It was billed as the battle between Juve’s nearest rivals and while Roma defeated Milan, Saturday’s trip to Turin will be a truer test of their credentials
Thumbing through the newspaper previews for Roma’s match against Milan, one might have come away with the impression that Italy was preparing not for a football match but rather an assault on King’s Landing. Like the put-upon peasants in Game of Thrones, columnists yearned for a less oppressive form of leadership. It was time, as La Repubblica put it, for the “One, True, Anti-Juve” to emerge.
In the standings, there was nothing to choose between these two pretenders to the Serie A throne. Joint second on 32 points, they each trailed Juventus by seven. But the Milan manager, Vincenzo Montella, was quick to assert that Roma – on the basis of money spent, experience and stated ambitions – should be considered as favourites – and his opposite number concurred.
Related: Torino fail to scale the mountain as Juventus tower above derby rivals | Paolo Bandini
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