, they need hands slapping hands after goal celebrations. Juventus goals mean wins, and Juventus wins are pretty okay in my book.

JuventusFC ✔@juventusfcen
.@OfficialAllegri: "We need to put in a good performance tomorrow and come away with a result."

Amen, Max, amen.

GOOD NEWS

Draw-happy Roma proved to be the same draw-happy Roma of last season. That's pretty good news, I'd say.

 

BAD NEWS

No Claudio Marchisio (injured). No Sami Khedira (injured). No Kwadwo Asamoah (injured). This has been your Juventus injury update.

 

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

1. How the likely Paulo Dybala-Mario Mandzukic tandem works up top.

Max Allegri doesn't have Kingsley Coman to start for a second straight week, so that sound you hear right now is that option being thrown out the window and crashing to the ground. That leaves us with two options (no offense, Simone Zaza) — Paulo Dybala and Álvaro Morata. Let's ask Max what he thinks about choosing between the young Argentine and the young Spaniard, shall we?

JuventusFC ✔@juventusfcen
.@OfficialAllegri: "@PauDybala_JR will start tomorrow night's game."

Okay, I guess that settles that. Or maybe Max will surprise us all and goes Dybala-Mandzukic-Morata in a wild 4-3-3 that will take the Olimpico by storm. Doesn't that sound just grand?

We figured Mandzukic would start, but Dybala hadn't been predicted to play from the opening whistle until Allegri told us so at his press conference on Saturday afternoon. This will be Dybala first official start in a Juventus shirt, and we all know how he has shown flashes of his talent thus far. Allegri unleashing Dybala could prove to be just what the offense needs to kick-start itself right into the international break. We saw what happened once he came onto the field in the Supercoppa. That game turned out pretty well, if you ask me.

 

2. Juventus' finishing in front of goal.

Ah, the "fun" part of last Sunday's season-opening loss. We have seen games where Juventus' attackers are as clinical as clinical gets. And we've seen games where those same players seem to basically forget how to finish their scoring chances. Against Udinese, it was pretty easy to figure out which Juventus showed up at Juventus Stadium. Having it happen every so often is somewhat easy to understand, but against a better team that won't just sit back and put 10 men behind the ball, you figure there should be a goal or two scored at the minimum.

 

3. Edin Dzeko and Mo Salah vs. Juventus' defense.

We know how Salah did against Juve last season when he moved from Chelsea to Fiorentina in the winter transfer window, but Dzeko is a different commodity. This will be the first time the Bosnian striker lines up against the Juventus defense otherwise known as BBC. (And yes, it's going to be a 3-5-2 because of the midfield injuries.) Dzeko will undoubtedly be at the center of Roma's attack. That's exactly why they signed him on a Beppe Marotta Special of a loan with an option to buy. He's the prima punta Roma thinks will be the difference in them closing the gap between themselves and Juventus. But playing against Juventus' Leonardo Bonucci-led defense is a little different than trying to break down Hellas Verona. That's just to be expected, folks.

 

4. Simone Padoin's second straight adventure as a holding midfielder.

I was prepped to write about Stefano Sturaro right here. But then Max decided to tell us this little piece of information at his pre-match press conference.

JuventusFC ✔@juventusfcen
.@OfficialAllegri: "#Padoin is the best solution to operate in front of the defence. He played well against Udinese."

Thanks for screwing with my plans, Max. Now stop doing that so I can get these previews done quicker.

I wouldn't expect Max to come out and say "Padoin isn't a holding midfielder, but I'm forced to play him here, so back off. He wasn't great, so again, back off, people." or anything like that. I don't know if Padoin played as well as Allegri is giving him credit for, but obviously he thinks it's the best solution until Marchisio returns, so we're just going to have t olive with it. And like I said, it's not that Juve played utterly terrible against Udinese, they just couldn't find the back of the goal to save their lives. Maybe if they score a couple of goals it will mask the fact that a player who has no business being a central midfielder is playing right smack dab in the middle of Juventus[ midfield.


