AFP/Turin
Juventus host Genoa tomorrow looking to take another step towards a 31st ‘scudetto’ as the battle to qualify for Europe resumes in earnest after a mitigated week of competition for Italy’s clubs.
Even in the absence of influential midfielder Paul Pogba, ruled out for nearly two months on Thursday with a thigh injury, the chances of Juve slipping up on their way to a fourth consecutive Serie A crown look slim.
With 11 games remaining, Massimiliano Allegri’s men hold a 14-point lead on a Roma side seemingly coming apart at the seams as evidenced by two morale-sapping home defeats in less than a week.
Roma’s failure to add to their sole victory in 10 league games has ended their title hopes, but it has injected life into the battle for the league’s second automatic qualifying spot for the Champions League, as well as the fight for Europa League places.
Roma began the season with a confident swagger but Rudi Garcia’s men visit Cesena tomorrow decidedly less confident.
A 2-0 defeat to Sampdoria at the Stadio Olimpico last week left Roma just one point ahead of city rivals Lazio, with Napoli a further three points adrift and Fiorentina and Sampdoria both only one point off third place.
Roma then suffered further ignominy in a 3-0 rout by Fiorentina in the second leg of their Europa League last 16 tie on Thursday.
Fiorentina went through to the quarter-finals 4-1 on aggregate and Roma’s irate fans responded as only angry Serie A fans know how: by demanding Roma’s ‘unworthy’ players to remove their shirts at the end of the game.
Garcia admitted he was “mortified” but has dug his heels in, declaring: “Now, there’s only one thing to do: concentrate on the championship and save second spot. Only qualification for the Champions League is acceptable now.”
Lazio coach Stefano Pioli, meanwhile, is basking in his side’s emergence as potential runners-up to Juventus.
The Roman side are on a winning run of five games and host Verona at the Stadio Olimpico tomorrow intent on keeping it going.
“We’ve always believed we could finish among the top three,” said Brazilian starlet Felipe Anderson, who hit a brace in a 2-0 win at Torino last week.
“At the start of the season we struggled a little, we couldn’t win. But we kept faith with our game, we’ve always believe in ourselves and we now we want to finish as high as we can.”
Today’s Fixtures
(all times GMT):
Chievo v Palermo (1700), AC Milan v Cagliari (1945)
Juventus’ Argentinian forward Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal celebrate their win over Borussia Dortmund.
