AS Roma

Lazio and Roma are set to go head to head on the 26/01/2020 as part of the 19/20 Serie A tournament. With one match already played, this is their last game together for this season, so how do you think it will go? Will Roma or Lazio be victorious at the end of the match? In preparation for this fixture we have put this article together to discuss each club’s performance and try to gauge an insight on which side is likely to be the winner. To find out more, keep on reading!

Lazio’s Performance in the Serie A Tournaments

In 2020 Lazio is celebrating their 120^th anniversary earlier this month as they were founded on the 9^th January 1900. With the heightened anticipation of this anniversary, could we expect spirits to be high for the club and its players as they continue tackling the Serie A tournaments ahead? Their last five Serie A matches for this season have been impressive as they have secured a win for every single one. See the breakdown below.

Latest Five Serie A Matches for 2020:

• Lazio (3) V Udinese (0)
• Lazio (3) V Juventus (1)
• Lazio (2) V Cagliari (1)
• Lazio (2) V Brescia (1)
• Lazio (1) V Napoli (0)

As we can see from the results above, it is apparent that Lazio have been doing considerably well recently in the Serie A tournament for 2019/20. This breakdown above shows that they have won their last five matches against big names in Italian soccer such as Juventus and Napoli.

Looking further back to the beginning of the season up until now, Lazio has had an outstanding track record which saw them win 13 out of 18 matches with 2 losses against SPAL and Inter Milan, plus three draws with Roma, Atalanta and Bologna. If this is anything to go by, then we expect Lazio to put up a good fight during their upcoming match with Roma.

Lazio have always struggled to maintain a top spot in the Serie A tournament due to stronger sides such as Int

Along with the ongoing tournaments such as the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga, Primeria, the Champions League is also in progress. This league incorporates a range of clubs from all of the leagues across Europe and is a widely celebrated by fans worldwide as they cheer on their favourite soccer team once more. Currently in the group stages, the Champions League is where clubs across the globe compete on the soccer field to eventually lift the trophy at the end of the games – thus gaining Champions status.

Within this blog post we will take a look at how the tournament is panning out at the moment and what we can expect from the clubs in the coming weeks. From looking at how the matches have been scheduled and the groups picked, to the highest scoring player and team, you will find out all about this here.

How are the Teams Grouped?

After the initial play-offs had taken place prior to the scheduled group matches, the teams were whittled down to the 32 names below. These were then drawn into their specific groups on the 30^th August 2018. Their first set of matches were scheduled for the 18^th and 19^th September whereby each team within the group played against one another for a home and away match. Below you can see a breakdown of the clubs included in this season’s Champions League Tournament.

Group A

• Atletico Madrid
• Borussia Dortmund
• AS Monaco
• Club Brugge

Group B

• Barcelona
• Tottenham Hotspur
• PSV Eindhoven
• Inter Milan

Group C

• Paris Saint Germain
• Napoli
• Liverpool
• Red Sta

Starting on the 18^th August, the Serie A tournament for 2018/19 kicked off with its first set of matches. Coming into a new season, fans are on the edge of their seats with anticipation to see how their beloved team will fair going forward. Although there have only been a few matches played so far, it is all about first impressions in supporter’s eyes and the moves and scores made at the beginning are a reflection on how the teams are expected to perform throughout the tournament.

Which is why in this article we are taking a look at how each soccer team playing in the top-flight Italian football league are coping this early on in the season. From the most outstanding performance to date, the scheduling of the games and even taking a quick peak at how Ronaldo is doing with his new club Juventus.

Fixtures and Scheduling

17/18 Serie A winners Juventus started off the new season’s fixtures with their match against Chievo which they won 3-2, however one of the goals was scored by the opposition into their own net, so on a skill level the team only managed to acquire 2 out of the 3 goals themselves.

Right behind them in the scoring table from last season, Roma also won their first game against Torino 1-0. And this courageous win was secured just in time at Dzeko hit it into the back of the net at 89 minutes.

And finally, second place winners of 17/18 – Napoli played their first fixture against Lazio, winning 2-1 thanks to goals from Milik and Insigne towards the second half of the game.

In terms of how the teams are scoring at the moment from the few matches played, it really could be anyone’s game. However, the most impressive result so far would be for Atalanta after they triumphed against Frosinone 4-0. Other than that, the goals have been very close between the clubs, so they are all most certainly putting their best foot forward to begin with.

When looking at how they have scheduled the mat

Starting on the 20^th July and running for 3 weeks, the International Champions Cup tournament is a fantastic way to get in the mood for the upcoming soccer seasons worldwide. As the winners have now been announced and celebrated, we have most certainly got a taster as to what is in store in the tournaments on the horizon.

