After their successful start under new management, Roma will be back in action on Monday evening as they face southern rivals Salernitana at Stadio Arechi.
Salernitana, who currently sit at the bottom of the Serie A standings with only two wins this season, will host Roma after their recent victory against lowly Hellas Verona.
Match Preview:
Following the departure of former coach Jose Mourinho, Roma began their new era with a win against Hellas Verona.
The team, led by new manager Daniele De Rossi, opted for a different defensive strategy and secured a 2-1 victory with goals from Romelu Lukaku and Lorenzo Pellegrini.
This win brought some relief after the previous losses to AC Milan and arch-rivals Lazio in the league and Coppa Italia.
De Rossi, who has been appointed interim boss until the end of the season, will now focus on building momentum for the team.
While Roma has maintained an unbeaten record at home since September, they have suffered three consecutive defeats in their away fixtures against Bologna, Juventus, and Milan in Serie A.
As they return from their midweek friendly win over Al-Shabab in Saudi Arabia, Roma aims to secure a rare away victory. So far, they have only managed to win twice in their 10 away games in the league.
In their previous encounters at Stadio Arechi, Roma has enjoyed success, winning three out of four matches and keeping a clean sheet each time. De Rossi hopes to replicate that performance this weekend.
Salernitana has only won one out of their nine top-flight meetings with Roma. However, they managed to draw 2-2 in their last two encounters.
On the opening day of the current tough campaign, Salernitana held Roma to a draw in Rome, with Antonio Candreva’s brace almost leading to a famous victory.
Under the guidance of current coach Pippo Inzaghi, Salernitana has been struggling to improve their long-term slump.
They have only managed to win two out of their last 22 league matches, with their most recent defeat coming against Genoa last week.
Despite scoring early in the match through Agustin Martegani, they suffered a 3-1 loss and have dropped the most points from winning positions in Serie A (18).
Currently sitting at the bottom of the standings with only 12 points, Salernitana needs to make a remarkable comeback similar to their survival two years ago when they were almost doomed at Christmas.
Salernitana Serie A form: L D W L L L
Salernitana form (all competitions): D W L L L L
Roma Serie A form: L W L D L W
Roma form (all competitions): W D L L W W
Team News:
Roma’s manager, Daniele De Rossi, experimented with his team in a midweek exhibition game but is expected to field a similar lineup to the one that started against Verona on Monday.
Paulo Dybala has recovered from a minor muscular injury, but Leonardo Spinazzola joins Tammy Abraham, Chris Smalling, and Renato Sanches in the treatment room.
Evan Ndicka and Sardar Azmoun are still on international duty, and Leandro Paredes will serve a one-match ban.
Gianluca Mancini and Bryan Cristante return from suspension, with the latter likely to start alongside club captain Lorenzo Pellegrini in midfield.
Pellegrini, along with Salernitana’s Antonio Candreva, has been directly involved in more than 60 Serie A goals since the 2017-18 season.
Candreva has also scored five goals in his last five games against Roma, including three against his former club Lazio.
Salernitana will be without last season’s top scorer Boulaye Dia, and Federico Fazio is doubtful due to a thigh problem.
Lassana Coulibaly and Jovane Cabral are away for the Africa Cup of Nations with Mali and Cape Verde, respectively.
Simy or Chukwu Ikwuemesi will likely lead the line up front in Dia’s absence, while recent loan signings Toma Basic, Niccolo Pierozzi, and Alessandro Zanoli are expected to feature.
Possible Starting Lineups:
Salernitana: (4-3-2-1)
Ochoa;
Zanoli, Gyomber, Daniliuc, Bradaric;
Martegani, Maggiore, Basic;
Candreva, Tchaouna;
Simy
Roma: (4-3-2-1)
Patricio;
Karsdorp, Mancini, Llorente, Kristensen;
Pellegrini, Cristante, Bove;
El Shaarawy, Dybala;
Lukaku
Prediction: Salernitana 0-2 Roma
Considering Roma’s positive start under new management and Salernitana’s defensive vulnerabilities, it is likely that Roma will secure a 2-0 victory in this match.
Salernitana has been conceding an average of two goals per game at Stadio Arechi, making them susceptible to Roma’s attacking prowess.
