AS Roma vs CSKA Moscow preview - CSKA showdown distracting Roma

Posted Friday, September 12, 2014 by PA

Roma go into Saturday's match at Empoli with one eye on next week's Champions League game against CSKA Moscow.

The Giallorossi host the Russian giants on Wednesday looking to make an immediate impact on their return to Europe's elite club competition after a three-year wait.

The Eternal City outfit will also have to face Bayern Munich and Manchester City in Group E.

"I believe this season we can achieve great things and not just in the domestic campaign but also in the Champions League," said Roma forward Juan Iturbe, who joined the Giallorossi from Hellas Verona this summer.

"We will go into every game determined to give our all even though we are in a very difficult group.

"But we will take it one step at a time."

For this weekend's match in Tuscany, Roma coach Rudi Garcia is expected to make some changes to the side that beat Fiorentina 2-0 in their Serie A opener.

Brazilian defenders Maicon and Leandro Castan as well as Roma captain Francesco Totti are all expected to be rested this weekend with Wednesday's match in mind.

Mattia Destro will therefore start alongside Iturbe and Gervinho in attack.

Empoli host last season's runners-up knowing how difficult it will be to claim their first points of the campaign.

Maurizio Sarri's men got a taste of how challenging their task of avoiding the drop will be after suffering a 2-0 defeat at Udinese in their first match back in the Italian top flight.

"For us this game is an almost impossible mission," Sarri said. "But we must try.

"I know that Roma will fight until the end for the Scudetto, while I'm curious to see them in action in the Champions League.

"I don't think they are too far off the level of the top European teams."

Sarri will have all of his players available for the encounter at the Stadio Carlo Castellani, with the exception of injured striker Massimo Maccarone.