fount : goal.com
Serie A is back! Arguably the match of the opening round sees Roma host Napoli at the Stadio Olimpico. With the two sides having high expectations for the upcoming campaign, the perfect start is what they both will be after, making this clash all the more entertaining.
The start of something special for Roma?
After a successful 2007/08 campaign, the Giallorossi will be hoping for a repeat of the form that saw them make the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions league, win the Italian Cup and narrowly miss out on a fourth Scudetto. And many believe that this could be their season.
After the loss of talented players such as Mancini, Giuly and Ferrari, they have been fairly active in the summer’s transfer market, netting key figures such as Baptista, Riise, Loria, and more recently Menez, players who will certainly add that cutting edge to the squad.
Although they haven’t had the most consistent of pre-seasons, Spalletti should be pleased with the progression of his side thus far. In the Supercup final against Inter Milan last weekend, we saw glimpses of the side that most came to adore last season, despite the fact that they were eventually defeated on penalties.
The upcoming season is expected to be one of the most competitive in recent times, with sides such as Juventus and Milan, who have spent a fortune on re-strengthening their squads, looking as talented as ever. Along with these two heavyweights, Fiorentina have spent over €40 million themselves, Napoli continue to grow in confidence and have also made some key additions following their return to the topflight last season, the likes of Udinese, Sampdoria, Palermo and Atalanta are always expected to be competitive, and then of course there’s the reigning champions Inter, who aren’t looking too bad either.
With this in mind, as they managed to do last season, Spalletti’s men will need to get off to the best possible start to ensure they keep the pace with whomever leads the way early on in the season. They will certainly need to be firing right from the word go, starting this weekend against Napoli.
Roma are renowned good starters in Serie A, however in this corresponding fixture last season, the two sides drew 4-4 in what was without doubt the match of the season, making this weekend’s opening fixture a tough start to the season for the Giallorossi. In three of the four rounds following this, Spalletti’s men host Antonio Cassano’s Sampdoria, whilst also having to travel to play both Palermo and Genoa. These trips were successful last season, but only just, particularly in the corresponding Genoa fixture, as a 90th minute Panucci goal was enough for a 1-0 victory.
Although the standard has risen this season, one would expect the Giallorossi to be as competitive as they have been in recent years. Napoli will prove to be the perfect test early, and if Roma can avoid unnecessary defeats throughout the campaign, there is no reason why they won’t pose a serious threat for the Scudetto come season’s end.
Napoli’s time to rise
Napoli made their highly anticipated return to the topflight of Italian football last year, for the first time since the 2000/01 season, when they finished in 16th and as a result were relegated to Serie B. After a superb comeback season last campaign, the club, its fans and the players themselves are expecting big things this time around.
Having finished in 8th position, the Partenopei missed out on a UEFA cup spot by just one place in the standings, which is still a great effort, especially considering the fact that two seasons prior they were playing in the Italian Serie C1 competition.
Their position in the standings meant that they had done enough to qualify for the Intertoto Cup, a tournament in which they defeated Greek side Panionios in 3-0 on aggregate, in order to qualify for the 2nd qualifying round of the UEFA Cup. Their next opponents were Vllaznia of Albania, whom they easily accounted for 8-0 on aggregate, paving the way for them through to the group stage of the 2008/09 UEFA cup.
Their pre-season form has been simply perfect to date, as they have failed to concede a single goal in their four competitive encounters, and so Reja and his coaching staff should be extremely optimistic heading into the new campaign. And with the additions of some impressive talents to their squad, such as Maggio, formerly of Sampdoria, Rinaudo of Palermo, Denis of Independiente, and Russotto of Bellinzona, the signs look promising for Reja’s men.
One area they will certainly have to improve in if they wish to rise this season is their form away from the San Paolo. Last season they were absolutely dominant at home, winning 11 of 19 matches, and taking some massive scalps along the way. However it was their form away from home that left many disappointed. They managed to win just three of 19 matches, whilst also conceding 37 goals in that time, which simply does not meet their expectations.
Some point the finger at the coach, some at the players; however on thing is for sure, and that is that if this side are after success, then something must be done to resolve the problem. Reja has a squad full of potential at his disposal, and thus if he can utilize his talent and experience in the best possible manner, we should be expecting big things from them this season.
FORM GUIDE
Roma
August 24 v Inter (A) LOST 2-2 (6-5) (Supercup)
August 10 v Tottenham (A) LOST 0-5
August 4 v Al Ahly (A) WON 3-0
July 29 v Monaco (A) DREW 0-0
May 24 v Inter (H) WON 2-2 (Coppa Italia Final)
Napoli
August 28 v Vllaznia (H) WON 5-0 (UEFA Cup)
August 14 v Vllaznia (A) WON 3-0 (UEFA Cup)
July 27 v Panionios (H) WON 1-0 (Intertoto Cup)
July 19 v Panionios (A) WON 1-0 (Intertoto Cup)
May 18 v Lazio (A) LOSS 1-2
TEAM NEWS
Roma
The disappointing news to come from the Roma doctors is that their talismanic captain Francesco Totti will miss the opening match of the season. Totti suffered a heavy knock to the ankle, following a tough challenge from Maicon in the Supercup final last weekend, and will require a week on the sidelines to fully recover. Brazlian winger Rodrigo Taddei will also miss the game, as he too requires a week or two on the sidelines, as he nurses a muscular problem. With the exception of these talents, Spalletti’s side is fit and raring to go, and with Totti out of action, expect new signing Julio Baptista to head the attack.
