Juve Ready To Show Serie A Credentials Against Downbeat Roma

Juventus is set to host a struggling Roma side on Sunday, full of confidence and eager to demonstrate to the rest of Serie A that under Thiago Motta, Italy's "Old Lady" is a strong contender for the league title.

After back-to-back 3-0 victories against lesser opponents, Juventus appears to have moved away from their previously lackluster style of play, with Motta showing signs that he’s ready for the challenge of leading a top club. However, while Juventus has impressed so far, Como and Verona aren’t exactly the most formidable opponents to measure their Scudetto ambitions against. Roma, despite their early-season woes, is expected to be a tougher challenge, with aspirations of securing a Champions League spot, although Motta remains cautious about title talk at this stage.

"We've only played two matches, even if we've done very well because we've won both and played very well," Motta told RAI, the public broadcaster.

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Motta's early success at Juventus is even more noteworthy given that the team is still in the process of being built. He has effectively utilized young talents from the "Next Gen" team, which competes in Serie C. Samuel Mbangula, 20, scored Juventus' first goal of the season against Como and later assisted fellow Next Gen graduate Nicolo Savona in their win over Verona. Since then, Juventus has strengthened its squad by signing Dutch star midfielder Teun Koopmeiners from Atalanta for over 60 million euros, marking another significant move in a busy summer transfer window for a club that hasn’t won Serie A in four years.

Roma, on the other hand, might be an easier challenge than anticipated. Daniele De Rossi has had a rough start to his first full season in charge of his boyhood club, with a disappointing home defeat to Empoli last weekend that saw over 67,000 fans boo the team off the field. A trip to face Juventus is the last thing De Rossi needs as he faces the most challenging situation since taking over from Jose Mourinho in January.

Although there’s less than a year between De Rossi and Motta in age, their managerial experience is vastly different. At 42, Motta is already in his fourth managerial role, having previously coached Genoa, Spezia, and Bologna. De Rossi, on the other hand, is relatively new to management, with his only previous experience being a brief, unsuccessful stint at lower-league club SPAL, which ended abruptly in February last year.

Meanwhile, current champions and Juventus' arch-rivals Inter Milan will host Atalanta on Friday in a weekend filled with intriguing fixtures. AC Milan, under new coach Paulo Fonseca, will visit Lazio on Saturday, with Fonseca already under pressure following a dismal loss to promoted Parma. Milan seems far from bridging the gap with Inter, and Lazio will be eager to bounce back at home after a defeat at Udinese.

Player to watch: Romelu Lukaku

Now free from his Chelsea ordeal and reunited with his favorite manager, Lukaku might not start Napoli's home match against Parma but could make an appearance after joining his third Serie A club. Although a reported 30-million-euro deal has yet to be officially announced, Lukaku arrived in Rome on Wednesday to a warm welcome from Napoli fans and completed his medical in the Italian capital, where he spent last season with Roma. Much has changed since Lukaku led Inter, then under the guidance of new Napoli boss Antonio Conte, to the Scudetto in 2021. But with a club and a manager who truly want him, the Belgian striker has a chance to prove he’s still a top-level player and capable of replacing the want-away star Victor Osimhen.