AS Roma vs. Sampdoria Stadio Olimpico, Rome Italy 2:45 PM EST Sunday April 25, 2010
by Jason Green at Predictem.com
Betting Odds: AS Roma 1.45 / Sampdoria 7.00 / Draw 4.30
Over/Under: 2.5 goals
Moneyline: AS Roma -220 / Sampdoria +605 / Draw +295
On Sunday night in a crucial match for both teams AS Roma hosts Sampdoria. AS Roma is in 1st place in Serie A, but only have a slight 1-point lead over Inter Milan. Inter plays on Saturday night at home against Atatlanta and they should win that match so AS Roma may have to win this match to stay atop the Italian league.
Sampdoria have had a solid season and they are currently in 4th place in Serie A. They would like to stay in the top 4 so they would qualify for Champions League play next season. They currently sit 2 points ahead of Palermo and if they lose this match they may drop out of he the top 4.
Even though AS Roma lost their last match to Udinese 1-0 in the Coppa Italia they still won the cup after winning 2-0 at home. AS Roma has won their last 4 Serie A matches and they are in top form and look to keep Inter Milan from winning the league title for a 5th straight season.
Sampdoria is also playing well and with confidence after beating AC Milan at home in their last match 2-1 due to a goal in injury time. They have won their last 3 Serie A matches, but they only have 5 wins away from hole all season. They will have a tough time in Rome, but they have the squad to do it after beating the top teams this season.
This season in Serie A AS Roma has scored 61 goals and given up 37 and Sampdoria has scored 43 goals and given up 39.
AS Roma Recent Form:
4/21/2010 Udinese 1 AS Roma 0(Coppa Italia)
4/18/2010 Lazio 1 AS Roma 2 (Serie A)
4/11/2010 AS Roma 2 Atatlanta 1 (Serie A)
4/3/2010 Bari 0 AS Roma 1 (Serie A)
3/27/2010 AS Roma 2 Inter Milan 1 (Serie A)
Sampdoria Recent Form:
4/18/2010 Sampdoria 2 AC Milan 1 (Serie A)
4/11/2010 Sampdoria 1 Genoa 0 (Serie A)
4/3/2010 Chevio 1 Sampdoria 2 (Serie A)
3/28/2010 Sampdoria 1 Cagliari 1 (Serie A)
3/24/2010 Bari 2 Sampdoria 1 (Serie A)
F Mirko, DF Marco Cassetti, and DF John Arne Riise are all nursing minor injuries, but each is match fit and will be available for this match. Other than these guys AS Roma is pretty healthy and they have no suspension worries either. Even though AS Roma played on Wednesday night they rested may of their regulars in the Coppa Italia match so they will be fresh.
For Sampdoria DF Marco Rossi, DF Stefano Lucchini, and MF Fernando Damian Tissone are all banged up and will likely miss this match.
AS Roma has an Over/Under 2.5 goal record of 4-6 in their last 10 matches and Sampdoria has a record of 6-4 in their last 10.
AS Roma has only lost 2 matches at home all season.
When these 2 teams met this season at Sampdoria they played to a 0-0 draw.
The AS Roma attack is vital in this game, as if they play to a draw they will likely be in 2nd place after the match. Mirko Vucinic and Luca Toni will be the 2 strikers up front and Vucinic scored both goals in the last Serie A match at Lazio. One of these guys, if not both, will find the back of the net in this game.
Sampdoria’s striker Antonio Cassano has been playing great as of late and he will be counted on to provide some offensive pressure, but he will have a hard time scoring on a AS Roma defense that has only given up 4 goals in their last 5 matches.
Both teams play at attacking style so the midfielders will be vital in this game not only setting up the offense, but also getting back on defense when the other team is attacking.
Jason’s Pick: AS Roma is on a roll and they will not miss out on an advantage to win on home turf. There will be a ton of pressure on them in this match, especially if Inter Milan wins on Saturday night. Sampdoria will put up a fight, but they do not have the depth of AS Roma and they are not a great away team. Look for both teams to come out cautious, but for Roma to pour it on in the 2nd half like they did in the win over Lazio last weekend. I see AS Roma winning this game by a score of 2-1 or 3-1.
