Juventus vs Roma

Juventus [DDWLW] host Roma at the Allianz Stadium on December 20 in one of the standout fixtures of the Serie A calendar, with both sides firmly in the hunt near the top of the table. Roma arrive in Turin sitting fourth in the standings with 30 points, four ahead of fifth-placed Juventus, making this a pivotal contest in the race for Champions League qualification.

A win for Juventus would close the gap significantly, while Roma have the chance to strengthen their grip on the top four and underline their credentials away from home.

Juventus’ form has been steady rather than spectacular. They have won half of their last six Serie A matches, picking up results without always convincing.

However, the Allianz Stadium has remained a fortress. The Bianconeri are unbeaten in their last 11 home league games and have avoided defeat in 46 of their last 53 Serie A fixtures overall, a run that reflects consistency and defensive control even when performances have dipped.

The recent head-to-head suggests a tight and tactical encounter. Four of the last six meetings between Juventus and Roma across all competitions have ended in draws, and Juventus have managed just one win in their last six Serie A games against the Giallorossi.

Jonathan David is expected to lead Juve’s 4-2-3-1 formation having done so for last weekend’s 1-0 win over ten-man Bologna.

Teun Koopmeiners is suspended for this fixture.

Roma recently put an end to a string of back-to-back defeats [WWLLW] with last weekend’s 1-0 win over troublesome Como. Along with table-topping Inter, Roma remain one of the two sides yet to draw a match this season.

More broadly, they have been remarkably resilient, remaining unbeaten in 31 of their last 37 league matches, a statistic that underlines their growing consistency at the top end of the table.

Furthermore, they have been especially impressive on their travels. They have won five of their seven away league matches this season, showing an ability to manage difficult environments and take points on the road.

That strength away from home will be tested in Turin.

Given Juventus’ strong home record and Roma’s recent dominance in the head-to-head, this fixture shapes up as a finely poised contest.

A draw would suit Roma more than their hosts, but Juventus’ need to make up ground could force them to take risks late on in what promises to be a tense, high-quality Serie A battle.

A 3-4-2-1 formation with Evan Ferguson in attack is expected for Saturday’s clash with the Old Lady.