It’s been quite a few months since [Juventus](https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com) last played [Roma](https://www.chiesaditotti.com) on the first day of September. Back then, Juventus were very much riding the high of a big start to the new season under a new manager, with the scoreless draw against Roma at the Allianz Stadium looked at as a fairly minor blip on the radar rather than a bad omen for how things would turn.
Little did we know how much things would change for both clubs between then and now.
Both Juventus and Roma enter Sunday night’s showdown at the Stadio Olimpico with new managers. Juve’s new coach, Igor Tudor, had a successful debut last weekend against Genoa, while Claudio Ranieri’s return to Roma has resulted in his beloved Giallorossi going from having what was looking very much like a lost season to now an unexpected rise into the competition to finish in the top four in Serie A.
That’s right — Juventus vs. Roma is very much a matchup that has Champions League stakes to it now that Ranieri has gotten things fixed on the field in the Italian capital.
Because of all this, it only made sense to bring in the longtime leader at SBN Italia sister blog Chiesa Di Totti, Mr. Bren himself. Considering how Roma have moved from 12th place when Ranieri took over to now just three points behind fifth-place Juventus and four points behind Bologna in fourth, the mood around Bren’s favorite club has definitely shifted for the better.
It’s been a while since we’ve done one of these, and it only made sense to bring in Bren considering Roma has shot up the standings over the last couple of months and now are suddenly a threat in the race for the top four.
So let’s not wait around any longer. Here’s some questions for Bren and some insight into Roma as we starting to build up the hype for Sunday’s matchup in Rome.
**BWRAO:** Hello to you, my friend. Let’s get right to it! Things were not looking good at Roma when Claudio Ranieri came out of retirement to save his beloved club. What has changed from November to now that has allowed Roma to move within just a few points of Juventus and become a player in the race for the top four as we head into the final two months of the 2024-25 season?
**CDT:** I wish I could say that he ushered in a paradigm-shifting tactical revolution, but the truth is that, apart from his first match in charge, Ranieri has utilized a three-at-the-back system — the same employed by José Mourinho and Ivan Juric, more or less.
In that light, Roma’s most significant change under Ranieri has been in between the ears. No manager on earth understands the club, the city, and its fans better than Ranieri. Drawing on that insight, Ranieri has restored Roma’s sense of self-belief and purpose, two critical traits that were missing under Juric, to put it kindly. In terms of actual Xs and Os, Ranieri has made better use of players like Mats Hummels, Angeliño, and even Paulo Dybala, who Juric seemed to think was a defender in attacker’s clothing.
Roma haven’t been dominating the competition by any means, but Ranieri has them firing on all cylinders, appearing sharper, more organized, and composed than any Roma team we’ve seen this decade.
**BWRAO:** At face value, Matias Soulé has had a very quiet season with Roma. Do the numbers match what the eyes have told you? Or are things, much like a lot of Roma-related areas of play this season, hampered by such a poor start?
**CDT:** Well, given the jump from Frosinone to Roma, some regression was to be expected. However, when you take a kid that young and inexperienced and slap a €30 million price tag on his back and then force him to play under three different managers in the first three months of the season, some hiccups are inevitable.
While he’s not accumulating goals and assists with ease, he’s certainly getting more playing time under Ranieri, which is encouraging and bodes well for the future. Beyond the statistics, all you need to do is watch him and it becomes apparent — this kid has the goods. He’s the future of the club, alongside Tommaso Baldanzi and Mile Svilar.
Has this season been disappointing for him? Certainly, but that doesn’t diminish his bright future.
**BWRAO:** Going off that, how important does Soulé’s impact become now that Paulo Dybala is likely out for the rest of the season?
**CDT:** All season long, we lamented his lack of playing time, which bordered on negligence considering how much they spent on him. While it’s not the way we would have preferred to see it happen, losing Dybala for the remainder of the year has turned out to be a boon for Soulé. Now an undisputed starter, Soulé is easily Roma’s most dangerous attacking talent, the kind of player capable of scoring at any moment and from any angle- he’s simply that good.
Although it hurt to lose Paulo, the additional match time for Soulé will benefit the club well into next season and beyond.
**BWRAO:** Who has benefited the most from Ranieri’s arrival?
**CDT:** Can I cheat and say the fans?
When Juric was dismissed, Roma was only four points clear of the drop. Yes, it was still early in the season, but the threat of relegation _felt_ real, and for a fanbase as combustible as ours, it was nightmare fuel. Roma has only been relegated once in their history, so the prospect of playing in Serie B was not only foreign but terrifying — we were fit to be tied.
But Ranieri just has this way about him. It may be cliché to describe him as a beloved grandfather, but that’s exactly what he is to Roma fans. He’s calm, caring, willing to lend a hand, and teaches without condescending. He may have never won a trophy with the Giallorossi, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a Roma manager more beloved than Ranieri. When Ranieri wears Roma colors, you know everything will be alright.
But if you force me to name a few players, Hummels, Alexis Saelemaekers, Leandro Paredes, and even Zeki Celik have seen their performances improve under the Tinkerman.
**BWRAO:** Considering the impact Ranieri has made and that Juventus has only played a single game with interim manager Igor Tudor, how are you feeling about Roma’s chances this weekend?
**CDT:** Ordinarily, we’d be worried, but I think you hit the nail on the head: Roma is catching Juve at an awkward moment, and as the hottest team in the league right now, I like our chances. Our first match without Dybala was rough, so Soulé really needs to step up against his former club. I don’t think it will be easy by any means, but I’m as confident in Roma’s chances as I’ve ever been when Juve appears on the fixture list.
**BWRAO:** With Roma’s form drastically improved, do you think they have a legit shot at qualifying for the Champions League? Or are you thinking they’re destined for another season of Europa League football?
**CDT:** Oof, this is a tough one to answer. There aren’t many teams in Europe as scorching as Roma right now, but after Juve, they still have Lazio, Inter Milan, Milan, Atalanta, and Fiorentina, so they essentially have to be perfect. And without Dybala, along with the club experiencing some poor finishing at the moment, I think they’ll fall just short.
But the fact that this is even a topic of conversation is a testament to Claudio Ranieri’s impact. But seriously, who created this \*&$#ing schedule!?
**BWRAO:** Prediction time! What you got going down at the Olimpico this weekend?
**CDT:** I’m going to say Roma wins a 2-1 thriller with a match-winner coming from, let’s say, Gianluca Mancini.