My starting XI (3-5-2): Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Pereyra, Pogba, Sturaro, Evra; Mandzukic, Dybala

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

-

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

Serie A Previews: Roma-Juve day

http://www.football-italia.net/72280/serie-previews-roma-juve-day?

 
Aug 30, 2015

It’s only Week 2, yet Scudetto favourites Roma and Juventus go head-to-head today, then Napoli-Sampdoria, Torino-Fiorentina and Carpi-Inter.

There are also full reports from Saturday’s games, as Milan beat Empoli 2-1 with their new strikers on target and Sassuolo stunned Bologna to maintain a 100 per cent record.

The action begins today at 18.00 CET at the Stadio Olimpico with a very early Scudetto showdown between Roma and Juventus.

The pressure is on both sides, as the Giallorossi were held by Verona in the opening round and Juve suffered a shock home defeat.

The Bianconeri have never lost the opening two rounds in a season. Will they make history?

All the other fixtures kick off at 20.45 CET, including Napoli in a must-win game with Sampdoria, Fiorentina visiting Torino and Inter trying not to underestimate Carpi.

Lazio have to shake off their Champions League blues against Chievo, while Genoa-Verona is an intriguing encounter at Marassi.

Alberto Gilardino could get his Palermo debut away to Udinese and Atalanta-Frosinone is an early relegation tussle.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

-

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

Line-ups: Roma-Juventus

http://www.football-italia.net/72307/line-ups-roma-juventus?

 
Aug 30, 2015

Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala face Edin Dzeko and Mohamed Salah, but Roma and Juventus make surprise changes.

It kicks off at 18.00 CET.

These clubs battled for the Scudetto in recent years and started out as favourites for the title once again.

They both had a shaky opening round, as the Giallorossi were held 1-1 at Verona and the Bianconeri beaten at home by Udinese.

Juve have never lost the opening two games in a season, so they could make history at the Stadio Olimpico.

Alvaro Morata is fit again, but is on the bench, as Paulo Dybala steps in to partner Mandzukic in attack.

Simone Padoin again takes the role in front of the defence, as Claudio Marchisio, Sami Khedira and Kwadwo Asamoah are injured.

Juan Guillermo Cuadrado and Alex Sandro are on the bench after arriving over the last week, but Martin Caceres is picked rather than Andrea Barzagli in a back three.

Roma said Lucas Digne would not debut from the start just days after moving from Paris Saint-Germain, but the Frenchman is thrown straight into the mix at left-back.

Alessandro Florenzi is again chosen ahead of not quite fit Douglas Maicon on the right, but above all Daniele De Rossi is moved into centre-back.

Iago Falque takes over from Gervinho in the trident attack.

Dzeko faces Juventus for the first time in his career, while Salah famously bagged a brace against the Bianconeri with Fiorentina last term.

Francesco Totti is again left to watch from the sidelines, while Kevin Strootman and Antonio Rudiger are injured.


Roma: Szscesny; Florenzi, Manolas, De Rossi, Digne; Pjanic, Keita, Nainggolan; Salah, Dzeko, Falque

Roma bench: De Sanctis, Castan, Capradossi, Gyomber, Anocic, Paredes, Ucan, Totti, Ibarbo, Gervinho, Iturbe, Ljajic


Juventus: Buffon; Caceres, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichsteiner, Sturaro, Padoin, Pogba, Evra; Dybala, Mandzukic

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

-

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

HT 0-0: Juve survive Roma siege

http://www.football-italia.net/72310/ht-juve-survive-roma-siege?

 
Aug 30, 2015

Roma dominated the first half, hit the post and had strong penalty appeals, but Juventus are clinging on at half-time.

The Scudetto showdown of recent years is surprisingly in Week 2 and both sides were looking for their first win. The Giallorossi were held 1-1 at Verona and Juve suffered a shock home defeat to Udinese.

Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic started together for the first time, while Roma new buys Edin Dzeko and Mohamed Salah worked on their partnership. The visitors missed Claudio Marchisio, Sami Khedira and Kwadwo Asamoah, while Andrea Barzagli was rested in favour of Martin Caceres. Lucas Digne was thrown straight into the starting XI and Daniele De Rossi a surprise at centre-back.

Roma had penalty appeals within 29 seconds, as Mandzukic clipped Alessandro Florenzi’s heels in the box, but the referee waved play on.

Rudi Garcia said he wanted his men to start as if they were chasing the game and they certainly did, pumping crosses into the box and harassing Juve into losing possession with Iago Falque blasting just wide.

Florenzi drilled off target when he should’ve passed and Mandzukic’s first touch let him down on a Paul Pogba cross. On 24 minutes first Iago Falque’s ball rolled across the six-yard box with Dzeko unable to tap in, then the move continued and Miralem Pjanic smacked against the upright from the edge of the box.

Giorgio Chiellini was lucky to avoid a booking on Pjanic, then got his card a few minutes later


Roma 0-0 Juventus (Half-Time)

Roma: Szscesny; Florenzi, Manolas, De Rossi, Digne; Pjanic, Keita, Nainggolan; Salah, Dzeko, Falque

Juventus: Buffon; Caceres, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Sturaro, Padoin, Pogba, Evra; Dybala, Mandzukic

Ref: Rizzoli

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

2 - 1

Miralem Pjanić (61')
Edin Džeko (79')

Paulo Dybala (87')

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

Roma 2-1 Juventus: Evra sees red
as Bianconeri stutter to defeat

The Giallorossi put Juve to the sword with goals from Miralem Pjanic
and Edin Dzeko ensuring three points against Massimiliano Allegri's side.

http://www.goal.com/en/match/roma-vs-juventus/2120393/report

 
Aug 30, 2015

Patrice Evra was sent off as Juventus stuttered to a 2-1 defeat against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.
Massimiliano Allegri's team went down by the same scoreline at home to Udinese last week and a lacklustre showing in the capital ensured the Turin giants suffered losses in the opening two league games of the season for the first time in their history.

The margin of victory could have been greater, as Miralem Pjanic rattled the post during the first half before opening the scoring with a sumptuous 61st-minute free-kick.

Pjanic's Bosnia and Herzegovina international team-mate Edin Dzeko then climbed above Giorgio Chiellini to head home Iago Falque's hooked cross 11 minutes from time to open his Roma account and spark jubilant celebrations inside the Stadio Olimpico.

Dzeko's goal came a minute after Patrice Evra collected two bookings in the space of three minutes to leave Juventus with 10 men, although they did manage to reduce the deficit through Paulo Dybala.

Roma had penalty appeals rejected inside the first minute when Mario Mandzukic clumsily bundled into Alessandro Florenzi and that early moment of encouragement set the tone for a dominant opening from the hosts.

Seydou Keita sliced wide on the end of Florenzi's fifth-minute cross before Paul Pogba was hustled out of possession 30 yards from his own goal and Falque thrashed an attempt off target.

Juventus briefly threatened to impose themselves as Pogba’s floated ball from the left found Mandzukic at the back post but the Croatia striker's touch deserted him when a first-time shot looked to be the better option.

Dzeko just failed to make contact with Falque's dangerous low cross from the left and, as Juventus failed to fully clear the danger, Pjanic crashed an attempt against the inside of Gianluigi Buffon’s right-hand post from 18 yards.

Roma did not come any closer before half-time, although Juventus' frustrations with their display were in evidence when a number of players became involved in a melee after Chiellini was booked for a robust 37th-minute tackle on Pjanic.

In the 57th minute, Pjanic turned to shoot from 12 yards but not with sufficient power to trouble Buffon. There was a far more taxing save for the veteran goalkeeper three minutes later when he used his legs to deny Dzeko.