Napoli
With no major injuries to his side, Reja has a full strength squad at his disposal, with the exception of the suspended Domizzi who will be forced to sit out the opening match. Due to the fact that they played against Vllaznia less than 48 hours ago, expect the starting line-up to be altered a little, as some players may be a little sore following the contest. Reja will desperately want to avoid injuries to his players so early in the campaign, and so he’ll have no choice but to rotate this weekend. It will be interesting to see whether he continues to employ the 3-5-2 formation he did last season, or whether he feels that four at the back is more suitable to success in Serie A football.
POSSIBLIE STARTING LINE-UP
Roma (4-2-3-1): Doni; Cassetti, Mexes, Juan, Riise; De Rossi, Pizarro; Aquilani, Perrotta, Vucinic; Baptista
Napoli (3-5-2): Iezzo; Santacroce, Cannavaro, Rinaudo; Mannini, Hamsik, Gargano, Blasi, Maggio; Denis, Lavezzi
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Roma – Julio Baptista: The former Real Madrid man will be called upon right from the word go in his new life in the Serie A. Through the absence of Totti, Baptista will be heavily relied upon to head the Roma attack, heaping the pressure on the Brazilian to perform. It will be his first game in front of his new home crowd, and so he won’t want to let them down. Expect big things from this man in the upcoming season, making him the signing of the year.
Napoli – Christian Maggio: Without doubt one of the revelations of the 2007/08 Serie A season, Maggio is one of Reja’s key signings for the new campaign. Following his outstanding work for Sampdoria last term, the Partenopei tifosi will have high expectations as he starts his new footballing life in Napoli. The club has the belief in Maggio, in that he will prove to be a catalyst in their climb up the Serie A table, and so the pressure is well and truly on him to perform.
PREDICTION
This game will certainly be an intense clash between two sides desperate to get their season off to the perfect of starts. Expect an entertaining affair, with the more match fit Napoli side, controlling the play early on in particular. An early goal from the visitors may be what is required to spark the Giallorossi into action, and from then on, I foresee a dominant performance from Roma. Three second half goals will be enough for Spalletti’s men to attain all three points.
Roma 3-1 Napoli
Adrian Del Monte
Serie A is back! Arguably the match of the opening round sees Roma host Napoli at the Stadio Olimpico. With the two sides having high expectations for the upcoming campaign, the perfect start is what they both will be after, making this clash all the more entertaining.
The start of something special for Roma?
After a successful 2007/08 campaign, the Giallorossi will be hoping for a repeat of the form that saw them make the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions league, win the Italian Cup and narrowly miss out on a fourth Scudetto. And many believe that this could be their season.
After the loss of talented players such as Mancini, Giuly and Ferrari, they have been fairly active in the summer’s transfer market, netting key figures such as Baptista, Riise, Loria, and more recently Menez, players who will certainly add that cutting edge to the squad.
Although they haven’t had the most consistent of pre-seasons, Spalletti should be pleased with the progression of his side thus far. In the Supercup final against Inter Milan last weekend, we saw glimpses of the side that most came to adore last season, despite the fact that they were eventually defeated on penalties.
The upcoming season is expected to be one of the most competitive in recent times, with sides such as Juventus and Milan, who have spent a fortune on re-strengthening their squads, looking as talented as ever. Along with these two heavyweights, Fiorentina have spent over €40 million themselves, Napoli continue to grow in confidence and have also made some key additions following their return to the topflight last season, the likes of Udinese, Sampdoria, Palermo and Atalanta are always expected to be competitive, and then of course there’s the reigning champions Inter, who aren’t looking too bad either.
With this in mind, as they managed to do last season, Spalletti’s men will need to get off to the best possible start to ensure they keep the pace with whomever leads the way early on in the season. They will certainly need to be firing right from the word go, starting this weekend against Napoli.
Roma are renowned good starters in Serie A, however in this corresponding fixture last season, the two sides drew 4-4 in what was without doubt the match of the season, making this weekend’s opening fixture a tough start to the season for the Giallorossi. In three of the four rounds following this, Spalletti’s men host Antonio Cassano’s Sampdoria, whilst also having to travel to play both Palermo and Genoa. These trips were successful last season, but only just, particularly in the corresponding Genoa fixture, as a 90th minute Panucci goal was enough for a 1-0 victory.
Although the standard has risen this season, one would expect the Giallorossi to be as competitive as they have been in recent years. Napoli will prove to be the perfect test early, and if Roma can avoid unnecessary defeats throughout the campaign, there is no reason why they won’t pose a serious threat for the Scudetto come season’s end.
Napoli’s time to rise
Napoli made their highly anticipated return to the topflight of Italian football last year, for the first time since the 2000/01 season, when they finished in 16th and as a result were relegated to Serie B. After a superb comeback season last campaign, the club, its fans and the players themselves are expecting big things this time around.
