Juventus vs AS Roma - Simone Zaza expects Roma to be at lethal best for Juventus clash

Posted Saturday, January 23, 2016 by PA

Juventus striker Simone Zaza is fearful of Roma's "venomous fangs" ahead of Sunday night's Serie A showdown in Turin.

The snake idiom can interpreted two ways in Italian - it could mean Roma carry a poisonous grudge having twice finished as runners-up to Juventus in the last two seasons.

The fangs could also refer to the Giallorossi strike force which has scored 37 goals only to see sloppy defending compromise any real hope the capital club had of making another grab at the Scudetto.

Juventus have won 10 games on the spin to reach second, while Roma tread water in fifth, but former Sassuolo frontman Zaza is well aware of the threat carried by the Eternal City side.

He told Tuttosport: "Roma are definitely one of the best teams in the league. They've always fought hard against us and have had a great rivalry with Juventus, especially recently.

"They will have venomous fangs because they've not managed to beat Juve to the title, so it will be a difficult game. If we can play at our very best, though, we'll get the result we want."

Veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon shared Zaza's concerns, telling Gazzetta.it: "The Giallorossi are a dangerous and fearsome team.

"The further we are away from them in the table, the better off we are. If we can put them away and pull 10 points clear of them, that would be ideal."

Following Rudi Garcia's sacking, Luciano Spalletti has returned to the Stadio Olimpico after a seven-year absence.

He could only secure a 1-1 home draw against rock-bottom Hellas Verona on his second debut, though. A tactical shake-up is clearly needed ahead of the trip to Juventus Stadium.

Edin Dzeko - scorer of only three league goals following his move from Manchester City - should start alone up front, with the inconsistent Gervinho dropping into a support role or missing out altogether.

Spalletti is also tempted to move playmaker Miralem Pjanic into a deep-lying midfield role while using tough tackler Radja Nainggolan in a more advanced position following his goal against Verona.

It remains to be seen what role - if any - club captain Francesco Totti will play in the new Spalletti era.