Game Time Thread: Juventus vs. Roma

When it comes to the ways that will give Juventus the club’s sixth consecutive Scudetto, there is one distinct scenario as to what will have them celebrating in the away fans’ section at the Stadio Olimpico on

1. Don’t lose.

That’s it! Have a good one, folks!

Okay, so maybe this isn’t the preview to walk off and drop the mic on everybody. But the fact that remains Juventus can win the Scudetto this weekend. And not just win it this weekend, but also win it against the closest competition in the standings they currently have.

Yes, in a four-day span that will see Juventus spend a good amount of time in the Italian capital, Max Allegri and crew could very well see two parts of their possible treble be wrapped up. (What’s up with these back-to-back trips to the same location in Serie A and the Coppa Italia, by the way? This dang schedule makes no sense sometimes.) A Scudetto can be won on Sunday. Another Coppa Italia can be won on Wednesday. Both games are in Rome at the Stadio Olimpico. If Juventus are victorious in both games like so many of us hope they are, then the respective patches on Juve’s jersey will remain right where they are.

Everybody assumed Juventus was going to win the Scudetto this season. It didn’t matter what Roma did on the transfer market. It didn’t matter what Napoli did on the transfer market. They lost Paul Pogba, but they added Miralem Pjanic and Gonzalo Higuain from their top two Scudetto rivals. The strong had gotten stronger even with the sale of one of the world’s brightest talents.

We sit here in the middle of May with a treble as a realistic possibility.

Did we think that was the case at the beginning of August?

Maybe, maybe not.

But Juventus, the club won for winning trophies galore, has the chance to win two within the next week. They can add to the number of Scudetti on the Italian crest on the outside windows of Juventus Stadium. They can add to their country-best tally of Coppa Italias won. They can do all of this — and that’s before trying to win the club’s first

Sunday night is the possible light at the end of the tunnel that started so many months ago. It hasn’t always been pretty. Thankfully, there has been more good moments than bad.

And now, with all of one point needed to clinch one of the biggest positive moments of them all, we can start planning

It’s second place hosting first place. It’s the chance for first place to clinch the title on the home field of first place. It’s a Scudetto showdown, indeed. If Juventus can’t clinch it at home this weekend, they might as well do it against Roma in Rome, right?

MATCH INFO

Location: Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy

Kick-off time: 8:45 p.m. local time in Italy; 7:45 p.m. in the United Kingdom; 2:45 p.m. on the East Coast; 11:45 a.m. on the West Coast

STARTING LINEUPS

Juventus starting XI (4-3-3): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Benatia, Asamoah; Lemina, Pjanic, Sturaro; Cuadrado, Higuain, Mandzukic

Juventus bench: Neto, Audero, Dani Alves, Barzagli, Chiellini, Alex Sandro, Marchisio, Rincon, Mattiello, Mandragora, Dybala

Roma starting XI (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Rudiger, Manolas, Fazio, Emerson; De Rossi, Paredes; Salah, Nainggolan, El Shaarawy; Perotti

Roma bench: Alisson, Lobont, Vermaelen, Juan Jesus; Peres, Mario Rui, Grenier, Gerson, Totti, Frattesi, Tumminello

WATCH IT

TV: beIN SPORTS USA, RAI International (United States); beIN SPORTS Canada, RAI International (Canada); BT Sport 1 (United Kingdom); PremiumSport HD, Sky Supercalcio HD, Sky Sport 1 HD Italia, Sky Calcio 1 (Italy)

Online/Mobile: beIN SPORTS CONNECT U.S.A., fuboTV (United States); beIN SPORTS CONNECT Canada, fuboTV Canada (Canada); BT Sport Live Streaming (United Kingdom); Premium Play, SKY Go Italia (Italy)

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