Juventus’ bid to salvage Champions League soccer from their deeply disappointing Serie A marketing campaign can be severely examined on Sunday evening at red-hot Roma because the battle for a top-four spot hots up. Igor Tudor’s fifth-placed facet are one level exterior the Champions League positions forward of their journey to Rome after a shaky, if profitable, begin in opposition to Genoa final weekend. And with six groups nonetheless within the hunt for 2 locations with eight matches remaining, Juve head to Rome at actual threat of not reaching Europe’s elite membership competitors. Juve can’t afford to overlook out on the Champions League given the membership’s latest unfavourable monetary historical past and the over 200 million euros ($217 million) invested in renewing the squad for Tudor’s sacked predecessor Thiago Motta.
Seven factors separate third-placed Atalanta and Fiorentina in eighth on a weekend when the six contenders both face a direct rival or one other sort of robust fixture.
Juve are being stored out of the highest 4 by in-form Bologna who host title-chasing Napoli on Monday evening and are on a run of six straight wins after beating Empoli 3-0 in Tuesday’s first leg of their Italian Cup semi-final.
Meanwhile each Roma and Lazio — at Atalanta on Sunday — are three factors behind Juve with Fiorentina an additional level again forward of their dwelling conflict with troubled AC Milan, who sit ninth and 9 factors behind Bologna.
At the Stadio Olimpico Juve will face Italy’s type group in Roma, who’re looking what can be a shock Champions League qualification after a outstanding renaissance below Claudio Ranieri.
Roma are on a seven-match profitable streak in Serie A and have not misplaced within the league since earlier than Christmas, dropping simply six factors of their final 14 fixtures.
However Juve are the primary of a run of robust fixtures for Roma who’ve made essentially the most of their latest matches in opposition to extra modest opposition and have misplaced talisman Paulo Dybala to harm for the remainder of the season.
After taking over Juve, Roma face native rivals Lazio and have journeys to league leaders Inter Milan and Atalanta, in addition to the go to of Fiorentina, in a make-or-break finish to the marketing campaign.
Inter, in the meantime, face one of many much less strenuous fixtures of their April tour de drive, in opposition to Parma on Saturday with the primary leg of their Champions League quarter-final in opposition to Bayern Munich in Germany approaching Tuesday evening.
Inter, three factors forward of Napoli on the prime of the division, are sweating on the situation of captain Lautaro Martinez forward of the journey to Bavaria.
Player to look at: Riccardo OrsoliniWinger Orsolini is in scorching type for Bologna forward of their conflict with Napoli, with 5 targets in his final 5 matches for a group gunning for a second consecutive qualification for the Champions League.
The 28-year-old is having an incredible season below Vincenzo Italiano with 13 targets and three assists, and is pushing to be introduced again into the Italy fold after being ignored by Luciano Spalletti.
Azzurri boss Spalletti was at Bologna’s thumping of Empoli on Tuesday evening and watched Orsolini lash within the opening purpose and carry out a “knock-knock” gesture right into a pitchside TV digicam.
That was a transparent message to Spalletti who hasn’t referred to as him up as soon as since two brief appearances in friendlies earlier than final yr’s disastrous title defence on the European Championships.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
