Sports
Juve beat Roma to close in on Serie A leaders Inter | The Express Tribune
TURIN:
Juventus are creeping back into the Serie A title discussion after deservedly beating Roma 2-1 on Saturday and moving four points behind league leaders Inter Milan.
Francisco Conceicao and Lois Openda scored the goals which decided an engaging encounter in Turin as Juve claimed a second big win in as many matches after beating Bologna last weekend.
Juve stay fifth on 29 points but are only one point behind fourth-paced Roma who sit in the last Champions League spot and suffered a sixth league defeat of the season.
“I think we deserved to win, we knew that today’s match was important and we did what we set out to do — we won,” said Conceicao.
“We’re up there after winning these two important matches but we need to get our heads straight onto the next one.”
Luciano Spalletti’s Juve have played a game more than Inter, champions Napoli and AC Milan who occupy the top three places and will play their matches from this round of fixtures next month, due to the Italian Super Cup which is being held in Saudi Arabia.
Roma created very little at the Allianz Stadium beyond Tommaso Baldanzi’s tap-in 15 minutes from the end, and the capital city outfit have now lost three of their last four matches in Italy’s top flight.
“We were lacking in accuracy when it came to the final pass but I’d like to focus on some of the performances today,” said Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini who remained upbeat.
“It’s not easy to play here but this is a good team with a strong base, I’m convinced that we can do good things.”
Roma’s ‘beginning’
Roma have narrowly lost to Juve, the Milan clubs and Napoli this season, suggesting that they are not ready to fight for the Scudetto even if they are only three points from the summit.
“We’re at the beginning and we have a strong club behind us, and the squad has a base of players who showed they were of the level required in all of those big matches,” added Gasperini.
“I think we can build something on what we have now.”
Conceicao fired a warning shot moments before he gave Juve the lead when he shot straight at Mile Svilar with the goal at his mercy after good work from Kenan Yildiz on the left.
That was the first real chance of the game and Conceicao was more clinical a minute before the break, the Portugal forward lashing home with his left foot after collecting Andrea Cambiaso’s neat flick.
Svilar was Roma’s best player for most of the match but he couldn’t stop Openda from bundling in Juve’s second in 70th minute after pulling off a superb stop to keep out Weston McKennie’s header.
That goal looked to have sealed the points from Juve but substitute Baldanzi quickly halved the deficit after Michele Di Gregorio palmed away Evan Ferguson’s low drive.
However it was Juve who went closest to scoring again in the 80th minute when Yildiz stroked a beautiful shot onto the post, and the hosts held out to claim a big three points.
Earlier Lazio were held to a goalless draw by Cremonese in Rome.
Wilson shined in Washington’s win over the New York Rangers, which came not long after Canada’s Olympic roster announcement.
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Gian Piero Gasperini is preparing for a big return to Atalanta on Saturday. Photo: AFP
MILAN:
Gian Piero Gasperini is preparing for a big return to Atalanta on Saturday as his Roma team travel to Bergamo trying to stay in touch with Serie A’s title chasers.
In charge of Roma since the summer, Gasperini is an Atalanta icon for his role in the traditionally tiny club’s rise from also-rans to flamboyant top-four challengers and, in 2024, Europa League winners.
Gasperini was hand-picked to lead Roma at 67 by his predecessor Claudio Ranieri, who is still at the club as an advisor to the American owners.
After the phenomenal job he did in nine years at Atalanta, Gasperini will undoubtedly be hailed as a returning hero by Atalanta’s fervent home support at the Gewiss Stadium, until kick-off.
“It will definitely be emotional, but I’m happy to be be going back there with a Roma team in a good position in the table and in a positive place,” said Gasperini after Monday’s 3-1 win over Genoa.
“Going back to that stadium, those fans and the players who allowed me to have a great career will be a really great feeling.”
Roma sit fourth, three points behind league leaders Inter Milan, who host Bologna on Sunday night in the first round of fixtures in a packed January.
However, Roma have played a game more than Inter, AC Milan and Napoli, who are all ahead of Gasperini’s team at the top of the division. That trio missed league fixtures while contesting the Italian Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Saturday’s clash will be tricky even though Atalanta are 11 points behind Roma in 10th, as Raffaele Palladino has looked like the true heir to Gasperini ever since replacing Ivan Juric last month.
Last weekend’s narrow defeat to Inter was only Atalanta’s second at home this season and Roma have a poor record in matches against direct rivals — which Atalanta are regardless of their league position.
Roma have lost six times in Serie A this season, with four of those defeats coming against Inter, Milan, Napoli and fifth-placed Juventus who host lowly Lecce on Saturday.
One of Roma’s key problems has been goalscoring with just 20 netted in 17 league fixtures. Gasperini will be hoping Ireland striker Evan Ferguson repeats his form against Genoa, when his goal and assist were key to that win.
Player to watch: Rasmus Hojlund
Author of a brace at Cremonese last weekend, Hojlund is looking increasingly settled in Naples and will be crucial to Napoli maintaining their title defence with no sign of Romelu Lukaku’s return from injury.
Denmark striker Hojlund was brought in after Lukaku suffered a pre-season thigh injury that will likely keep him out longer than originally thought, with Italian media reporting that he may not be ready to play until February.
That leaves Hojlund as Conte’s man ahead of Sunday’s trip to face Lazio, with fellow summer signing Lorenzo Lucca on borrowed time at Napoli.
The 22-year-old Dane has scored nine times in all competitions for Napoli, who trail Inter by two points, since signing from Manchester United in August.
Key stats
4 – The number of points separating the top fives teams in Serie A.
9 – Hojlund’s goal tally for Napoli.
Fixtures (all times GMT)
Friday
Cagliari v AC Milan (1945)
Saturday
Como v Udinese (1130), Genoa v Pisa, Sassuolo v Parma (1400), Juventus v Lecce (1700), Atalanta v Roma (1945)
Sunday
Lazio v Napoli (1230), Fiorentina v Cremonese (1400), Verona v Torino (1700), Inter Milan v Bologna (1945)
PHILADELPHIA — Tanner McKee is expected to start at quarterback as the Eagles are planning to rest some starters for Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Washington Commanders, a source confirmed Wednesday.
McKee, the 2023 sixth-round pick out of Stanford, is expected to get the nod over starter Jalen Hurts as the Eagles are prioritizing rest and avoiding injury while still hoping to win the game.
The Eagles currently hold the No. 3 seed in the NFC and can move up to No. 2 with a win over Washington and a Chicago Bears loss to the Detroit Lions. The Eagles will play either the San Francisco 49ers or Los Angeles Rams if they remain the No. 3 seed, or they will face the Green Bay Packers if they get the second seed.
Coach Nick Sirianni did not disclose his plans Wednesday, saying he wanted to address the players in their team meeting first, but he did say they were “nearing” a decision.
The Eagles had a week of rest prior to their two Super Bowl runs under him during the 2022 and 2024 seasons. The one year they did try to improve their seeding, star receiver A.J. Brown injured his knee in the 2023 regular-season finale against the New York Giants and was unavailable for their wild-card playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
McKee is 33-of-48 for 356 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions in spot duty in Philadelphia.
“When you see Tanner, he’s really good about knowing where to go with the football, seeing the defense and being able to deliver things accurately,” Sirianni said. “It’s a great room where those guys feed off each other and learn from each other.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer was first to report the Eagles’ plan to rest starters.
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