Juventus Looking For Commanding Serie A Lead Against Roma
December 16, 2016 in Sports News
The game between Serie A leaders Juventus (39 points) against second-place Roma, which is four points behind, highlights the seventeenth week of action in the top division of Italian soccer.
Another key match will feature A.C. Milan, third place in the league with 32 points, against the surprising Atalanta, which has so far been the revelation of the tournament.
Meanwhile fourth placed Napoli, who trails Milan by one point, will play eight-place Torino in a match that features two squads who are recently playing some of the most attractive football in the league.
Juventus-Roma is not only a major rivalry in Serie A, but also a key matchup due to the current position of both clubs in the standings. A win by Juve would mean the “Bianconeri” would assume a commanding seven-point lead of the league, while a win by Roma would mean all the options remain open in a league that has seen Juventus win the last five Italian championships.
Roma arrives to this match in great shape: Juventus won its last game 3-1 against Torino and has won six of its last eight matches in Serie A with the two losses coming on the road against A.C. Milan (0-1, Oct. 22) and Genoa (1-3, Nov. 27).
Roma has won eight of its last 10 games and is currently on a three-game winning streak with the last two victories coming against Lazio and A.C. Milan. In fact, Roma’s last win was a 1-0 win against A.C Milan.
Individually, the game will feature Juventus’ Gonzalo Higuain and Roma’s Edin Dzeko, two of the best strikers in Serie A this season. In 16 games this season, Dzeko leads the league with 12 goals, while the Argentinian has nine.
Juventus will try to win is 25th-straight home game in a row as they prepare to play the Italian Super Cup final against Milan in Doha, Qatar.
In other games, fifth-place Lazio will play Fiorentina, while Inter will pay a visit to Sassuolo, an opponent that has defeated them the last three times they met in Serie A. In those matches, Inter has managed to score just two goals, while Sassuolo scored seven.