Football – Italy – Serie A
Sunday 15th February 2015 – Kickoff: 1400hrs
AS Roma will look to step up their bid in the title race in Serie A this afternoon when they take on bottom club Parma with what looks like an easy three points on paper for the hosts.
Roma ended a run of four draws on the trot last weekend when they beat Cagliari 2-1 away from home, but the stalemates have slowed down their progress in their attempts to reduce the existing seven-point margin held by current Serie A league leaders Juventus.
Roma have also drawn their last four at home too, but with the visit of Parma this afternoon, they’ll be going all out for the maximum three points as they look to improve their current home record of 7-4-0 23/7. The hosts remain one of only three teams yet to be beaten at home along with Juventus and Sampdoria.
Another goal from leading goalscorer Ljajic last weekend helped seal the points at Cagliari and Roma will be looking for more of the same from him today.
Visitors Parma have the unenviable task of trying to contain a rampant Roma side in their own backyard, particularly having lost their last four Serie A matches on the trot with defeats to Hellas Verona, Sampdoria, Cesena and AC Milan.
This preview has been written before Parma’s home game with Chievo Verona on Wednesday night, so I’ll focus on Parma’s away record and results as they are more pertinent to this fixture; with eight straight defeats away from home, Parma look to be in a world of hurt right now, while their overall away record stands at a poor 1-0-9 8/26.
Parma’s defence has shipped the highest number of goals away from home in the division, having conceded in each and every away match so far this season.
There surely can only be one outcome here, and I fully expect Roma to quite simply blow poor Parma away here today in what could perhaps be a 3-0 home win.
Pick: Roma HT/FT @ 1.80 bet365 looks the best play here