Moments later the pressure told as Pjanic lifted a delightful free-kick over the wall and beyond a helpless Buffon after Dzeko drew a foul from Martin Caceres.

Juventus searched for an immediate response and thought they should have had a penalty when the referee adjudged Daniele De Rossi to have handballed right on the edge of the area. Dybala wasted the subsequent free-kick.

Buffon was back in the action a minute later with a superb fingertip save from Radja Nainggolan’s rasping drive, while Chiellini made a vital block to thwart Dzeko at close quarters.

Evra tripped Roma substitute Juan Iturbe and was given his marching orders a minute before Dzeko doubled the home side's advantage with a towering header.

The host were exposed on the break when Keita coughed up possession, leaving Dybala to convert, and previously under-employed goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny saved brilliantly to preserve Roma’s win in stoppage time as Chiellini met a corner from the goalscorer.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

2 - 1

Miralem Pjanić (61')
Edin Džeko (79')

Paulo Dybala (87')

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

Roma take Juventus down

Roma dominated Juventus, but risked throwing away
the 2-1 win in stoppages after Patrice Evra saw red.

http://www.football-italia.net/SerieA/match/69837

 
Aug 30, 2015

The Scudetto showdown of recent years was surprisingly in Week 2 and both sides were looking for their first win. The Giallorossi were held 1-1 at Verona and Juve suffered a shock home defeat to Udinese. This is the first time in history that the Bianconeri have lost their opening two games.

Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic started together for the first time, while Roma new buys Edin Dzeko and Mohamed Salah worked on their partnership. The visitors missed Claudio Marchisio, Sami Khedira and Kwadwo Asamoah, while Andrea Barzagli was rested in favour of Martin Caceres. Lucas Digne was thrown straight into the starting XI and Daniele De Rossi a surprise at centre-back.

Roma had penalty appeals within 29 seconds, as Mandzukic clipped Alessandro Florenzi’s heels in the box, but the referee waved play on.

Rudi Garcia said he wanted his men to start as if they were chasing the game and they certainly did, pumping crosses into the box and harassing Juve into losing possession with Iago Falque blasting just wide.

Florenzi drilled off target when he should’ve passed and Mandzukic’s first touch let him down on a Paul Pogba cross. On 24 minutes first Iago Falque’s ball rolled across the six-yard box with Dzeko unable to tap in, then the move continued and Miralem Pjanic smacked against the upright from the edge of the box.

Giorgio Chiellini was lucky to avoid a booking on Pjanic, then got his card a few minutes later. After the restart the tempo was slower, partly due to the heat and humidity in Rome, but the hosts continued to control the game.

Pogba risked a second yellow for dissent after he hauled back Salah again, then Pjanic only managed a weak finish at Gigi Buffon.

The goalkeeper had a lot more to do when a corner broke kindly for Dzeko and Buffon parried the angled drive with his legs from close range.

The deadlock was broken moments later, as Pjanic curled a splendid free kick over the wall and into the near top corner from just outside the box. Buffon was rooted to the spot, as he didn’t even see it.

Juve had penalty appeals when De Rossi’s handling offence was right on the edge of the area, but the referee awarded a free kick, which Dybala curled off target. Juve’s third choice goalkeeper Rubinho was sent off from the bench for dissent.

Soon after, De Rossi had to bravely dive into a risky tackle on Stefano Sturaro following a poor clearance.

The Bianconeri finally started to push after a dismal opening hour and Pogba nodded a corner inches wide, but Buffon got down to palm a Radja Nainggolan scorcher round the base of the near post.

Max Allegri moved his side to a 4-3-1-2 system, though Roma kept attacking and Chiellini blocked a Dzeko first-time shot from 10 yards almost by accident.

Patrice Evra received two yellow cards in quick succession, leaving Juventus down to 10 men with the 27th red card between these sides since 1994-95.

