While the eyes of the world will understandably be on Saturday night's huge Serie A title clash between Juventus and Napoli, another battle will be coming to a head just below them. As they prepare to travel to second-from-bottom Carpi on Friday night, Roma find themselves right in the thick of it.
Luciano Spalletti's side come into the weekend in fifth place on 44 points, but after winning three games on the bounce, they are just two points behind third-placed Fiorentina. Paulo Sousa's stuttering team are holding on to third spot and the final Champions League qualification place by a thread, with Inter Milan sandwiched between the Viola and Roma in fourth on 45 points.
Fiorentina and Inter face off on Saturday night, giving Roma the perfect chance to claim third with a win against Carpi in Modena. They would stay there if their Champions League rivals draw in Florence, as Roma's 2-1 win at the Stadio Artemio Franchi back in October gives the Giallorossi the better of the head-to-head record that decides league placings between teams with the same points.
Spalletti has revitalised Roma since returning to the Italian capital last month, turning around a horrendous run of form that did for Rudi Garcia and pointing a ship that was lumbering towards an iceberg back on course. Roma have earned 10 points from a possible 15 under the Italian, two more than Fiorentina and four more than Inter in the same period.
Some of that is doubtless down to good fortune. Had Domenico Berardi not skied his late penalty at the Stadio Mapei, Roma would likely have drawn 1-1 at Sassuolo instead of winning 2-0, while the crossbar saved them from throwing away a two-goal lead in their 2-1 win over Sampdoria last weekend.
However, there has been a significant improvement in performances, in particular going forward. The past couple of months of Rudi Garcia's reign were characterised by turgid attacking displays, but Spalletti's Roma shares swashbuckling similarities with his first spell, with players coming at the opposition from all angles. It's still embryonic and chaotic and the balance between defence and attack still hasn't been struck, but it is nonetheless better.
A good part of that has been down to the arrival of Stephan El Shaarawy and Diego Perotti in the January window. The pair have added an extra dimension to Roma's attacking play and have already scored three goals between them.
"The Pharaoh" has been superb on the left flank, while Perotti has slotted in perfectly as a False No.9 and looks to have frozen out both Edin Dzeko and Francesco Totti in the central attacking role. His first Roma goal, a fantastic volley against Samp, showing a swiftness of finishing and lightness of foot that the Bosnian has lacked all season.
Their goals, as well as the added defensive solidity brought by fellow new a signing Ervin Zukanovic, have helped Roma to an average of two points per game in the fledgling second half of the season. Given that only frontrunners Napoli and Juventus are running at more than two points per game (2.35 and 2.25 respectively) this season, their current rate would likely be enough to see them take third place come the end of the campaign.
Complicating selection for the weekend somewhat is next Wednesday night's visit of Real Madrid to the Stadio Olimpico in the Champions league round of 16. Dzeko may feature against Carpi as Spalletti looks to manage his squad ahead of a huge midweek clash that once seemed a lost cause but with injuries to Gareth Bale and Marcelo now looks slightly more winnable.
There's also a chance that Spalletti will have to leave out Daniele De Rossi, as he is still struggling with the left calf strain he picked up at Sassuolo, meaning the Roma boss will likely start with the same defence and midfield pair that scraped past Samp. Whether Roma really need their vice-captain, given the impressive displays of Zukanovic in defence and Seydou Keita alongside Miralem Pjanic, is another matter.
Between now and their clash with Fiorentina in Rome on March 4, Roma have Carpi, lowly Palermo at home and Empoli away, and in that period Inter have to travel to rampaging Juventus, while Fiorentina will host leaders Napoli.
On the day it was reported that Roma have spent €52 million in agents feesover the past four years, it's clear the money the Champions League brings is not just welcome, but necessary.
Source : http://www.espnfcasia.com/
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