While Roma remains on a mostly upward trajectory under the guidance of Gian Piero Gasperini, today’s test against Juventus at the Allianz Stadium in Torino reinforced the adage that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Roma have been fortunate to avoid recent setbacks against the Old Lady of Italian Football. Still, with only one win in their last six meetings and only five since 2015, the result remains the same for the Giallorossi.
Gasperini’s group entered today’s fixture four points
ahead of Luciano Spalletti’s side, but with Evan Ndicka on international duty with the Ivory Coast at AFCON and Mario Hermoso scratched from the lineup hours before kickoff, Roma had to scramble to patch together a functioning defense, giving rare starts to Jan Ziolkowski and Devyne Rensch.
The match began as most Juve vs. Roma fixtures do–full of anxiety, animosity, and a healthy dose of pessimism. After the get-to-know-you phase of the game gave way, Roma and Juve began trading salvos at either end of the pitch. In the 8th minute, Manuel Locatelli forced a diving save from Mile Svilar with a well-struck free kick. Roma responded quickly, with Paulo Dybala bringing Michele Di Gregorio off his line three minutes later, forcing a save from the resplendently bearded keeper.
As the half progressed, the match grew more physical and chances became less frequent. Manu Koné saw a fast break thwarted by a Locatelli block, while defensive discipline led to early cards for Matías Soulé and Juventus’ Francisco Conceição.
While neither club found the back of the net over the next 20 minutes or so, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Dybala both had clean looks on goal. Pellegrini missed two successive chances in the 31st and 32nd minutes, while Dybala was left frustrated after having a shot blocked by Bremer and then missing a close-range effort moments later.
And in practically the next breath, Khéphren Thuram forced a reflex save from Svilar in the 33rd minute following a rapid transition, signaling Juventus’ growing threat on the break.
That threat soon became a promise…
After drawing two defenders out of the box, Kenan Yildiz found Andrea Cambiaso in the box. With a clever flick of his heel, Cambiaso set up Francisco Conceição in the middle of the 18-yard box, where the Portuguese winger beat Svilar with a quick left-footed effort.
Down a goal, the Giallorossi’s hope wasn’t lost, but the Bianconeri started the second half on the front foot, nearly doubling their advantage in the 52nd minute when Yıldız fired a left-footed effort just wide of the post. Shortly after, Cambiaso tested Mile Svilar with a powerful strike from distance, forcing the Roma keeper into another diving save.
In an attempt to shift the game’s momentum, both managers turned to their benches early in the second half. Seemingly dissatisfied with his club’s efforts up front, Gasperini swapped out Soulé and Dybaa for Evan Ferguson and Tommaso Baldanzi in the 56th minute, while Spalletti lost Conceição and Emerson to minor knocks in the 61st minute.
While Gasperini’s attacking tweaks addressed the club’s lack of a focal point in the first half, Juve rendered his tinkering moot in the 70th minute when Loïs Openda pounced on a loose ball after Svilar denied Weston McKennie’s header, leaving Roma staring down a two-goal deficit with 20 minutes remaining.
Just as the book began to officially close on Roma’s chances at the Allianz, Roma scraped a goal back in the 75th minute. Following a stinging effort from Ferguson, set up by a tremendous team press and an incisive tackle from Wesley, Baldanzi poked home the rebound to pull the capital club within one.
But, sadly, that wasn’t enough to propel Roma towards a draw as Gasperini’s side dropped their sixth match of the season.
Final Thoughts
I’m not going to rush out and sell my Roma Makes the Champions League stock just yet, but this match was another reminder—not that it was needed—that the club remains bedeviled by their rivals for a spot in the Serie A top four. Apart from Svilar’s typical heroics and solid efforts from Ziolkowski and Wesley at the back, not much went right for Roma this evening—the attack was still dreadful, transitions to slow and the results were too predictable.
Up Next
Roma gets a mini-break for the holidays before hosting Daniele De Rossi and Genoa on the 29th.
