WAY back in 1981, Juventus and AS Roma were locked in a tight Scudetto battle, meeting with just two games to go when Maurizio Turone saw a goal for the Giallorossi disallowed for offside. Ever since, the two clubs have been bitter rivals, their clashes often physical and emotive, tensions raised both in the stands and on the pitch.
Indeed, their last six meetings in Rome have produced no fewer than 28 yellow cards and four reds, a record that stands as a testament to the highly charged nature of a fixture that will be somewhat unrecognisable this coming weekend.
If the sheer dominance of Juventus had made Serie A appear somewhat stale to casual observers, events over the past 12 months have done much to rectify that. There was an understandable opinion that, much like with Paris Saint-Germain in France, Bayern Munich in Germany and even Celtic in Scotland, the Bianconeri were turning the Italian top flight into a one-team league.
1. Inter (45 Points)
2. Juventus (45 Points)Inter's next game: Home vs Atalanta
Juventus' next game: Away vs Roma— Forza Juventus (@ForzaJuve2017) January 6, 2020
They had an established and reliable core of players, a clear plan for continual improvement in the future and a coach who understood how to both manage expectations and grind out victories. Yet all of that is now gone, the assured Max Allegri replaced by the far more emotive Maurizio Sarri, and many of the club’s promising young players have been sacrificed in favour of a win-now approach.
That change of tack undoubtedly stemmed from the huge investment made in Cristiano Ronaldo, and almost every move Juve have made since capturing the former Real Madrid man has been done in order to maximise the impact of the 34-year-old. The Portuguese forward does not have time to wait for talented prospects to develop, making the decision to target proven performers a sensible one, leading to the arrivals of Aaron Ramsey, Danilo and even the return of Leonardo Bonucci.
One of the major factors behind the hiring of Sarri was to bring a more pleasing style of football to the side, the Bianconeri seeking to improve the opinion of their off-field brand by playing in a more attractive manner on the pitch. There have already been glimpses of what this group can accomplish, and Monday’s 4-0 thrashing of a previously impressive Cagliari outfit was among their best performances under the former Chelsea boss.
The manner in which they dispatched their Sardinian opponents was the latest sign that Sarrismo – or “Sarriball” if you prefer – is beginning to flourish just as it did in Naples and London. Cagliari sit in the European places and boast one of Serie A’s toughest defences, but Juve were able to carve them open on repeated occasions as Ronaldo – aided by superb displays from Ramsey, Miralem Pjanic and Paulo Dybala – grabbed his first hat-trick since joining the Old Lady.
“We played an excellent game,” midfielder Adrien Rabiot told Juventus TV shortly after the final whistle. “It was important to do well, given that we had ended the year by losing a trophy. We had to give a positive signal.”
Such a rampant display would not have been lost on Juve’s next opponents AS Roma, a team and a club who have transformed so much in recent times that they make the changes in Turin appear positively pedestrian.
Wojciech Szczęsny:
"In Roma, I benched the best goalkeeper in the world [Alisson], in Juventus, the best in the history [Buffon]. Turns out I'm the best in the world and history.
If Fabiański benches me, he will be the best."
Brilliant! pic.twitter.com/uIC8IYq3tE
— Oddschanger (@Oddschanger) September 4, 2019
Just three years ago, the Giallorossi were led by Luciano Spalletti who eventually departed for Inter and took star midfielder Radja Nainggolan with him, while Mohamed Salah and Alisson headed off to Anfield. Francesco Totti retired, Daniele De Rossi spent a year with Boca Juniors before doing the same, Kostas Manolas – the hero of that famous comeback against Barcelona in 2018 – joined Napoli while Kevin Strootman left for Marseille.
“Today, a young Totti couldn’t have played at Roma, he would have already been sold!” – Francesco Totti
Sevilla Sporting Director Monchi tried and failed to improve their fortunes, while Eusebio Di Francesco was sacked in January 2019 as his tenure descended into chaos. To replace him, Roma turned to Paulo Fonseca who, unlike the club’s previous three bosses, had neither played for the Giallorossi nor coached them before.
Instead, he has swept away their old bad habits, building a completely new side in the same confident manner that saw him lead Shakhtar Donetsk to three consecutive Ukrainian Premier League titles. Sitting fourth and already boasting a win over Napoli and a 0-0 draw with table-toppers Inter, they have blossomed into an exciting unit capable of excellent results and will be looking to add a positive performance against Juventus to their resume.
One man desperate to make an impact will be Ronaldo, his hat-trick against Cagliari meaning Roma are – alongside Chievo – one of only two teams he has not scored against since arriving in Serie A 18 months ago.
It will once again be a tense and difficult battle, one in which neither side will back down as they pursue victory. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