A minute later, Roma doubled their lead. Juan Cuadrado made his Juve debut, but did not close down Iago Falque and allowed a cross that Dzeko nodded in with a towering header.

There was a ray of light for Juventus, as they pounced on a defensive error and Roberto Pereyra rolled across for Dybala to tap in a consolation goal.

The visitors finally put some pressure on and the atmosphere in the stadium changed rapidly, as they pushed forward throughout stoppages and Szczesny flew to fingertip a Leo Bonucci header off the line from a corner.


Roma: Szscesny; Florenzi, Manolas, De Rossi, Digne; Pjanic, Keita, Nainggolan; Salah (Iturbe 77), Dzeko (Ibarbo 93), Falque

Juventus: Buffon; Caceres, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner (Pereyra 72), Sturaro, Padoin (Cuadrado 75), Pogba, Evra; Dybala, Mandzukic (Morata 62)

Ref: Rizzoli

Sent off: Evra 78 (J)

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

2 - 1

Miralem Pjanić (61')
Edin Džeko (79')

Paulo Dybala (87')

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

Roma 2-1 Juventus: Bianconeri
Break Unpleasant Record

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/08/roma-2-1-juventus-bianconeri-break-unpleasant-record/?

 
Aug 30, 2015

Roma got their first win of the new Serie A season as they beat defending champions Juventus 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday evening, giving the Old Lady two consecutive losses from their first two league games for the first time ever.

Roma dominated the first half but they had to wait until the second before Miralem Pjanic opened the scoring and Edin Dzeko hammered the final nail in the coffin as he got the Giallorossi’s second 10 minutes from time. Paulo Dybala gave the away fans hope a few minutes from time, but they couldn’t find a late equaliser.

It took less than a minute for the drama to unfold at the Olimpico when Alessandro Florenzi went down in the penalty area but referee Nicola Rizzoli waved away the Roma claims.

Roma deservedly opened the scoring on the hour mark when an excellent free kick from Pjanic flew past Buffon who could only watch as it hit the back of the net.

Things started to turn sour for Juventus as Patrice Evra got sent off with just over ten minutes left to play after a foul on Juan Iturbe brought a second yellow card.

Just when things couldn’t possibly get worse, Dzeko doubled Roma’s lead from a header about two minutes after Evra’s sending off, giving the Bosnian his first Serie A goal.

Roma couldn’t keep a clean sheet, however, when Paulo Dybala guided the ball into the back of the net from a low cross after a counterattack with a couple of minutes remaining.

Wojciech Szczesny became a hero deep into stoppage time with a fantastic athletic save from a corner to deny the visitors an equaliser.

The victory means Roma hold second place in the Serie A table while Juventus, yet to get a goal, are in 17th.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

2 - 1

Miralem Pjanić (61')
Edin Džeko (79')

Paulo Dybala (87')

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

Dominant Roma hold on to beat Juventus

http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/roma/result/result-dominant-roma-hold-on-to-beat-juventus_242879.html

 
Aug 30, 2015

Goals from Miralem Pjanic and Edin Dzeko were enough for Roma to secure a 2-1 victory over Serie A champions in the clash between last season's top two at Stadio Olimpico.

Juventus lost 1-0 at home to Udinese in their opening game of the season last weekend and the champions looked rocky at the back from the off as Seydou Keita and Iago Falque fired wide inside the first 10 minutes.

Roma continued to dominate the early stages and had yet another early opportunity when Mohamed Salah drove forward from his own half and played in Alessandro Florenzi, who perhaps should have squared the ball instead of hitting a tame shot wide of Gianluigi Buffon's goal.

As Juve struggled to retain any kind of possession, the home side came within inches of taking a deserved lead when Miralem Pjanic was unlucky to see his superb strike from the edge of the box cannon against the post with Buffon beaten.

The visitors had their first chance of the match shortly the restart when Roma failed to clear a corner effectively and Martin Caceres lashed high over the bar, before Roma finally had the lead they deserved when the impressive Pjanic curled home a stunning free kick past the motionless Buffon.

