(Reuters) – AS Roma is putting a strong focus on returning to the Champions League after a five-year absence as they prepare to face Lazio in Serie A’s Rome derby on Saturday. The last time Roma participated in the elite club competition was in 2018-19, where they reached the last 16. Fans still remember the club’s impressive 2017-2018 European campaign, which was their best since making it to the final in 1984.
Liverpool famously defeated Roma in the 1984 final, and they ended Roma’s dream run in the 2018 semi-finals with a 7-6 aggregate win. Roma currently sits fifth in the league standings with 52 points and eight games remaining, trailing top-four contenders Bologna by five points and holding a six-point lead over seventh-placed Lazio.
Roma faced a setback in their quest for a top-four finish with a goalless draw against Lecce on Monday. Despite this, under Daniele De Rossi’s leadership since January, Roma has shown promising form with seven wins and two draws in their last 10 Serie A matches, with their only defeat coming against Inter Milan.
The upcoming match against Lazio presents a tough challenge for Roma. Lazio, who recently exited the Champions League at the hands of Bayern Munich in the last-16 round, are unlikely to secure a European spot for the next season. De Rossi, ahead of the derby, is focused on the football match and not letting emotions cloud his coaching duties.
Roma’s recent record against Lazio is not favorable, with four winless meetings including a draw in November and a 1-0 defeat in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals in January. Third-placed Juventus will also be looking to improve their league form as they face Fiorentina on Sunday, while a slip-up could see Bologna overtake them in the standings with a win against Frosinone.
Inter Milan, who are on track to win the Serie A title, will travel to Udinese on Monday, and second-placed AC Milan will host Lecce on Saturday. It promises to be an exciting weekend of Serie A action as the race for European spots and the title intensifies.
(Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk; editing by Clare Fallon)
