Roma hope to build on their midweek Coppa Italia win as they welcome Parma to the Italian capital in Matchday 17 of Serie A.
Hovering two points above the relegation zone, Roma are in desperate need of a victory on Sunday when they face-off against Parma in their lunch-time hour fixture. Both sides will be eager for redemption after suffering dismal defeats last weekend—the Giallorossi falling 2-0 to 18th-placed Como while the Emilians lost out 3-2 to Hellas Verona.
Kick-off is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 12.30 CET in Rome.
Roma
Roma’s league nightmares continued last weekend after they suffered a humiliating defeat to relegation candidates Como. It marked their eighth defeat of the season and extended their Serie A winless streak away from home—their last league win occurring last season in April.
However, midweek Coppa Italia victory provided a rare moment of relief for the embattled Giallorossi. The capital club earned a commanding 4-1 win over Sampdoria on Wednesday in the Coppa Italia Round of 16. The win set-up a quarterfinal showdown with AC Milan in February—the club aiming to hoist their tenth Coppa Italia title.
After resting a couple key players on Wednesday, Claudio Ranieri is expected to restore several regular starters to the lineup against Parma—including goalkeeper Mile Svilar and midfielder Manu Kone. He’ll also welcome back veteran defender Mats Hummels, who missed the match due to influenza.
Meanwhile, Ranieri is expected to utilise an attacking trio of Paulo Dybala and Stephan El Shaarawy behind Artem Dovbyk, who scored a first half brace against Samp.
“We’ll face Parma with the same determination we’ve shown ever since I arrived. I don’t want to see another display like the second half against Como because quite honestly it was shocking,” Ranieri admitted to reporters during his pre match press conference.
“I can’t deny I was disappointed. Parma are a team with a lot of energy who play direct and all their forwards are good. They’re one of the teams that have lost the least balls in midfield because they don’t spend much time there – they play it forward straight away.”
Adding, “Sometimes they play 4-2-4 with a lot of movement up front so we’ll have to be alert on both the first and the second balls.”
Parma
Like hosts Roma, Parma are in desperate need of points as they look to halt a two-game losing streak.
Fabio Pecchia’s side endured a tough setback in their survival battle last weekend, falling 3-2 at home to fellow strugglers Hellas Verona despite a brace from Simon Sohm. The defeat extended Parma’s run of top-flight home matches without a clean sheet, as Verona capitalized on one of Serie A’s most porous defenses.
To make matters worse, the visitors face the Giallorossi without several key players, as injuries continue to deplete their squad. Long-term absentees Alessandro Circati, Mateusz Kowalski, and Gabriel Charpentier, who tore his Achilles earlier this month, remain sidelined, while Nahuel Estevez, Yordan Osorio, and Adrian Bernabe have also joined the growing list in the treatment room.
“No one expected us to lose players for such extended periods—I certainly didn’t,” Pecchia admitted Saturday during a press conference.
“It’s something outside of our control, but we’ve seen other Serie A teams face similar emergencies. That said, we need to face this head-on and take collective responsibility.”
Adding, “Roma is a great team, with a fantastic atmosphere and renewed serenity. I want to see a battling Parma, a team eager to compete against a top side that boasts quality, structure, and physical strength.”
Predicted Lineups
ROMA (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Mancini, Hummels, Ndicka; Saelemaekers, Koné, Paredes, Angelino; Dybala, El Shaarawy; Dovbyk
Unavailable: Bryan Cristante
PARMA (4-2-3-1): Suzuki; Hainaut, Delprato, Balogh, Valeri; Keita, Sohm; Man, Hernani, Mihaila; Bonny
Unavailable: Yordan Osorio, Adrián Bernabé, Gabriel Charpentier, Mateusz Kowalski, Alessandro Circati, Nahuel Estévez, Lautaro Valenti
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