Juventus will bring the curtain down on another successful domestic season when they host rivals Roma at the Allianz Arena on Saturday evening.
The Old Lady secured their ninth consecutive title with victory over Sampdoria last weekend, yet suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat to mid-table Cagliari in midweek.
As for Roma, their fifth place was assured after an entertaining 3-2 win over struggling Torino on Wednesday, with former Premier League stars Edin Dzeko and Chris Smalling both on the scoresheet.
The result saw the I Giallorossi continue their fine recent run of form in this clash, although they have already been beaten by the three-time title winners this season – in both Serie A and the Coppa Italia.
it is. 90 minutes A comprehensive overview of this upcoming fixture…
When is kick off? Saturday 1st August
What time is kick off? 19:45 (BST)
Where is it played? Allianz Arena
TV channel/live stream? Premier Sports 1, Live Score App
The hosts were without a number of key men in their defeat in midweek and it looks like it will be a similar scenario on Saturday.
Boss Maurizio Sarri will certainly not be able to field long-term absentees Giorgio Chiellini, Sami Khedira and Mattia DiSciglio, while Paulo Dybala and Douglas Costa are also likely to be unavailable. One positive for the former Chelsea manager will be that midfielder Adrien Rabiot will be eligible for selection once again after returning from suspension.
Maurizio Sarri wins his first Serie A title this season / Alessandro Sabatini/Getty Images
As for the visitors, there will be one notable absentee in the form of midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini, who recently underwent surgery on a broken nose. Manager Paulo Fonseca could make a number of changes for the trip to Turin, with a crucial Europa League clash against Sevilla on August 6.
Juventus: Buffon Danilo, Demirel, Rugani, Alex Sandro; Matuidi, Rabiot, Ramsey; Bernardeschi, Higuain, Ronaldo.
Rome: Lopez; Small, Fazio, Collaro; Perez, Verretout, Diawra, Spinazola; Zaniolo, Mukhtaryan; Clinic.
It’s not the most pleasant way for Juventus to win the league title, their recent form has led to several weaknesses this season. A run of just two wins from their last seven matches has made it one of the club’s less comfortable Scudetto victories in recent history – with Antonio Conte’s Inter and Atalanta on their trail.
That being said, while they have had fewer points in this disjointed Serie A season, Juve are still worthy champions and one of the favorites to take home the Champions League trophy at the end of August.
As for their tenure, they really couldn’t be in better form after winning six of their last seven fixtures, including a 6-1 thrashing of bottom club SPAL. A seven-game unbeaten run might not have been enough to carry them through by a match. A top four finish, however, enabled them to finish fifth behind a resurgent AC Milan side.
Here’s a look at the last five fixtures for both sides:
Juventus
Cagliari 2-0 Juventus (29/07/2020)
Juventus 2-0 Sampdoria (07/26/2020)
Udinese 2-1 Juventus (07/23/2020)
Juventus 2-1 Lazio (07/20/2020)
Sassuolo 3-3 Juventus (07/15/2020)
Rome
Torn 2-3 Rome (29/07/2020)
Rome 2-1 Fiorentina (07/26/2020)
SPAL 1-6 Rome (07/22/2020)
Rome 2-2 Inter (07/19/2020)
Rome 2-1 Verona (07/15/2020)
With both sides having little to play for in this final day’s meeting, apart from perhaps personal pride, it is likely to be a draw and drama affair.
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 31 Serie A goals this season / Stefano Geddi / Getty Images
Indeed, both sides will have their eyes on their European ties next week and we could be set to see a number of personnel changes that could dampen this high-profile fixture somewhat.
At least the hosts will get a chance to see their gorgeous new home kit debut.
Prediction: Juventus 2-2 Rome