Paul Pogba headed wide from a good position after a rare Juve attack before Massimiliano Allegri's side's task got harder when Patrice Evra was sent off for a second yellow card in the space of four minutes.

Roma made their numerical advantage count immediately as Dzeko powerfully headed home his first goal for the club with 11 minutes remaining to double the lead.

After Falque wasted a good chance to make it 3-1, Paulo Dybala reduced the arrears by turning Roberto Pereyra's low cross past Wojciech Szczesny to set up a nervy finish.

Juve were denied an undeserved point when Szczesny saved brilliantly from Giorgio Chiellini's injury-time header, but Roma held on to make it two defeats from two games for last season's champions.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

2 - 1

Miralem Pjanić (61')
Edin Džeko (79')

Paulo Dybala (87')

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

Player Ratings: Roma 2-1 Juventus

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/08/player-ratings-roma-2-1-juventus/?

 
Aug 30, 2015

Roma produced a brilliant performance to win 2-1 against champions Juventus on a warm Sunday evening in the Stadio Olimpico.

The Giallorossi dominated the first half but failed to score despite Pjanic hitting the post. In the second-half they continued where they left off in the first and eventually took the lead through a stunning Pjanic free-kick. Juve then had Patrice Evra stupidly sent-off before Edin Dzeko headed in a second for I Lupi. The Bianconeri did finish the match strongly and got a consolation through Paulo Dybala.

 

Roma

Wojciech Szczesny – 7 – Reliable - Made one amazing save in stoppage time to deny Leonardo Boncucci and Juventus an equaliser and was strong throughout the match despite being rarely troubled.

Alessandro Florenzi – 7 – Strong - After his goal last week Florenzi would have been looking to continue with a strong performance and although he did nothing wrong, he was slightly outshone by Lucas Digne.

Kostas Manolas – 7 – Warrior - Was put in no real trouble and looked composed throughout. He dealt with Mario Mandzukic’s threat and height well and Paulo Dybala’s threat in behind him.

Daniele De Rossi – 7 – Rock - Didn’t look like he was playing out of position, showed good anticipation and read the game very well. As usual he was very good at playing out from the back and starting attacks.

Lucas Digne – 7 – Impressive - Got forward well, put in decent crosses and looked very confident and a very good signing on his debut for I Lupi. Completely took Stefan Lichtsteiner out of the game.

Miralem Pjanic – 8 – Silky - Very unlucky not to score early on as he hit the post. He helped Roma dictate and control the game in the first half and the second he scored a brilliant free-kick in the second-half.

Seydou Keita – 7 – Experienced - Looked composed and won the ball back well throughout the match. He was exposed slightly by Dybala’s pace when he beat him to the ball but that was rare.

Radja Nainggolan – 7 – Lion - Not as great as Miralem Pjanic but really helped the Bosnian control the game. He was denied a brilliant goal by Gianluigi Buffon in the 72nd minute, which would have been the cherry on top of his fine performance

Mohamed Salah – 7- Popular - Really positive, very direct and was able to beat Patrice Evra and other Juventus defenders on a number of occasions. Linked up well with his fellow attackers and did not look in awe of the occasion.

Edin Dzeko – 8 – Beast - Looked okay in the first half but did cause Juventus’s three centre-backs an issue. Really should have scored two in the second-half but was denied by Buffon, but did eventually get his goal.

Iago Falque – 6 – Slick - Like his fellow winger Mohamed Salah he was very direct and put in a number of very good crosses but was probably the quietest of all Roma’s attackers.


Subs

Juan Iturbe – 6 – Committed - Used his pace well and got Evra sent-off. The Argentinian was able to make one very crucial challenge to deny the Bianconeri a chance.

