Juric warns Roma of ‘fired up’ Verona: ‘They’ll be angry’ | OneFootball

Ivan Juric has warned his Roma players of the dangers that a ‘fired up’ Hellas Verona side will present when the two sides meet in Serie A on Sunday afternoon.

The Giallorossi coach told reporters at his pre-match press conference that Verona will be ‘angry’ after recording three consecutive losses in Serie A, and feels that they will look to take their frustrations out on a vulnerable Roma side.

Roma will play Verona at the Bentegodi stadium on Sunday, kicking off at 17.00 GMT.

Juric issues Roma with Verona warning

Verona have lost five of their last six matches in Serie A, but remain the only team in the league to beat the table-topping Napoli this season.

“They always have a positive atmosphere, which helps push the team on,” Juric said at his pre-match press conference on Saturday.

“They have lots of quick and technical players. They have alternated between some excellent performances and some less good ones. They’ll be angry and fired up to redeem themselves, it will be a very difficult game.”

Hellas Verona’s Cyril Ngonge reacts after scoring the 2-0 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match Hellas Verona vs AS Roma at Marcantonio Bentegodi stadium in Verona, Italy, 26 August 2023. EPA-EFE/EMANUELE PENNACCHIO

Juric went on to evaluate the impact that some of Roma’s young players could have on the first team.

“I’ve always said that we have lots of good young guys with significant room for growth. We can earn results with them, too. We are not bothered about age when it comes to matches. Young players have more room to grow, the older ones bring a few more guarantees, but we always need them to perform at their best.

“In terms of mentality, we have to show that we are a strong group. But if we don’t get results in Verona, it counts for nothing, We have to try and win.”

Juric on Dovbyk, Dybala, Dahl and Soule

There were also fitness updates on some of Roma’s key players. Artem Dovbyk missed the 1-0 midweek win over Torino through illness, and it remains to be seen whether he will be involved against Verona.

“We’ll see about Dovbyk today, he’s training, then we’ll decide. I have to see today’s training, who has recovered and who hasn’t and then we’ll make our decisions. They are technical choices, it doesn’t matter if one guy plays or the other. Dovbyk didn’t train yesterday.

“Soule was playing a lot before he got sick, so I don’t see any problems there. We have players like Baldanzi and Dybala, so we have to take it game-by-game. We need patience and calmness. We have to nurture this type of player, work with them.”

Juric also gave his thoughts about Paulo Dybala, and explained what he has seen from the Argentine in training over the last few weeks.

“On a human level, he has understood the importance of playing football, which is what counts. You have to train well to win. This is a key concept for us. He played as a false nine, but he still has more freedom than the others, because he has a sense for space. He has a lot of freedom compared to the others when he plays.”

There were also assessments of Roma’s potential options at wing-back.

“I think El Shaarawy and Zalewski prefer to play on the left rather than on the right. Zalewski had some cramp, and I don’t think there’s much time to do anything about it today, we’ll see how he is. “Dahl is an interesting guy, I see him similarly to Angelino, as a full-back. He has pace and technique. Fewer one-on-ones, but more legs. He trains hard, he has a great mentality, so we’ll see over time. We’ll also see whether to play him in a back three or at wing-back. He’s started very well and I like his mentality.”