Juventus and AS Roma clash in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday night, just over a week after they faced each other in Serie A. The hosts have won their last nine home games against Roma but can they make it ten against an exciting Roma side? Here are the Three Keys to this clash. Bet on the game here.
Cristiano Ronaldo v Edin Dzeko
Ronaldo scored a brace on Sunday as Juventus beat Parma 2-1 to move four points clear of Inter Milan at the top of Serie A. This was the seventh straight league game that the Portuguese has scored. He is Juventus’ top scorer this season with 18 goals in all competitions and he scored against Roma just over a week ago. Although age is catching up with him, the Portuguese forward remains an important player for Maurizio Sarri.
Edin Dzeko has scored 13 goals for Roma in 29 games in all competitions so far. As with Ronaldo, Dzeko is on the wrong side of 30 but is still Roma’s most important player. He has also scored two goals in seven appearances against the Bianconeri. The Bosnian striker will carry Roma’s goal scoring responsibilities given the likes of Nicolo Zaniolo will be out due to injury. Can he inspire the Wolves to a famous win at the Old Lady?
Sarri v Fonseca
Sarri’s first season in charge of Juventus has not been as impressive as it was expected. However, his team sit top of the table. The performances have not been brilliant but his team, led by Ronaldo, have always found ways to win. His record against Roma is actually pretty poor, with just three wins in ten outings. Can that change today?
Fonseca, just like Sarri at Juve, is experiencing his first season in charge of Roma. So far it’s been a success. They are fourth in Serie A with 38 points from 20 games. Furthermore, he’s shown he possesses the tactical acumen of facing top sides. His team has beaten Napoli, drawn with Inter Milan and Lazio. Fonseca’s team should give Sarri’s men another tough game.
Experience v Youth
Juventus have one of the most experienced players in Serie A and Europe. The likes of Ronaldo, Leonardo Bonucci, Miralem Pjanic and Blaise Matuidi give Juventus a solid base in a team with raw young talent. These players have been in much bigger stages than this and should, therefore, be very crucial on Wednesday. Gianluigi Buffon will probably be in the starting line-up which means Roma will have to work even harder against these seasoned veterans.
Roma’s squad have an average age of 27 years. This is, therefore, a pretty young team. Still, they’ve shown that they can compete against some of the biggest sides in Italy. This should be an intriguing battle between these two sides. Who will come out on top this time?