After starting their new era with a win, Roma return to action on Monday evening, when they meet southern rivals Salernitana at Stadio Arechi.

While Daniele De Rossi's debut as Giallorossi boss ended in victory, Roma's hosts have won just twice all season and sit rock-bottom of the Serie A standings.

Match preview

Following the traumatic departure of former coach Jose Mourinho, who had brought both controversy and silverware to the capital club, Roma began life under new management by beating lowly Hellas Verona last time out, after sprinting into an early two-goal lead.

New manager Daniele De Rossi switched away from Mourinho's preferred three-man defence, and his team took control through strikes from Romelu Lukaku and Lorenzo Pellegrini, ultimately running out 2-1 winners at an expectant Stadio Olimpico.

That lifted the gloom a little after Mourinho's sacking, and losses to AC Milan and arch-rivals Lazio in the league and Coppa Italia respectively, so Roma's former midfield maestro - appointed interim boss until the end of the season - will now aim to build some momentum.

While the Giallorossi remain unbeaten at home since September, they have lost each of their last three away fixtures in Serie A - to Bologna, Juventus and Milan.

They return from a friendly win over Al-Shabab in Saudi Arabia, in which Lukaku scored the late winner, seeking a rare success on the road, having taken maximum points just twice from 10 away games in the league.

Roma have won on three of their four previous visits to Stadio Arechi in Serie A, keeping a clean sheet in each victory, and De Rossi would clearly welcome a repeat.

All told, Salernitana have won only one of their nine top-flight meetings with Roma to date, though they have drawn 2-2 in both of the last two.

On the opening day of what has transpired to be a tough 2023-24 campaign, the Granata held their capital-city counterparts in Rome, with Antonio Candreva's brace almost resulting in a famous victory.

Since then, Paulo Sousa has made way for current coach Pippo Inzaghi, who is struggling to turn around Salernitana's long-term slump: stretching back to last season, the Salerno club have won just two of their last 22 league matches.

Their 14th defeat during that period came at home to Genoa last week, as Inzaghi's side suffered a third straight loss, despite scoring shortly after kickoff through Agustin Martegani - they have dropped the most points from winning positions throughout Serie A (18).

Still stuck to the foot of the standings, with a mere 12 points on the board, the Campanian club now require a comeback to match that of two years ago, when they were virtually dead and buried at Christmas but somehow scrapped their way to survival.

Team News

Daniele De Rossi fielded an experimental team in Roma's midweek exhibition game, but his XI for Monday's contest in Salerno should more closely resemble that which started against Verona.

Paulo Dybala has recovered from a minor muscular injury sustained last weekend; however, Leonardo Spinazzola now joins Tammy Abraham, Chris Smalling and Renato Sanches in the treatment room at Trigoria.

Evan Ndicka is still on international duty, and Leandro Paredes must serve a one-match ban, but Gianluca Mancini and Bryan Cristante both return from suspension and the latter should start next to club captain Lorenzo Pellegrini in midfield.

Pellegrini is one of only two Italian midfielders to have been directly involved in more than 60 Serie A goals since 2017-18, along with Salernitana's Antonio Candreva, who has also scored five times in his last five games against Roman opponents - three against Roma, two versus former club Lazio.

The hosts are still without last term's top scorer Boulaye Dia, while ex-Roma defender Federico Fazio is doubtful due to a thigh problem; Lassana Coulibaly and Jovane Cabral are away at the Africa Cup of Nations, with Mali and Cape Verde respectively.

In Dia's continued absence, either Simy or Chukwu Ikwuemesi should lead the line up front, while recent loan signings Toma Basic, Niccolo Pierozzi and Alessandro Zanoli are all likely to feature.

Salernitana possible starting lineup:
Ochoa; Zanoli, Gyomber, Daniliuc, Bradaric; Martegani, Maggiore, Basic; Candreva, Tchaouna; Ikwuemesi

Roma possible starting lineup:
Patricio; Karsdorp, Mancini, Llorente, Kristensen; Pellegrini, Cristante, Bove; El Shaarawy, Dybala; Lukaku

We say: Salernitana 0-2 Roma

Not only are Roma feeling refreshed under new management, Salernitana have conceded an average of two goals per game at Stadio Arechi this season and are brittle at the back. The visitors should therefore return to base with three more points in their pocket.


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