Serie A: Juventus-AS Roma Tiff is the Perfect Year-Ender for 2023

Juventus vs AS Roma

This Serie A contest between Juventus and AS Roma is easily the pick of the litter this New Year’s Eve because there’s a lot on the line between these two sides.

For Juventus, their objective is to eventually leapfrog table leaders Inter Milan. Right now, I Bianconeri (40 points) are in second place, trailing Inter by four points, and a win here would pull them closer.

Four places below them are where AS Roma are, with 28 points. I Giallorossi are keen on leapfrogging the likes of Fiorentina and surprise package Bologna to get back into the Champions League mix.

Both of these teams are fresh from wins the last time out, but only one of them can stay unbeaten at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday.

Talking Points

Who will start up front for Juve?

With several Juve forwards sidelined against Frosinone on Saturday, Max Allegri made the surprising move of handing Kenan Yildiz his first start in a Juve uniform, and the 18-year-old forward delivered.

In just 12 minutes into his debut, Yildiz gave Juventus a 1-0 lead, and he did it with style, moving past three players in the box before firing the ball into the bottom corner at the near post.

Although his night was cut short because he was subbed off for Dusan Vlahovic, it worked out well for the team since the Serbian scored the marginal goal late for the 2-1 victory.

Max Allegri is now facing a lineup dilemma since he has to think about who to start up front alongside Arek Milik this weekend.

Dusan Vlahovic is eager to fight for his place, and he remains the team’s top scorer with six goals this season. However, Kenan Yildiz’s instant impact cannot be overlooked.

And then there’s Federico Chiesa, who is the team’s second-leading scorer with five goals. Chiesa was absent against Frosinone, which paved the way for Kenan Yildiz to make his debut, and it remains to be seen whether he’ll recover in time for Saturday.

AS Roma’s captain a shell of himself

Team captain Lorenzo Pellegrini is struggling this season, which has raised questions about his future with AS Roma, although he isn’t likely to leave anytime soon since he still has two years in his current contract.

Because of Pellegrini’s inconsistent performances this year and injury history, he is no longer a fixture in the starting XI. Bryan Cristante, Leandro Paredes, and even Edoardo Bove have taken turns taking Pellegrini’s spot in Jose Mourinho’s 3-5-2 formation, and that might not change anytime soon.

So Pellegrini will have to adjust to his new role, which is being one of their go-to guys off the bench. And to his credit, he has shown the capability to do so during their 2-0 win against Napoli last week by scoring a late goal to give themselves the lead for good.

As usual for AS Roma, Romelu Lukaku and Andrea Belotti will continue to carry the offencive cudgels, while leg issues continue to haunt Paulo Dybala.

History

AS Roma managed to claim four points in their two league meetings last season. After holding I Bianconeri to a 1-1 draw in August 2022, I Giallorossi notched a 1-0 win in March this year.

If AS Roma beat Juventus again this weekend, it’ll be the first time that they’ll defeat them in consecutive Serie A matches since 1995 under the late Carlo Mazzone.

But that’ll be easier said than done since Juventus have won 10 of their 12 Serie A home matches against AS Roma since 2012 (D1, L1).

And at the Allianz Stadium, Juve’s backline has been virtually impenetrable because they have conceded one or fewer goals in all of their last 13 home league matches (seven goals conceded).

Betting Tip

The SBOTOP Serie A 2023 odds are partial towards a Juventus home win, as the hosts are priced at 2.09, while AS Roma are at 3.59 odds, and a draw is at 2.89 in the 1×2 market.

Moreover, if fans expect several Serie A 2023 highlights from this fixture, then Total Goal 2-3 at 1.95 is a viable alternative. If not, then take a look at Total Goal 0-1 at 2.36 or Under 2.25 at 1.62.

While Juventus have historically been the better team in this particular fixture, AS Roma have shown that they can win from time to time.

And if you fancy that happening, then Correct Score 1-0 in favour of AS Roma – the result of their most recent meeting – has a generous offer of 8.00.

 

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