Within this blog post we will have a look at the performance of the trophy winners, the clubs overall and look into the most outstanding player during the games. With this analysis we are able to picture how the rest of the games will pan out this time round, and see which clubs need to give it their all to redeem themselves from their play during the International Champions Cup.

Tottenham Hotspur Win the International Champions Cup

Out of the 3 matches played against Roma, Barcelona and Milan, Tottenham Hotspur managed to successfully net themselves 7 goals and thus winning the trophy. Closely behind them were Borussia Dortmund who acquired 6 goals overall.

When looking at how the matches played out for Spurs, their most successful play was against Roma where they won 4-1. Scoring this impressive total and netting 2 each within the match were Llorente and Lucas who have only played with Tottenham since the 17/18 season.

However, on the flip side, the most competitive match Spurs had to face was against Barcelona where they managed to tie at 2 all thanks to Son and N’Koudo. But unfortunately when it came to penalties Barcelona managed to successfully net 5 whereas Tottenham only scored 3 after the miss by Georgiou.

Most Impressive League Teams

Out of the 18 clubs which took part in this tournament, there was a decent mix of clubs from across Europe. However, when looking at how each league team performed, we are able to see which will be the most successful series of tournaments to watch this season? Below is a quick breakdown of how each club played.

Serie A

Serie A is a widely supported and adored Italian soccer league which is where team’s like Juventus, AS Roma, AC Milan and Inter Milan compete to lift the trophy. The beginning of the 2018/19 season is just around the corner and three of the top four clubs have already launched their home jerseys. With the coming weeks enabling us to see the rest of the shirts from the teams. 

Fan’s are always waiting on the edge of their seats to see what the manufacturers are producing next for the core sportswear ranges. So within this post we will look through the Juventus, AS Roma and Inter Milan shirts which are already released. This will give you a preview on what they look like and how they compare to last seasons. 

Juventus Home Kit

Again for this season the signature monochrome stripes of Juventus return on their home jersey. However, compared to the previous shirt, the stripes on this one are much wider and only appear on the torso of the garment. This therefore leaves the sleeves a plain white which is a stylish update to all over look seen before.

The neckline of the top has also been adjusted slightly. Previously the neck was a rounded crew and now they have adjusted the shape to a v-neck. As well as this, the three stripes of Adidas have been moved. Last time they appeared along the side of the torso, but now they are located across the top of the shoulders. 

And finally, the application of the accents has been updated. The Adidas logo which is woven to the right of the jersey is now featured in white needlework which fits better with the monochrome colour scheme when compared alongside the gold threading used before. The sponsorship logo for Jeep is in white again, however there is a black stripe behind it making it stand out more than last time.

AS Roma Home Kit

One of the most prominent changes between the AS Roma home shirt from 17/18 and 18/19 is the fact tha

15th November 2017.
Italy's 1-0 aggregate loss to Sweden in their World Cup qualification play-off has sparked a maelstrom of emotion within the Italian football community, with an outpouring of sadness, disappointment and anger greeting the final whistle at the end of the goalless second leg at the San Siro.

The defeat means the Azzurri fail to qualify for a World Cup finals for the first time in 60 years, denying legendary goalkeeper and 2006 World Cup winner Gianluigi Buffon the dream career bookend of bowing out at next summer's tournament in Russia, while fellow veterans Daniele De Rossi, Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini have also confirmed their subsequent international retirements.

Many observers are calling for a root-and-branch review of the Italian football system, feeling that systemic issues are at the heart of Italy's recent failures, and deeming the current pool of Azzurri players inferior to past generations.

But, in truth, as much as anything, Italy's qualification flop was a result of poor selection and coaching from Gian Piero Ventura, who was unable to find a tactical system that maximised the gifts of Marco Verratti and Lorenzo Insigne, his two most talented players, and ignored Brazil-born Italian international playmaker Jorginho for the bulk of the qualifying campaign.

An astute coaching appointment and a plan to build around Verratti and Insigne could see the Azzurri back on track, while there is a crop of gifted young players deserving of a more prominent role with the national team, waiting in the wings to step up in the place of the recent retirees.

Gianluigi Donnarumma

The natural heir to namesake Buffon, Milan goalkeeper Donnarumma is already among the world's best in his position despite still being only 18 years old.

