Fortunately for Serie A fans, fortune has indeed smiled on them, as they will be treated to the highly anticipated Roma vs. Juventus clash early. Given that the Giallorossi have tried - and failed - to overthrow the Bianconeri in recent seasons, this match has grown rapidly in significance and almost represents a derby of sorts. Adding more to the pressure will be the fact that neither Roma nor Juventus had a good season opener. Rudi Garcia's men were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw against Hellas Verona, but the outcome for Massimiliano Allegri's side was much worse.
Juventus are a team that have historically performed well on opening day, and up until last Sunday, La Vecchia Signora were unbeatable at home. However, Udinese, a team that flirted with relegation last season, showed that one opportunity is all that is needed to change the outcome of the match. The 1-0 loss, in which Juventus enjoyed the majority of possession but were appallingly poor at converting those chances, was the first ever home loss for the Bianconeri in their entire history. Additionally, the Turin titans had enjoyed an unbeaten league run at Juventus Stadium for over two years, with Sampdoria being the last team to depart with all three points in hand back in January 2013.
There have already been concerns about Juventus and their capacity to remain ahead of the pack due to the departures of Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo, and Carlos Tevez. Nonetheless, the club have been quite active in the transfer market in all areas. Brazilian goalkeeper Neto was brought in to act as a deputy for talismanic shot-stopper Gianluigi Buffon.
In defense, they added young defenders Daniele Rugani and Alex Sandro whilst in midfield, World Cup and Champions League winner Sami Khedira arrived on a free. In attack, rising Argentinian star Paulo Dybala and experienced Croatian international Mario Mandžukić will now share the goal-scoring responsibilities with Alvaro Morata. And most recently, speedy winger Juan Cuadrado has returned to Italy hoping to restart his career after a frustrating spell with Chelsea.
However, the downside with a whole crop of new faces arriving is the fact that they will need time to gel, and as such, the squad overall could experience some growing pains. Not to be outdone, Roma also have reinforced their team, starting from their goalkeeper. A drastic reduction in playing time and loss of faith from his manager convinced Wojciech Szczęsny to depart Arsenal.
On the defensive front they have opted to take a gamble on youth, with 22-year-olds Antonio Rüdiger and Lucas Digne arriving from Stuttgart and PSG respectively. And in order to sharpen their attack, Mohamed Salah as well as Edin Džeko have also been brought to the Stadio Olimpico as they seek to be more competitive domestically and on the continent.
With all the new faces on each side and both Garcia and Allegri hoping to quell fans' concerns by earning their first win of the 2015/2016 season, the stage is perfectly set for what should be an entertaining clash from start to finish. Although there are many more rounds left to play, the feeling is that whoever - if any - manages to win later today could be taking a small step towards clinching the coveted Scudetto crown.
Key stats for Roma vs. Juventus
- Despite the 1-1 draw in this same fixture last season, Roma have traditionally struggled against Juventus. Out of their last 10 games, the Giallorossi have been only able to win one, whilst they drew three and lost six.
- Their last win in the league over the Bianconeri was back on February 16, 2013 courtesy of a goal from Francesco Totti.
- In terms of overall competitions, Roma's last win was during the Coppa Italia, a 1-0 win in January 2014 with Gervinho grabbing the only goal.
- This fixture in recent times has been an ill-tempered affair. In their last five meetings since Roma's last league win, three have concluded with one - or both - sides playing with less than 11 men.
- Roma's overall record vs. Juventus in Serie A is 37 wins, 48 draws, and 77 losses. Today will be their 163rd meeting.
- Both sides were shockingly profligate in their last matches: Roma had a total of 20 shots to earn one goal, whilst Juventus made 21 attempts, but to no avail.
Will Roma finally get the better of Juventus for the first time in over two years? Or will Allegri's side get back to winning ways at the Stadio Olimpico?
For Serie A fans, this is surely the big clash of this weekend, and not one to miss, naturally, for Roma and Juventus followers. We've got you covered here at LiveSoccerTV.com, so make sure you check our special Roma vs. Juventus match page for viewing times and options for your specific location.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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