After a strong start to the new season, a revitalised Juventus will host AS Roma in Turin on Sunday evening, looking to claim their third straight win of the 2024/25 Serie A season.
The Old Lady have mauled Serie A minnows Cagliari and Empoli by a couple of 3-0 scorelines and are looking to make it three wins from three against a struggling Roma side.
Given their fine start to the season, Juventus will head into this Sunday’s contest as overwhelming favourites.
Not only have the Bianconeri kicked off their campaign in fine form, they have also dominated their capital counterparts in recent times and another victory could be on the cards this weekend.
Fans eager to witness the action firsthand have already begun snapping up Juventus tickets on Seatsnet.com in anticipation of another strong performance from the Bianconeri.
Juventus’ blistering start to the season has shot them to the top of the Serie A standings ahead of arch-rivals and reigning champions Inter Milan.
With six goals scored, two clean sheets kept, and maximum points to their name so far, the Bianconeri are setting the pace in the Italian top flight.
The Old Lady dispatched newly promoted Como with a 3-0 win on the opening matchday before sweeping aside Hellas Verona by an identical scoreline.
Not only are Juventus firing on all cylinders, Thiago Motta’s side are also running a very tight ship at the back, conceding the fewest shots on target across Europe’s top five leagues so far.
After a disappointing second spell in charge for Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus appointed Motta as their new manager in a bid to restore the club to the pinnacle of Italian football.
The former Inter and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder has quickly made his mark on the team, instilling a defensive solidity and attacking flair that has seen them outshine their rivals.
Dusan Vlahovic has been instrumental in Juventus’s early success. The Serbian striker has netted twice in the opening two matches and could be a talisman for the Bianconeri this season.
The Bianconeri’s resurgence has been fueled by a busy summer transfer window.
New signings have revitalised the squad, and Juventus can now look forward to a return to the Champions League after the international break.
The Serie A giants will face Manchester City, Benfica, PSV Eindhoven, VfB Stuttgart, RB Leipzig, Club Brugge, Lille, and Aston Villa in the new Champions League league phase over the months ahead.
For now, the Bianconeri will be focused on winning their first three Serie A games of a season for the first time in six years as they meet opponents they have totally dominated in Turin.
Roma’s recent history against Juventus is a grim tale of dominance and despair.
The Giallorossi have lost 11 of their last 13 away games against their fierce rivals in Serie A, conceding goals in each of the last 21 encounters.
Their last clean sheet against Juventus dates back to September 2001, when a goal from the legendary Gabriel Batistuta secured a victory for the capital club.
While Roma managed a 1-1 draw against Juventus at Stadio Olimpico in May, their overall performance last season was disappointing.
Despite tailing off at the end of last season, Daniele De Rossi was still appointed as the club’s permanent manager. However, his tenure has gotten off to a rocky start.
Roma have won just one of their last nine matches in all competitions, following an opening-day draw with Cagliari and last week’s shock defeat at home to Empoli.
Despite a late goal from substitute Eldor Shomurodov, Roma were unable to overturn a two-goal deficit and suffered a disappointing loss.
With the Italian transfer window now closed, De Rossi’s new-look side must now focus on turning their fortunes around.
Facing Juventus away from home is a daunting task, but a victory could provide a much-needed boost to their confidence and change the course of their campaign for the better.
Head-to-head
The rivalry between Juventus and Roma is one of the most storied in Italian football, with a history dating back decades.
Both teams have faced each other a total of 180 times in Serie A, with Juventus emerging victorious in 86 of those matches (D52, L42).
Only against Inter have Juventus played more matches (182) and earned more wins (87). While Roma has certainly proven to be a formidable opponent, Juventus’ dominance in this fixture is undeniable.
The last meeting between the two sides ended in a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Olimpico last May. Romelu Lukaku scored for Roma, while Bremer equalised for Juventus.
Interestingly, Juventus and Roma have not drawn two consecutive Serie A matches since March 2006 and September 2007.
Juventus has also been particularly effective in keeping clean sheets against Roma.
The Bianconeri have managed to shut out their rivals 61 times in Serie A. Only against Inter (64), Fiorentina, and Torino (62 each) have Juventus kept more clean sheets in the competition.
Juventus also have an impressive record against the Giallorossi at home, winning 11 out of their last 13 matches since the 2011/12 season (D1, L1).
This remarkable streak is only matched by their home records against Udinese and Fiorentina (also 11).
Also, the Old Lady has found the net in all of their last 21 home games against Roma, a feat surpassed only by their streaks against Bari (27), Parma (26), and Cagliari (24).
Juventus’s strong start to the season could set the tone for the rest of the campaign. The Bianconeri are aiming to win their first three Serie A matches for the first time since 2018/19.
Furthermore, they have only managed to win their opening three games without conceding a goal on three previous occasions: in 2014/15, 2004/05, and 1986/87.
Team news & potential line-ups
Juventus’ new signings, Teun Koopmeiners, Sergio Conceicao, and Nico Gonzalez, are available for selection this weekend, but Timothy Weah and Khephren Thuram are both unavailable due to injuries.
Meanwhile, former Juventus star Matias Soule will be hoping to keep his place in the starting line-up, while Paulo Dybala should link up with Artem Dovbyk in the final third.
Elsewhere, new right-back Saud Abdulhamid will compete with Zeki Celik for a place in defence, while Roma’s only absentee is French midfielder Enzo Le Fee.
Juventus potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Michele Di Gregorio; Nicolo Savona, Federico Gatti, Gleison Bremer, Juan Cabal; Manuel Locatelli, Nicolo Fagioli; Andreas Cambiaso, Kenan Yildiz, Samuel Mbangoula; Dusan Vlahovic.
AS Roma potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Mile Svilar; Zeki Celik, Gianluca Mancini, Evan Ndicka, Angelino; Leandro Paredes, Bryan Cristante; Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Nicola Zalewski; Artem Dovbyk.
