Preview: Roma hope to get back on track against familiar opponents Juventus
Roma arguably suffered the shock of their season so far when they were trounced 4-1 at the hands of basement dwellers Cagliari, and by far, that game on 4 May appears to be one of the biggest shocks of this season's edition of Serie A. As a result, the Giallorossi, who had tried to keep pace with Juventus over the course of their campaign, meekly conceded the league prize without putting up much of a fight.
As a result, Rudi Garcia's men will be looking to re-gain that same momentum that saw them win nine games in a row following their loss to Napoli back during round 27. Although the last time these two sides met in league play, it not only ended as a 3-0 win in favor of the Bianconeri but also handed them their first loss of the season, Roma fans can take some small comfort in that their side dumped the Scudetto winners out of the Coppa Italia during the quarter-finals.
But more important, Juventus have failed to beat Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in their last three meetings wth the capital club--the aforementioned Coppa Italia defeat, coupled with a loss last season and a draw during their unbeaten domestic campaign back in 2011-2012. In fact, the last time the Turin giants earned all three points in Rome was back on April 3, 2011, so it remains to be seen whether La Vecchia Signora overcome their three year hoodoo and complete a domestic double against them.
Unfortunately, due to the Coppa Italia violence last weekend, that marred what should have been an enjoyable match between Fiorentina and Napoli, there are numerous reports that the game will be played three hours earlier, meaning that it will take place at 17.45 CET as opposed to the original time of 20.45.
With the title race already concluded, Garcia is already looking forward to next season, and is highly confident that his team will be the one celebrating victory in 2015.
"The strange thing is that perhaps next season we will have fewer points, but we will win the league. We have great players and leaders, and when I see my [team] before a game, I wouldn't want to be their opponent," he stated while addressing a group of university students.
However, one can only speculate on the future, and his troops will definitely be focused and hungry for victory in Sunday's match, with Mattia Destro in particular keen to show Azzurri boss Cesare Prandelli what he can do ahead of the World Cup.
Juventus, who are hoping to become the first Italian team to reach a century of points, will be without the services of key midfielder Arturo Vidal. The Chilean international recently went under the knife to address a long-standing knee injury that has not only ended his league campaign for the season but also puts him at risk for missing the World Cup next month.
All in all, given the quality of these two sides, fans and neutrals alike should be in for 90 minutes of quality football. But, it will definitely give Giallorossi supporters some satisfaction if they can beat the Bianconeri, and deny them the chance to beat Inter's record of 97 points in a season.
Where to watch the match – live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores
Watch AS Roma vs Juventus live on Sunday, May 11, 2014:
In Canada at 11.45 ET on: beIN Sports Play Canada
In the US at 11.45 EST on: beIN Sports Play
In the UK at 16.45 BST on: BT Sport 1
In Italy at 17.45 CET on: Sky 3D Italia, Sky Sport 1 HD Italia, Sky Supercalcio HD, Premium Calcio, Sky Calcio 1
For live score updates and more live listings of this match, visit the Roma vs. Juventus match page.
*Other times have been modified to accommodate the fixture being moved from 20.45 to 17.45 CET.
