Roma face a stern challenge to keep their Champions League hopes for next season burning as they play host to Serie A winners Juventus at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.
The capital side have seen Atalanta move into fourth place with three weeks of action remaining, having themselves been held to draws against Inter and Genoa on recent away trips.
Juve, meanwhile, will see this encounter as another chance to exert their dominance over the chasing pack, having won only one of their last six fixtures in all competitions.
| Game | Roma vs Juventus |
| Date | Sunday, May 12 |
| Time | 7:30pm BST / 2:30pm ET |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
For UK readers, get your fix on the latest football on TV here! US readers can find out what soccer is on TV here!
In the United States (US), the game will be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and Rai Italia America and is available for streaming on the ESPN+ channel.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| ESPN / ESPN Deportes / Rai Italia America | ESPN+ |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be broadcast on Premier Sports 1.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Premier Sports 1 | N/A |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Roma players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Olsen, Mirante, Fuzato |
| Defenders | Manolas, Juan, Fazio, Marcano, Kolarov, Santon, Florenzi, Karsdrop |
| Midfielders | Nzonzi, De Rossi, Pellegrini, Cristante, Zaniolo, Pastore, Coric |
| Forwards | El Shaarawy, Kluivert, Perotti, Under, Dzeko, Schick |
Roma have a number of nagging injury concerns prior to this match, but nothing too serious.
Diego Perotti is the likeliest player to miss out, though there were also doubts over Davide Santon, Daniele De Rossi, Alessandro Florenzi and Justin Kluivert. Kluivert was fit for the XI, however.
Confirmed Roma starting XI: Mirante; Florenzi, Manolas, Fazio, Kolarov; Zaniolo, N’Zonzi, Pellegrini; Kluivert, El Shaarawy, Dzeko
| Position | Juventus players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Szczesny, Pinsoglio |
| Defenders | Chiellini, Cancelo, Spinazzola, Barzagli, De Sciglio, Sandro, Rugani, Caceres |
| Midfielders | Pjanic, Matuidi, Can, Cuadrado, Bentancur |
| Forwards | Ronaldo, Costa, Dybala |
Juventus are without a raft of players, including the suspended Federico Bernardeschi.
On the injury front, Leonardo Bonucci, Sami Khedira and Mario Mandzukic are the most pressing concerns. Also missing as Mattia Perin, Daniele Rugani and Douglas Costa.
Moise Kean will not play as he has the flu.
Confirmed Juventus starting XI: Szczesny; Spinazzola, Caceres, Chiellini, De Sciglio; Can, Pjanic, Matuidi; Cuadrado, Ronaldo, Dybala
Betting & Match Odds
Roma are 6/4 favourites with Bet365 , while Juventus are available at 7/4. A draw is priced at 5/2.
Match Preview
Getty ImagesRoma know that if they want to return to the Champions League next season, anything less than a perfect nine points from their remaining three matches leaves them vulnerable.
They sit sixth in the Serie A standings and to break into the top four they will have to overhaul Atalanta, who are three points beyond them, and AC Milan, who edge them on head-to-head record.
With 62 goals scored, they have been one of the most exciting teams to watch this season, yet their tally of 47 against is the highest by far in the top eight.
For head coach Claudio Ranieri, signing off with Champions League qualification would be a dream end to his one-year tenure in the Eternal City, which he confirmed would end at the conclusion of the season.
“My job ends with the last three games,” he explained on Friday. “I always knew that would be the case. I chose to come here for this season finale because I’m a Roma fan and I wanted to put my enthusiasm at the service of the team.”
A 1-1 draw with Genoa last weekend has jeopardised those hopes, but Ranieri wants his team to channel that emotion.
“It’s important to show our fans the desire for revenge,” he said. “We have three games left and we mustn’t leave anything to chance. We mustn’t have any regrets.”
If Roma are driven forward by frustration in this game, it is pride that must push Juventus on to greater things.
The title has already been theirs for the best part of a month and since then they have been held to 1-1 draws against Inter and Torino.
Having been dumped out of the Champions League by Ajax at the quarter-final stage, they have now won only one of their last six fixtures – an unusual barren run for the Old Lady.
Speculation continues to surround the future of head coach Massimiliano Allegri, with reports linking Antonio Conte with a return to Turin among other coaches.
If this is to be his swansong at Juve, where he has spent the last five years and has helped the team continue to dominate Italian football, he will want to make sure he goes out on a high – and that means overcoming a tough opponent like Roma before next week’s hosting of in-form Atalanta.