With one side chasing a top-four finish and the other desperately seeking points to avoid the drop, Roma meet Sampdoria at Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.
While the hosts' hopes of returning to the Champions League were hit by Rome Derby defeat before the international break, Samp kept the flame flickering on their Serie A survival hopes by beating Verona.
Match preview
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Already without the suspended Jose Mourinho on the touchline, Roma went down to 10 men after half an hour of their Derby della Capitale loss to Lazio last time out, and the dismissal of Roger Ibanez proved too much of an obstacle to overcome despite a dogged display.
Their bitter rivals moved further ahead in the Serie A standings, as Mattia Zaccagni struck the game's only goal midway through the second half - leaving the Giallorossi down in fifth place.
After suffering back-to-back league losses for the first time since January of last year, Mourinho's average points-per-game (1.69) has actually dropped to the lowest for any Roma coach to have survived more than one season this century, which will not sit well with the notoriously demanding tactician.
While it is rumoured he has rejected several offers from abroad, including some from national teams, the project he started back in 2021 has shown signs of stalling, and a parting of the ways this summer should not be ruled out.
Now five points adrift of Lazio, having lost three of their last four league games, Mourinho's men certainly cannot afford too many more slip-ups if they are to claim a place in the top four come June, so seeing off struggling Sampdoria on home soil will be considered essential.
Roma have won both of their last two encounters with Samp by the same 1-0 scoreline - including October's reverse fixture in Genoa - and the Europa League quarter-finalists will now expect to make that three on the spin this Sunday.
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After emerging from one of their most crucial fixtures of a troubled season with all three points, Sampdoria finished March with a 3-1 win over Verona that just about keeps dreams of avoiding relegation alive.
Attacking talisman Marco Gabbiadini struck twice before the break at Marassi, as the Blucerchiati hauled themselves to within five points of their 17th-placed opponents and nine shy of safety.
Just a third victory of the season leaves Samp once again seeking back-to-back wins in Serie A for the first time since 2021, and they will face an under-pressure Roma side this weekend.
Sampdoria have slowly started to turn things around in recent weeks, as Dejan Stankovic aims to pull off a miraculous escape, having been handed a tough task when he took over from Marco Giampaolo in the autumn; they have now avoided defeat in four of their last seven matches, having lost eight of their previous nine.
The stakes are formidably high, though as the 1991 Scudetto-winners are not only on the brink of returning to Serie B but also teetering dangerously close to bankruptcy. For that reason, upcoming clashes with Cremonese, Lecce and Spezia could have even more riding on them than Sunday's trip to the capital.
Team News
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Due to his team's indiscipline, Roma boss Jose Mourinho will have to shuffle his pack this weekend, as Bryan Cristante - sent off after the final whistle in the derby - Gianluca Mancini, Marash Kumbulla and Roger Ibanez are all absent due to suspension.
Therefore, Diego Llorente and Zeki Celik could both make rare starts in the hosts' back three, alongside Chris Smalling - who is set to make his 100th Serie A appearance.
Up front, Tammy Abraham vies for selection with Andrea Belotti, who has yet to score a league goal since arriving from Torino last summer. However, 'Il Gallo' has previously netted nine times against Sampdoria in Serie A, including five from his last five on home soil.
Meanwhile, Manolo Gabbiadini will provide Samp's greatest source of hope, having been involved in the largest percentage of a club's goals of any Italian across Europe's top five leagues this term (44%). He has also scored in both of his last two league matches against Roma at the Olimpico.
Though Sam Lammers is now back from injury, Gabbiadini may plough a lone furrow up front, supported by Filip Djuricic and Michael Cuisance.
Veteran midfielder Tomas Rincon returns from suspension, but Abdelhamid Sabiri is sidelined after picking up a knock on Morocco duty.
Dutch defender Bram Nuytinck must serve a ban and is set to be replaced by Jeison Murillo in the Blucerchiati's back three.
Roma possible starting lineup:
Patricio; Celik, Smalling, Llorente; Zalewski, Matic, Wijnaldum, Spinazzola; Pellegrini, Dybala; Abraham
Sampdoria possible starting lineup:
Turk; Zanoli, Murillo, Amione; Leris, Winks, Rincon, Augello; Cuisance, Djuricic; Gabbiadini
We say: Roma 1-1 Sampdoria
Amid a sense of disarray at the club - with successive Serie A defeats, several suspensions and Jose Mourinho's future all clouding their European exploits - Roma could stumble again.
Samp have little left to lose and can see Sunday's game as a 'free hit' before a series of crucial contests against sides just above them in the table, so a point may be possible.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Jonathan O'Shea