Having finished in 8th position, the Partenopei missed out on a UEFA cup spot by just one place in the standings, which is still a great effort, especially considering the fact that two seasons prior they were playing in the Italian Serie C1 competition.
Their position in the standings meant that they had done enough to qualify for the Intertoto Cup, a tournament in which they defeated Greek side Panionios in 3-0 on aggregate, in order to qualify for the 2nd qualifying round of the UEFA Cup. Their next opponents were Vllaznia of Albania, whom they easily accounted for 8-0 on aggregate, paving the way for them through to the group stage of the 2008/09 UEFA cup.
Their pre-season form has been simply perfect to date, as they have failed to concede a single goal in their four competitive encounters, and so Reja and his coaching staff should be extremely optimistic heading into the new campaign. And with the additions of some impressive talents to their squad, such as Maggio, formerly of Sampdoria, Rinaudo of Palermo, Denis of Independiente, and Russotto of Bellinzona, the signs look promising for Reja’s men.
One area they will certainly have to improve in if they wish to rise this season is their form away from the San Paolo. Last season they were absolutely dominant at home, winning 11 of 19 matches, and taking some massive scalps along the way. However it was their form away from home that left many disappointed. They managed to win just three of 19 matches, whilst also conceding 37 goals in that time, which simply does not meet their expectations.
Some point the finger at the coach, some at the players; however on thing is for sure, and that is that if this side are after success, then something must be done to resolve the problem. Reja has a squad full of potential at his disposal, and thus if he can utilize his talent and experience in the best possible manner, we should be expecting big things from them this season.
FORM GUIDE
Roma
August 24 v Inter (A) LOST 2-2 (6-5) (Supercup)
August 10 v Tottenham (A) LOST 0-5
August 4 v Al Ahly (A) WON 3-0
July 29 v Monaco (A) DREW 0-0
May 24 v Inter (H) WON 2-2 (Coppa Italia Final)
Napoli
August 28 v Vllaznia (H) WON 5-0 (UEFA Cup)
August 14 v Vllaznia (A) WON 3-0 (UEFA Cup)
July 27 v Panionios (H) WON 1-0 (Intertoto Cup)
July 19 v Panionios (A) WON 1-0 (Intertoto Cup)
May 18 v Lazio (A) LOSS 1-2
TEAM NEWS
Roma
The disappointing news to come from the Roma doctors is that their talismanic captain Francesco Totti will miss the opening match of the season. Totti suffered a heavy knock to the ankle, following a tough challenge from Maicon in the Supercup final last weekend, and will require a week on the sidelines to fully recover. Brazlian winger Rodrigo Taddei will also miss the game, as he too requires a week or two on the sidelines, as he nurses a muscular problem. With the exception of these talents, Spalletti’s side is fit and raring to go, and with Totti out of action, expect new signing Julio Baptista to head the attack.
Napoli
With no major injuries to his side, Reja has a full strength squad at his disposal, with the exception of the suspended Domizzi who will be forced to sit out the opening match. Due to the fact that they played against Vllaznia less than 48 hours ago, expect the starting line-up to be altered a little, as some players may be a little sore following the contest. Reja will desperately want to avoid injuries to his players so early in the campaign, and so he’ll have no choice but to rotate this weekend. It will be interesting to see whether he continues to employ the 3-5-2 formation he did last season, or whether he feels that four at the back is more suitable to success in Serie A football.
POSSIBLIE STARTING LINE-UP
Roma (4-2-3-1): Doni; Cassetti, Mexes, Juan, Riise; De Rossi, Pizarro; Aquilani, Perrotta, Vucinic; Baptista
Napoli (3-5-2): Iezzo; Santacroce, Cannavaro, Rinaudo; Mannini, Hamsik, Gargano, Blasi, Maggio; Denis, Lavezzi
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Roma – Julio Baptista: The former Real Madrid man will be called upon right from the word go in his new life in the Serie A. Through the absence of Totti, Baptista will be heavily relied upon to head the Roma attack, heaping the pressure on the Brazilian to perform. It will be his first game in front of his new home crowd, and so he won’t want to let them down. Expect big things from this man in the upcoming season, making him the signing of the year.
Napoli – Christian Maggio: Without doubt one of the revelations of the 2007/08 Serie A season, Maggio is one of Reja’s key signings for the new campaign. Following his outstanding work for Sampdoria last term, the Partenopei tifosi will have high expectations as he starts his new footballing life in Napoli. The club has the belief in Maggio, in that he will prove to be a catalyst in their climb up the Serie A table, and so the pressure is well and truly on him to perform.
PREDICTION
This game will certainly be an intense clash between two sides desperate to get their season off to the perfect of starts. Expect an entertaining affair, with the more match fit Napoli side, controlling the play early on in particular. An early goal from the visitors may be what is required to spark the Giallorossi into action, and from then on, I foresee a dominant performance from Roma. Three second half goals will be enough for Spalletti’s men to attain all three points.
Roma 3-1 Napoli
Adrian Del Monte
Inter 2(5)p - (4)2 Roma 
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