Adem Ljajic- N/A

Victor Ibarbo- N/A


 

Juventus

Gianluigi Buffon - 7 – Saviour - Strong on crosses and made a number of good saves, especially one from Dzeko in the second-half to deny Roma. He couldn’t really have done anything about either Roma goal.

Martin Caceres – 6 – Assertive - The Uruguayan was never really caught out at either centre-back or when he moved to right-back and showed why he had been selected ahead of Barzagli as he dealt with Falque’s trickery well.

Leonardo Bonucci – 6 – Calm - Looked composed in his sweeper like role and helped keep a dominant Giallorossi at bay in the first-half. Was probably the best of the Bianconeri defenders.

Giorgio Chiellini – 5 – Weak - Harshly booked but generally was strong early on. Should have scored from a corner in the second-half. The Italian was out of position and out muscled by Dzeko for the Bosnian’s goal.

Stephan Lichtsteiner – 4 – Lackluster - Struggled with Roma’s pressing and failed to really make an impact going forward as he had to keep tracking back to defend against the overlapping Digne who was brilliant.

Stefano Sturaro – 5 – Isolated - Looked slightly out of his depth in the first-half as Pjanic and Nainggolan dominated and controlled the midfield. Failed to really break up attacks or make tackles.

Simone Padoin – 4 – Alien - Playing in the Marchisio and previously the Pirlo role, and he really looked out of place. The Bianconeri struggled to keep the ball and The Old Lady could have used Pirlo’s intelligence.

Paul Pogba – 5 – Disappointing - Failed to really get into the game and although he used his physicality well he was disappointingly quiet when he got on the ball. The Frenchman should have scored from a corner in the 69th minute.

Patrice Evra – 3 – Wild - Really had difficulty dealing with Salah’s pace and skill and as a result failed to get forward and create from wide positions. Was stupidly sent-off for a tired challenge which led to a second booking.

Paulo Dybala – 6 – Quiet - Looked a bit lightweight and his partnership with Mandzukic looks to lack cohesion at this point. He did produce one decent corner delivery that Chiellini should have done better from. Did manage to grab a consolation goal for Juventus late on.

Mario Mandzukic – 5 – Poor - The Croatians hold up play was good but otherwise he didn’t do much else mainly because he was starved of service from the Juventus midfielders. Deserved to be substituted.


Subs

Alvaro Morata – 6 – Physical - Showed some nice touches but wasn’t able to make a huge difference after coming on but he did show more than Mandzukic.

Mauricio Pererya – 6 – Decent - Pretty quiet but he did produce a nice assist for Dybala’s goal.

Juan Cuadrado N/A

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 7971]

ROMA - JUVENTUS

2 - 1

Miralem Pjanić (61')
Edin Džeko (79')

Paulo Dybala (87')

Sunday, August 30th, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium - Rome
Referee:‬ Nicola Rizzoli

De Rossi: 'Roma dominated, but...'

http://www.football-italia.net/72314/de-rossi-roma-dominated?

 
Aug 30, 2015

Daniele De Rossi felt Roma had a great performance against Juventus, “but we can’t fall asleep for 10 minutes.”

The midfielder spoke to Sky Sport Italia after a 2-1 victory at the Stadio Olimpico.

“Seeing as we fell asleep for 10 minutes and dominated for 80, we have to see the glass half-full,” said the midfielder.

“It must also be said that a great team that wins the Scudetto can’t even afford to fall asleep for 10 minutes. We conceded a silly goal and had chances to go 3-0 up.

“It’s wonderful that we had the courage to play our football with heads up. Don’t forget Juve were in the Champions League Final a few months ago.

“We must have the same mentality against the smaller sides too. If we do, then we’ll be stronger than anyone.”

Have Juventus been weakened this summer after two consecutive defeats?

“The club made some choices. Andrea Pirlo is irreplaceable, while it’s hard to find players as strong as Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal, but above all Pirlo.

“They were also missing fundamental players like Claudio Marchisio today, so in my view they are still a strong side.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127