Igor Tudor (C) gained his first match in command of Juventus, towards Genoa final weekend (MARCO BERTORELLO)
Juventus’ bid to salvage Champions League soccer from their deeply disappointing Serie A marketing campaign shall be critically examined on Sunday evening at red-hot Roma because the battle for a top-four spot hots up.
Commercial
Igor Tudor’s fifth-placed aspect are one level outdoors the Champions League positions forward of their journey to Rome after a shaky, if profitable, begin towards Genoa final weekend.
And with six groups nonetheless within the hunt for 2 locations with eight matches remaining, Juve head to Rome at actual threat of not reaching Europe’s elite membership competitors.
Juve can not afford to overlook out on the Champions League given the membership’s latest destructive monetary historical past and the over 200 million euros ($217 million) invested in renewing the squad for Tudor’s sacked predecessor Thiago Motta.
Seven factors separate third-placed Atalanta and Fiorentina in eighth on a weekend when the six contenders both face a direct rival or one other kind of powerful fixture.
Commercial
Juve are being saved out of the highest 4 by in-form Bologna who host title-chasing Napoli on Monday evening and are on a run of six straight wins after beating Empoli 3-0 in Tuesday’s first leg of their Italian Cup semi-final.
In the meantime each Roma and Lazio — at Atalanta on Sunday — are three factors behind Juve with Fiorentina an additional level again forward of their house conflict with troubled AC Milan, who sit ninth and 9 factors behind Bologna.
On the Stadio Olimpico Juve will face Italy’s kind workforce in Roma, who’re searching what could be a shock Champions League qualification after a outstanding renaissance beneath Claudio Ranieri.
Roma are on a seven-match profitable streak in Serie A and have not misplaced within the league since earlier than Christmas, dropping simply six factors of their final 14 fixtures.
Commercial
Nevertheless Juve are the primary of a run of powerful fixtures for Roma who’ve made essentially the most of their latest matches towards extra modest opposition and have misplaced talisman Paulo Dybala to damage for the remainder of the season.
After taking over Juve, Roma face native rivals Lazio and have journeys to league leaders Inter Milan and Atalanta, in addition to the go to of Fiorentina, in a make-or-break finish to the marketing campaign.
Inter, in the meantime, face one of many much less strenuous fixtures of their April tour de power, towards Parma on Saturday with the primary leg of their Champions League quarter-final towards Bayern Munich in Germany approaching Tuesday evening.
Inter, three factors forward of Napoli on the high of the division, are sweating on the situation of captain Lautaro Martinez forward of the journey to Bavaria.
Commercial
Participant to look at: Riccardo Orsolini
Winger Orsolini is in sizzling kind for Bologna forward of their conflict with Napoli, with 5 objectives in his final 5 matches for a workforce gunning for a second consecutive qualification for the Champions League.
The 28-year-old is having a terrific season beneath Vincenzo Italiano with 13 objectives and three assists, and is pushing to be introduced again into the Italy fold after being ignored by Luciano Spalletti.
Azzurri boss Spalletti was at Bologna’s thumping of Empoli on Tuesday evening and watched Orsolini lash within the opening aim and carry out a “knock-knock” gesture right into a pitchside TV digital camera.
Commercial
That was a transparent message to Spalletti who hasn’t known as him up as soon as since two brief appearances in friendlies earlier than final 12 months’s disastrous title defence on the European Championships.
Key stats
6 – The variety of groups contesting two Champions League locations, from third-placed Atalanta to Fiorentina in eighth.
3 – Inter’s factors lead over Napoli.
Fixtures (instances GMT)
Friday
Genoa v Udinese (1845)
Saturday
Monza v Como (1300), Parma v Inter Milan (1600), AC Milan v Fiorentina (1845)
Sunday
Lecce v Venezia (1030), Empoli v Cagliari, Torino v Verona (1300), Atalanta v Lazio (1600), Roma v Juventus (1845)
Monday
Bologna v Napoli (1845)
td/jc