Chievo v Roma – Preview: Spluttering Giallorossi look to regain form at Gialloblu

Published on: 05 January 2016

Roma will take a somewhat depleted squad to the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi on Wednesday afternoon as they look to start the new year with a fourth game unbeaten.

They will come up against a Chievo side who have won just one of their last five home games, though this was the most recent, against Atalanta.

Both side’s campaigns have stalled a little after promising starts. Roma were top of Serie A after ten games, but have won just twice since October and slumped to fifth. Chievo also started well, but went on a run of seven winless games to fall into the bottom half of the table.

The Giallorossi enjoy a stellar record against their hosts having won 13 and lost just three of the 26 meetings between the two to date, with only one of that trio coming in Verona – when Sergio Pellissier grabbed a late 1-0 win in December 2012.

With that game in mind, Roma have won just one of the last five meetings at the Stadio Bentegodi, drawing the other three, including last season’s encounter which finished 0-0.

Rolando Maran has few injury worries to contend with for the first game of the new year though Federico Matiello is certain to miss out through injury. This means that the former Catania tactician has decisions to make in certain positions, with Ivan Radovanovic and Nicola Rigoni fighting for one spot in midfield and Alberto Paloschi and Roberto Inglese doing the same up front. Paloschi needs just two goals to reach 50 Serie A strikes.

Riccardo Meggiorini is also likely to continue up front with the former Milan protégé and will be keen to increase his figures of four goals and six assists. The former Bari man has only once scored five times in a Serie A season.

There are far more concerns for Garcia, who will be without the triumvirate of Edin Dzeko, Miralem Pjanic and Radja Nainggolan, all of whom are suspended for the encounter – the Belgian missing his first game of the season. As such, Maicon is likely to continue at right-back, with Alessandro Florenzi playing ahead of him. With Salih Ucan injured and Juan Iturbe now with Bournemouth, it gives the Giallorossi squad a threadbare look as they attempt to recapture early season form.

Form Guide: Chievo (W-L-W-W-L), Roma (D-L-D-D-W)

Expected Starting XIs

Chievo: Bizarri; Cacciatore, Gamberini, Dainelli, Gobbi; Castro, Radovanovic, Hetemaj; Birsa; Paloschi, Meggiorini.

Roma: Szczesny; Maicon, Manolas, Rudiger, Digne; Florenzi, De Rossi, Keita; Salah, Iago, Gervinho.

Infographic from www.sporticos.com

Source: forzaitalianfootball.com

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