Key Matchups as Juventus and AS Roma resume their old rivalry
Juventus are the better team this season being on top of the Serie A with four wins, one draw and no losses. AS Roma are struggling, especially defensively, occupying eighth place with two wins, two draws and one loss.
Fabio Quagliarella of FC Juventus (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Fabio Quagliarella vs. Alessandro Florenzi
Quagliarella is a forward, who also plays attacking midfielder, for Juventus. Lorenzi is a Roma midfielder. Both are the top scorers of their teams. (Pablo Daniel Osvaldo from Roma and Mirko Vucinic from Juventus have also scored two goals but Osvaldo has not played since Sept. 2 because of an injury.) Quagliarella has class and is hungry for goals. He also has the finish and creativity to surprise goalkeepers. He was the hero for the Bianconeri scoring the equalizer against Chelsea in their Champions League game and later, in Serie A, he brought victory to Juventus scoring second-half double. He likes to play long ball and is danger when he is in a position to counter-attack. Florenzi is a youngster with a lot to prove but so far he’s impressed with his performance. He is a thinker on the pitch. He has good technique and can quickly position himself in the right position.
Francesco Totti of AS Roma (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
Andrea Pirlo vs. Francesco Totti
Although Pirlo’s name is still largely associated with his successes at AC Milan, it’s always entertaining to watch two still playing legends of Italian soccer face each other in an important match. Pirlo is not known for his pace but his passing ability is still outstanding at 33. He is a playmaker on the pitch. It’s difficult to contain him when he is in possession as he rarely loses his calm. His reputation can only be matched by Roma’s symbol –Totti, who plays as a striker or an attacking midfielder, or in between connecting the two positions. Just like Pirlo, Totti is a free-kick master and is the team’s first choice to take those. After scoring against Sampdoria on Wednesday, Il Capitano is now tied with Jose Altafini and Giuseppe Meazza as Serie A’s third-all-time leading scorer with 216 goals, as reported by Sportsnet.
Kwadwo Asamoah vs. Daniele De Rossi
Both players are physically strong and difficult to get out of the way. De Rossi is regarded as the next Totti and captain of AS Roma especially after rejecting an offer from Manchester City this summer. De Rossi can also be very successful when it comes to blocking the ball and passing. Asamoah plays comfortably and just as well anywhere in the midfield. He is also a great passer and so far has the most assists, three, on the Bianconeri’s team. Asamoah is a an asset to Juventus’ defense because he knows where to position himself to trouble the opponent’s attack.
Giorgio Chiellini vs. Nicolas Burdisso
AS Roma don’t have great defense but Nicolas Burdisso is their best man in the back (when he is not injured). Burdisso has versatility – he can also play in the center. Juve’s left-back Chiellini is a team player well-respected by everyone on the squad. It’s hard to tackle him, which makes him very useful. Chiellini plays well in the central defense position.
It is expected to be an exciting match between the currently undefeated defending Serie A champions and a Roma side that are building for the not so distant future with young stars such as Erik Lamela and budding international stars in the United States’ Michael Bradley.
Although Roma are sitting eighth in the table, they have a strong side that could be capable of pulling off a huge upset if they win the key battles listed above and can keep their defense in check.
