Max Allegri’s charges were victorious last time out, beating city rivals Torino by three goals to one in the first Derby della Mole of the year. That win leaves them four points clear of second-placed Roma and seven ahead of Milan in third spot, with the race for the Scudetto now arguably between these two teams alone. Juventus have not played particularly well for much of the campaign up to now but have still found a way to win on a consistent basis, which is exactly why they are considered favourites to triumph on Saturday and in the longer-term battle for the title.
Luciano Spalletti’s men recorded an important victory of their own last weekend, beating Milan 1-0 thanks to a second-half strike from midfielder Radja Nainggolan. Roma certainly look substantially stronger than they did this time last year and may well fancy their chances of pushing Juventus all the way – particularly as the Bianconeri are also seeking success in the Champions League – but Saturday’s encounter will be essential in helping to determine whether or not they really have what it takes to go all the way this season.
Juventus will have to make do without defensive duo Dani Alves and Leanardo Bonucci, although Marko Pjaca and Andrea Barzagli have both returned to training and could be available for selection once more. Allegri has flitted between a three- and four-man backline this term but is more likely to go with the former option for this game, while striker Paulo Dybala should return to the starting XI after recovering from injury and returning to action as a substitute in the 3-1 defeat of Torino last Sunday afternoon.
Roma, meanwhile, will be unable to call upon the services of Leandro Paredes, Alessandro Florenzi, Mo Salah and Bruno Peres. The absence of Peres will probably lead to a switch in formation from 3-4-1-2 to 4-2-3-1, with Nainggolan stationed behind striker Edin Dzeko and Diego Perotti and Stephan El Shaarawy providing support from the flanks. At the back, Kostas Manolas will again be partnered by Federico Fazio, with the pair of central defenders set to be hugely important figures as they attempt to keep the likes of Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain quiet at the Juventus Stadium.
Taking everything into account, it is probably worth putting your money behind a Juventus win in this weekend’s highly-anticipated fixture in Serie A. Roma have been disappointing on the road so far this season – Spalletti’s men have won only three of their eight matches away from home, and one of those was against Lazio at their own stadium – and could find things tough against a team who are so dominant in front of their own supporters. A 2-1 Juventus triumph is worth a look in the correct scoreline market, while the in-form Dzeko would represent a sensible choice to find the back of the net anytime.
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