Roma will be hoping to build on their midweek Coppa Italia win when they welcome Parma to the Italian capital for their 17th Serie A match.
Roma, hovering two points above the relegation zone, desperately need a win when they face Parma in Sunday’s lunchtime clash. Both sides will be eager for redemption after the Giallorossi lost 2-0 to 18th-placed Como and Emilian lost 3-2 to Hellas Verona last weekend.
Kick-off is scheduled for Sunday at 12.30pm (CET) in Rome.
Rome
Roma’s league nightmare continued after a humiliating loss to relegation candidates Como last weekend. It marked their eighth defeat of the season and extended Serie A’s winless streak away from home. The last league win occurred in April last season.
But midweek Coppa Italia victory provided a rare moment of relief for the embattled Giallorossi. The capital club recorded a resounding 4-1 win over Sampdoria in the last 16 of the Coppa Italia on Wednesday. The win set up a quarter-final showdown with AC Milan in February. The club is aiming to win its 10th Coppa Italia title.
Claudio Ranieri is expected to return several regular starters to his line-up against Parma, including goalkeeper Mile Svila and midfielder Manu Kone, after resting several key players on Wednesday. He will also welcome the return of veteran defender Mats Hummels, who missed the game due to flu.
Meanwhile, Ranieri is expected to utilize the attacking trio of Paulo Dybala and Stephane El Shaarawy behind Artem Dobvik, who scored in the first half against Samp.
“We will face Parma with the same determination we have shown since I arrived. I don’t want to see another game like the second half against Como. Because honestly it was shocking,” Ranieri admitted to reporters at the pre-match press conference.
“I cannot deny that I am disappointed. Parma is an energetic team that plays directly, and all of their forwards are good. They are one of the teams that loses the ball the least in midfield because they don’t spend much time there. They play right up front.”
He added: “Sometimes they play 4-2-4 with a lot of movement up front, so we will have to pay attention to both the first and second balls.”
parma
Like hosts Roma, Parma desperately need a point to halt a two-game losing streak.
Fabio Pecchia’s side endured a tough setback in the survival race last weekend, losing 3-2 at home to fellow side Hellas Verona despite Simon Som’s brace. The defeat extended Parma’s clean sheet run at home as Verona took advantage of one of Serie A’s most porous defences.
To make matters worse, the visitors faced the Giallorossi without several key players as injuries continued to deplete their squad. Long-term absentees Alessandro Circati, Mateusz Kowalski and Gabriel Charpentier, who tore his Achilles tendon earlier this month, remain sidelined, while Nahuel Estevez, Jordan Osorio and Adrian Bernabe also join the growing list in the treatment room.
“Nobody expected that we would lose players for such a long period of time, I certainly didn’t,” Pecchia admitted at a press conference on Saturday.
“It is beyond our control, but we have seen other Serie A teams face similar emergencies. That means we must face this problem head on and take collective responsibility.”
“Roma is a great team with a fantastic atmosphere and a new sense of calm. “I would like to see them take on Parma, a team that aspires to compete against top teams that boast quality, structure and fitness.”
Expected Lineup
Rome (3-4-2-1): Svila; Mancini, Hummels, Ndika; Salemaechus, Cone, Paredes, Angelino; Dybala, El Shaarawy; Dobvik
Unavailable: Brian Cristante
Parma (4-2-3-1): Suzuki; Hainaut, Delprato, Balogh, Valeri; Keita, Somme; Mann, Ernani, Mikhaila; pretty
Not available: Jordan Osorio, Adrian Bernabe, Gabrielle Charpentier, Mateusz Kowalski, Alessandro Circati, Nahuel Estevez, Lautaro Valenti
