Roma vs Pisa – News and Probable Lineups

Facing a critical juncture in their pursuit of a top-four finish, Roma will seek to regain momentum as they welcome struggling Pisa this Friday evening.

Recent form has seen the Giallorossi lose three of their previous four Serie A encounters, jeopardizing their Champions League aspirations, while their opponents are facing imminent relegation.

Match overview

Since early March, Roma has garnered only four points from five league fixtures, allowing Como and Juventus to create significant distance in the race for European qualification.

In an unusual turn, the Giallorossi have conceded 12 goals during this poor stretch—matching the total from November to February—after being overwhelmed by Inter de Milão in their last match.

Having fallen behind in the opening minute, Gian Piero Gasperini’s team was decisively defeated by the Scudetto contenders at San Siro, continuing their woes on the road.

Currently sitting sixth in the table, Roma trails fourth-positioned Como by four points, with Juventus positioned between them.

Atalanta, in seventh place, is just a point behind, making any further errors potentially damaging; following their exit from this year’s Europa League at the hands of Bologna, European football for the next season remains uncertain.

Amidst this backdrop, the capital club will appreciate the return to home soil, where they have celebrated 10 victories in 15 Serie A matches this season, with their last league defeat at Stadio Olimpico dating back to December.

This weekend’s win is deemed crucial, as Roma faces a challenging schedule ahead, yet to play against Atalanta, Fiorentina, Bologna, and their old rivals Lazio.

Historically, Pisa has only managed two wins in their last 10 encounters with Roma in the top flight, most recently suffering a 1-0 defeat at home last August.

Any early-season enthusiasm was soon extinguished by a dismal 17-match winless streak, and last year’s Serie B runners-up have struggled to bounce back since.

The Nerazzurri were narrowly defeated 1-0 by Torino in their most recent outing, placing them at the bottom of the standings with just 18 points, now nine points adrift of safety with seven matches to play.

Pisa has registered only two wins all season, and a managerial change mid-term has had little effect: appointed in early February, new head coach Oscar Hiljemark has secured just one victory in his first eight matches in charge.

In fact, the Tuscan outfit appears to be heading for relegation without much resistance, having failed to score in five of their last seven matches—since Hiljemark’s arrival, they have been the sole team not to find the net away from home.

Pisa will arrive in Rome hoping to snap a 15-match winless streak on the road; a failure to achieve any result other than a shocking win will push them closer to relegation.

Team News

Following a disastrous spell that saw them concede three goals in just 12 minutes during the second half against Inter, Roma may opt for changes on Friday, with Gianluca Mancini expected to miss out due to an adductor injury.

The defender will join several others on the sidelines, including attack-minded players Paulo Dybala, Artem Dovbyk, and Evan Ferguson, although key midfielder Manu Kone and Brazil wing-back Wesley are nearing returns.

After netting a late consolation goal on Sunday, former captain Lorenzo Pellegrini is just one goal away from reaching the 50-goal milestone in Serie A, which could happen in his 300th appearance in the top tier.

Lacking a variety of fit players, Donyell Malen is unlikely to be rested. Since his arrival in Rome in mid-January, the Dutch forward has been the top scorer in Serie A, with seven goals, also taking the most shots during this period.

Pisa’s leading scorer is Stefano Moreo, who has netted six times, while Matteo Tramoni has contributed to three goals in his last four away matches—he scored against Cagliari and Udinese and assisted Moreo against Inter.

The visitors are still without the injured trio of Daniel Denoon, Marius Marin, and Isak Vural, but veteran winger Juan Cuadrado was back on the bench last weekend.

After serving a two-match suspension, winter signing Rafiu Durosinmi can now make his return, putting pressure on Henrik Meister’s position in the attack.

Roma probable starting XI:

Svilar; Ghilardi, Ndicka, Hermoso; Celik, Cristante, Pisilli, Tsimikas; Soule, Pellegrini; Malen

Pisa probable starting XI:

Always; Calabresi, Caracciolo, Canestrelli; Leris, Hojolt, Akinsanmiro, Aebischer, Angori; tramoni; Harden me

Roma has started to concede goals after being one of Italy’s most defensively solid teams for many months, but faltering against Pisa at home is nearly unimaginable.

Maintaining their slim hopes for a top-four finish, the Giallorossi have the opportunity to secure three vital points at the expense of their struggling opponents.