Can Roma get over the line and gain European qualification? | OneFootball

AS Roma are leaving it late if they are to play European football next season, but they are not the only club in Serie A, which means qualification will go down to the wire. With just seven games to go until the end of the season, it looks like the title will be between Inter Milan and Napoli, but there is a pack full of Serie A teams wanting to play European football next year.

Serie A is a competition that has fans gripped to the edge of their seats and tickets for the league are selling quick each game. Ticket-Compare has plenty of games available for a reasonable price including the upcoming Rome derby between Lazio and Roma (Roma tickets available here).

With Atalanta, Bologna, Juventus, Lazio, Roma, Fiorentina and Milan all within the hunt of getting either the Champions League, Europa League or Europa Conference, the climax of the Serie A season is going to be interesting. However, will Roma be playing European football next year.

Form and run in

Roma are the in-form team in Serie A and top the table for the past six games. Five wins and one draw is excellent form and form that I Giallorossi will need to maintain if they are wanting to play European football next season.

Form all season has been fairly solid, hence why Roma are still in the conversation of finishing in the top six; a sticky period in October and November has thrown them out of title contention. However, scoring ten goals and conceding just two goals in the past six games is the way Roma needs to continue.

It will not be the easiest run into the end of the season especially on the back of playing Juventus in the previous game. With Lazio, Inter, Fiorentina, Atalanta and Milan all in the fixture list, Claudio Ranieri’s men know they will be in for a scrap until the end of the season. Keep winning against opponents around them and it could secure them Champions League.

Ranieri’s final farewell

Following the draw with Juventus, Ranieri all but confirmed his retirement from being the manager of Roma. After taking over for the second time in November, Ranieiri has guided Roma well to keep them high up in contention but will not be continuing next season but instead be taking up a director role within the club.

Ranieiri spoke after the Juventus game, saying,  “I had already hung up my boots last year. Despite some proposals coming my way, I made it clear that I would only return to the sidelines for Roma or Cagliari. I was secretly hoping these calls wouldn’t come, as they would signal underlying troubles for the clubs involved.”

With the title win with Leicester, understandably his highest achievement in the game, this would be a fitting way to leave the managerial game if he were to get Roma into the Champions League next year.

Who can lead Roma on the pitch?

With Ranieri doing all he can, using all his experience on the touchline, he needs his players to carry on stepping up and playing the way they are playing. In particular his strikers who, as stated, have scored ten goals in the past six league games.

Roma have put their faith in Artem Dovbyk this year following his €38 million move from Girona in the summer and the club have been given 16 goals in all competioons. He is the main man up front and with three league goals in March, the Ukranian is in great form for the final run in.

Just behind him in a rich vein of form is another player in his first season Matias Soule who has found life in Serie A with a big club like Roma just as enjoyable as playingnear the bottom of the table for Frosinone last season. With an average rating of 7.0 all season, Soule will be wanting to recreate moments like his first-minute winner against Empoli earlier in March.

Is the Champions League realistic?

With Roma currently not occupying any European position some would think that they would not be able to make European football next season but with so many games being played against contenders for the spots and their recent form, Roma have all the credentials to break into the Champions League places.

With just five points separating 3rd and 7th, one side will be the unlucky one and given the form and influential manager Ranieri being with Roma, it is highly unlikely to be I Giallorossi.

With experienced heads like Mats Hummels and Stephan El Shaarawy, they will prove to be excellent squad members to get Roma over the line and play in the most prestigious competition in Europe.