Chievo - Roma - MATCH PREVIEW

Under pressure Rudi Garcia will look to begin the New Year in the right spirit when his decimated Roma take on Chievo.

The encounter at the Bentegodi Stadium is one the Giallorossi simply cannot afford to drop points should they hope to maintain a serious challenge in the Scudetto race.

Having ended 2015 with just one win in their last five games, the pressure started to mount on Garcia, with reports suggesting that he could very well be on the look out for a new job should positive results fail to come more frequently.

Maximum points away from home have been hard to come by for the French tactician’s side, with the last victory on the road coming up against Fiorentina back in October, and the club knows full well that this clash against an impressive Chievo will be crucial.

An unusual line-up will, however, take to the field, with the capital club having sent Juan Manuel Iturbe on loan to Bournemouth, while Edin Dzeko, Miralem Pjanic and Radja Nainggolan will all be suspended for the outing.

This will undoubtedly bode well for the Flying Donkeys, who ended their year having taken nine points out of a possible 15 off their opponents, leaving them sitting comfortably in mid-table.

Having experienced an impressive first half of the season, the fans are expecting even more from Rolando Maran’s side in 2016, as they look to continue their safe travel away from the doldrums of the Serie A log.

Another showing of great character by Chievo’s stars, which has been pivotal to the club holding their own this season against Serie A’s giants, will certainly see the Gialloblu favour their chances on the battle field on Wednesday, as they hope to start the year off with a bang. 

The outcome of the fixture could ultimately play a crucial role in determining how the second half of the season will pan out for each club.

Keep An Eye On: Gervinho (Roma) - With so many of Roma’s stalwarts missing, the pressure will be on Gervinho to deliver the goals for the Trigoria outfit. The Ivoirian has found the back of the net half a dozen times already this season, handing him an average of a goal every second game. His pace, ability to hold the ball up and find space could see him cause trouble for Chievo’s defence. 

Form Guide: Chievo (L W W L W) Roma (W D D L D)

Last Season: Chievo 0 – 0 Roma

Stat Fact: The key to Chievo’s success this season has largely been their high intensity game. This is shown in the amount of mileage the team has tracked this season, running an impressive total of 106,163 kms (fourth in Serie A), while Roma has notched up just 97,979 kms.

Chievo (probable): Bizarrai; Cacciatore, Gamberini, Dainelli, Gobbi; Castro, Radovanovic, Hetemaj; Birsa; Paloschi, Meggiorini

Suspended: None

Roma (probable): Szczesny; Maicon, Manolas, Rudiger, Digne; Florenzi, De Rossi, Vainqueur; Salah, Gervinho, Iago Falque

Suspended: Dzeko, Pjanic, Nainggolan

Words: Rossella Marrai