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AS Roma close out their 2020-21 Serie A campaign away to Spezia at the Stadio Alberto Picco on Sunday. They will be hoping to give their departing manager Paulo Fonseca a memorable send-off in this game.
I Giallorossi are seventh in the league table with 61 points, two clear of Sassuolo. A victory on the final matchday would also ensure their place in the Europa Conference League.
Spezia, playing in the Italian top-flight for the first time in their history, confirmed their place in Serie A for another season with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Torino last weekend.
The Aquile have been an entertaining outfit in the bottom half of the standings. They deserve credit for managing to stay up despite having a woeful defense which has leaked 70 goals so far, more than any side in the division barring the bottom three.
What's more, they've also caused Roma plenty of problems this season, scoring seven goals from their last two clashes.
Spezia vs AS Roma Head-To-Head
The sides have clashed thrice in all competitions before, claiming one victory each.
In their Coppa Italia match earlier this year, Spezia won 4-2 in extra-time but were awarded a 3-0 victory after Roma made one illegal substitution.
But when they met again in the league a few days later and I Giallorossi got their revenge in a pulsating 4-3 thriller.
Spezia Form Guide (all competitions): W-D-L-D-L
AS Roma Form Guide (all competitions): W-L-W-W-L
Spezia vs AS Roma Team News
Spezia
The home side will have to finish their season without Julian Chabot, Federico Mattiello, Andrej Galabinov and Titus Krapikas who're all injured. Diego Farias is suspended for this game.
Head coach Vincenzo Italiano has rotated his squad in the last couple of games and might do so again on Sunday with key players like Ivan Provedel, Emmanuel Gyasi, Daniele Verde and Roberto Piccolo all returning to the starting XI.
Injured: Julian Chabot, Federico Mattiello, Andrey Galabinov, Titus Krapikas
Suspended: Diego Farias
Unavailable: None
AS Roma
The Giallorossi have been decimated by injuries with several key players like Jordan Veretout, Chris Smalling, Ricardo Calafiori, Leonardo Spinazzola, Amadou Diawara, Roger Ibanez and Federico Fazio all ruled out of final matchday.
First-choice goalkeeper Pau Lopez is out until next season after undergoing shoulder surgery, while Nicolo Zaniolo is a long-term absentee too.
Lorenzo Pellegrini picked up a muscle problem in the game against Lazio and will most likely be sidelined too.
Injured: Pau Lopez, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Nicolo Zaniolo, Jordan Veretout, Chris Smalling, Ricardo Calafiori, Leonardo Spinazzola, Amadou Diawara, Roger Ibanez, Federico Fazio
Suspended: None
Unavailable: None
Spezia vs AS Roma Predicted XI
Spezia (4-3-3): Ivan Provedel; Salvadore Ferrer, Claudio Terzi, Ardian Ismajli, Simone Bastoni; Nahuel Estevez, Giulio Maggiore, Matteo Ricci; Roberto Piccoli, Daniele Verde, M'Bala Nzola.
AS Roma (4-2-3-1): Antonio Mirante; Rick Karsdorp, Gianluca Mancini, Marash Kumbulla, Bruno Peres; Bryan Cristante, Gonzalo Villar; Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Pedro, Stephan El Shaarawy; Edin Dzeko.
Spezia vs AS Roma Prediction
Spezia have had Roma's numbers in both their clashes this season and will be a thorn in their faces again.
But I Giallorossi are competing for Europe, which is an incentive big enough to perform at their best.
We're going with a victory for the away side.
Prediction: Spezia 1-3 AS Roma
