MILAN (AP) — Three more people will get a special welcome when Roma visits Juventus in Serie A on Saturday.
Roma coach Jose Mourinho and striker Romelu Lukaku will most likely face a hostile reception in Turin, while former Juventus striker Paulo Dybala will be much warmer, if the Argentine foreigner has enough compatibility to make the trip.
Mourinho led Juve’s fierce rivals Inter Milan to a treble of Serie A title, Coppa Italia and Champions League trophy in 2010 and the arguable coach has reacted to past events after being hounded by the Bianconeri enthusiasts by raising three hands in reference to it.
Lukaku, meanwhile, was the victim of racist chants by a section of Juventus fans while playing for Inter in the Coppa Italia semi-finals in April. He picked up a second yellow card and was sent off for his reaction at home after scoring a save. Penalty time — causing a fight between the two teams.
However, Lukaku (interestingly) came close to joining Juventus in the off-season, but a proposed money and player deal with his parent club Chelsea fell through when Bianconeri striker Dušan Vlahović opted to stay in Turin.
All of this is likely to ratchet up the tension in what is expected to be a heated match on Saturday. Second-placed Juventus are fighting hard for the Serie A name and are four points behind Inter, who travel to Genoa on Friday.
Roma have recovered from a difficult start to the season and last week’s 2-0 win over defending champions Napoli left them three points behind fourth-placed Bologna. Mourinho’s team is 16 behind Inter.
“It’s not a complaint, but we have an organisation of players with confusing injury histories,” Mourinho said. “If we had each and every one of us for every game, I would have no problem saying we can fight each and every one of them. “each one – not yet by the name of the four most sensible.
“Without (Chris) Smalling, without Renato (Sanches), without Dybala, we don’t have an excellent squad. With those three, we do. We also have a good coach.”
The latest misfortune for the frequently injured Dybala is a thigh problem he suffered in Roma’s 1-1 draw with Fiorentina on Dec. 10 and the 30-year-old was not expected to be available until the new year. However, he returned to education this week and may only play a role in Sunday’s game; It’s very unlikely to start.
If Dybala arrives in Turin, his former fans will most likely applaud him, as he did last season.
Dybala spent seven years at Juventus and contributed 115 goals and 48 assists in almost 300 games. He also helped the Bianconeri win 12 trophies, adding five Serie A titles.
However, he fell out of favour with coach Massimiliano Allegri after Juventus signed Vlahović in January 2022. Dybala left the Turin club when his contract expired a few months later and joined Roma in July.
Vlahović was on the bench last week after scoring just one goal in his last 10 games for Juventus, but managed to score a winning goal in a 2-1 win at Frosinone.
“It’s not easy for a striker not to score regularly, but every day I’m giving my best and I’m sure I can lend a hand to the group,” said the 23-year-old. I’m still on track and focused, with the help of the team and the coach, but the game is over and I’m thinking about the next challenge.
“I know the team wants me and my goals, it’s a moment when I don’t score so much. In the end, the goals will come.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer