Juventus claimed a 2-1 home win over Roma in Serie A, and Luciano Spalletti described it as a double success, as the performance also gave the squad belief that they could match another aggressive top-four rival across ninety tense minutes in Turin.
Francisco Conceicao scored just before half-time at Allianz Stadium, and Lois Openda added a second after the break, before Tommaso Baldanzi reacted fastest to an Evan Ferguson spill on 75 minutes, setting up a nervous finish that Juventus managed to see out.
That victory pushed Juventus to fifth place in Serie A, leaving the team one point behind Roma in the table, and it also extended an impressive recent surge, with six wins from seven matches in all competitions, compared with only five victories
across the first 16 fixtures of the campaign, excluding Club World Cup matches, when Juventus also recorded eight draws and three defeats.
The result also marked an improvement in Juventus’ record against teams starting a matchday inside Serie A’s top four, as Spalletti’s side had previously managed only one win from seven such league games, with three draws and three losses, before collecting these latest three points against Roma.
Conceicao’s opener arrived on 44 minutes, giving Juventus an advantage at a crucial time, while Openda struck with 20 minutes left to become the first Belgian player to score for Juventus against Roma in Serie A, and the home side also edged the underlying data, generating 2.33 expected goals from 13 shots, compared with Roma’s 1.53 xG from 15 attempts.
Spalletti felt those numbers reflected a deserved win but stressed the match offered deeper lessons, particularly regarding Roma’s intensity under Gian Piero Gasperini, noting how Juventus struggled at times with sustained pressure and tempo, even if the visitors did not carve out constant clear chances during the first period.
"I feel like biting you when you ask me things like that," Spalletti told the interviewer with a laugh. "What does that mean, no big games? They are all difficult now. Winning, and learning from those teams whom you beat, represent a double victory, because they also give you self-belief and the knowledge you can fight it out with anyone. We pushed to the very end, and even when conceding that late goal, the team wanted more. Now we will keep working and hopefully try to claw back some more lost ground. "
Spalletti also analysed Roma’s style in detail, highlighting how the constant movement and pressing tested Juventus’ focus over long spells. "Roma are a side who will keep churning and churning, whereas we are not like that, we have moments where we drop out of the game," Spalletti added. "We lose the ball cheaply.They switch from side to side, so if we don’t manage to funnel them in one direction, we use up a lot of energy chasing them down. Even if they weren’t all that dangerous, their tempo, consistency, solidity, all that caused us problems in the first half. We also didn’t make the most of the counter-attacks that opened up. Their constant pressure wears you down, and you don’t have the energy needed to go on the counter. Gasperini’s teams create these mini-prisons that you feel like you have to break out of, there’s always someone on your back. "
Spalletti acknowledged that Juventus sometimes drifted out of the contest and wasted promising breaks, but also felt the team showed resilience by defending the lead late on, and the coach hopes the experience of managing Roma’s pressing can help Juventus refine decision-making when playing out, conserving energy and choosing moments to counter-attack more effectively during future Serie A fixtures.
FT || Three huge points for the Bianconeri! Powered by @EASPORTSFC #JuveRoma pic.twitter.com/56mW9GOejoJuventusFC(@juventusfcen) December 20, 2025
For Juventus, this Juventus vs Roma Serie A meeting delivered a tangible league boost and also a useful tactical test, reinforcing belief after a strong recent run, while highlighting areas to refine in possession and transition, as Spalletti and the squad aim to close the small gap separating them from Roma and the division’s leading positions.