The Rossoneri custodian has been a regular at senior club level since he was 16, and is destined for greatness

10th November 2017.
Over the course of the last six years, Serie A's title race has been something of a formality. Juventus, under Antonio Conte and now Massimiliano Allegri, have cruised to the Scudetto year after year without any serious competition. However, in the famous words of Bob Dylan, for the times, they are a-changin'.

Competition in 2017/18 Serie A

We are finally immersed in the wonderful spectacle that is a competitive Italian league. After 12 games - AS Roma and Lazio have only played 11 - Napoli sit at the summit, one point ahead of reigning champions Juventus and two in front of Luciano Spalletti's Inter.

Just behind the top three is Lazio, 28, and Roma, 27, with a game-in-hand to catch up the three teams ahead of them on 30, 31 and 32 points.

Milan were supposed to be in the mix, but problems with Vincenzo Montella's selection policy and the overhaul of the squad has prohibited them kicking on and competing for a Champions League place.

There is now a sense of a rejuvenation in Serie A, something we have not seen in many, many years. It is a sheer delight to watch Italian football each week because of the unpredictability that is going to occur.

European Football at its Best

For this is the same reason why the Premier League is, arguably, the most enjoyed league in the world.

Like the English Premier League, Serie A is not the best competition in terms of quality. That has to be Spain's La Liga. But not every spectator tunes in to be utterly wowed by the world-class dominance of Juventus - hence why Italian football went out of fashion through the Bianconeri's six-year dominance.

However, what the average fan does enjoy, is competitiveness. And finally Serie A has a show every match day that promises great, attacking football with a great sense of ambition

2nd October 2017. By Edward Stratmann.
Following a slightly frustrating start to the 2017/2018 campaign under new manager Eusebio Di Francesco, which was underlined by a loss to Inter Milan and a tough draw with Atletico Madrid, the relentless Rome media pack were out in force to sling criticism his way.

In the latter fixture, however, which was a credible 0-0 draw with an exceptional Atletico Madrid outfit, the angst was particularly fervent, with many demanding dramatic improvement. Reports then went into overdrive suggesting that club president, James Palotta, even stated he was unsatisfied by the result and the performance. Palotta then vehemently denied such claims and reiterated his support of Di Francesco, while also making sure to take a swipe at the media. "I never said anything negative about the team or the coach," he said.

"It's not the truth, but I'm used to it now. There is a tendency in the media in Rome and it seems they feel the need to invent something. At the end of the game, I went into the dressing room and there are plenty of witnesses. I hugged everybody and paid my compliments to [Kostas] Manolas and I gave a long hug to Alisson, reaffirming my compliments to the team, the coach and the management."

Since that Atleti contest, the Giallorossi have really began to kick into gear, recording five consecutive wins, in a stretch that's seen them really begin to gain some momentum. Scoring 14 goals in their last five games and only conceding two has given further reason for positivity. Although four of their wins came against slightly weaker opposition in the form of Hellas Verona, Benevento, Udinese and Qarabag, the statement win over AC Milan last night will have done wonders for their confidence.

Moreover, the way Edin Dzeko, Radja Nainggolan and Stephan El Sharaawy have hit some excellent form has been

18th September 2017. By Edward Stratmann.
When AS Roma announced the signing of Rick Karsdorp from Feyenoord in a deal worth an initial €14 million, excitement had to be tempered due to the knee injury he was suffering.

After initially damaging his knee on international duty for Holland back in April, an ailment he played through by using injections at the back end of last season, Roma's medical team discovered he'd require arthroscopic surgery on a small lesion on his anterior meniscus to clear up the problem and alleviate Karsdorp from any future pain.

While the operation in July was a success, the Dutchman's rehabilitation ensured he'd be on the sidelines for a decent amount of time. It was hoped he'd be available for Roma's season opener in August against Atalanta. However, it quickly became apparent he'd need a little longer to recover.

Rick Karsdrop Returns to Training

One big step on his road to recovery was the fact he returned to training last week, which signified vital progress and that he should be back to full fitness and ready to play come October. Interestingly, his main rival for the starting right-back slot, Bruno Peres, also returned from injury last week. With the pair sure to undergo a captivating duel to see who can gain the top spot. Eusebio Di Francesco, the Giallorossi's coach, will just be grateful his crisis at right-back will soon be over, especially considering Alessandro Florenzi, another man capable of playing the position, has just rejoined training too.

Following his wonderful development over the past couple of seasons especially, expectations are high that Karsdrop can continue his upward trajectory and become Roma's undisputed number one in his nominal position. At the 22-year-old's unveiling, Roma's renowned sporting director, Monchi, expressed his happiness at securing his services. "