Giallorossi Fans Plan Protest as Ivan Juric Debuts as Roma Coach

Matias Soulé is expected to start on the bench again as Ivan Juric takes charge of his first game at the Stadio Olimpico, facing opponents Lorenzo Lucca and Florian Thauvin. The match is scheduled to kick off at 18:00 CET (16:00 GMT).

The fixture takes place against the backdrop of fan unrest among the Giallorossi supporters, who remain upset at the recent sacking of iconic figure Daniele De Rossi. They plan to express their discontent by leaving the Curva Sud empty for the initial 30 minutes of the game as a form of protest against the club’s ownership.

Newly appointed coach Ivan Juric is expected to stick with a three-man defensive lineup, although new recruits Mario Hermoso and Mats Hummels are not anticipated to start. Instead, Angelino, Evan N’Dicka, and Gianluca Mancini are likely to feature in defense.

The competition for the midfield role includes a battle between Lorenzo Pellegrini and Niccolò Pisilli, with Zeki Celik and Stephan El Shaarawy expected to line up as wing-backs. Up front, the attacking pair is likely to consist of Paulo Dybala and Artem Dovbyk, relegating new addition Soulé to the bench. Notably, Enzo Le Fée and Alexis Saelemaekers remain unavailable for selection today.

On the other side, only Alexis Sanchez is ruled out for Udinese, a team that has surprised many by sitting second in the Serie A table, only a point behind the league leaders who have a game in hand. Udinese is set to maintain their 3-5-2 system with Lucca and Thauvin spearheading the attack.

The match will be broadcast live on Paramount+ in the USA and OneFootball in the UK. Viewers in Australia and New Zealand can catch the live action on beIN SPORTS CONNECT.

Roma’s expected lineup is as follows in a 3-5-2 formation: Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Angelino; Celik, Cristante, Koné, Pellegrini (Pisilli), El Shaarawy; Dybala, Dovbyk. Udinese is expected to field: Okoye; Kristensen, Bijol, Kabasele; Ehizibue, Ekkelenkamp, Karlstrom, Lovric, Kamara; Thauvin, Lucca.