Hello and welcome to Sports Mole’s live coverage of the Coppa Italia quarter-final clash between Roma and Juventus. It is a tie between the top two Serie A sides and promises to be a thriller. And you can follow all the action live as it unfolds at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome with our minute-by-minute text commentary on this page.

Roma will head into the encounter as slight favourites as Rudi Garcia’s side are unbeaten at home so far this season. The former Italian champions have also won their last three competitive fixtures and will be keen to get the better of their visitors.

Meanwhile, Juventus will be determined to continue their quest for cup triumph. Antonio Conte’s men are more or less assured of the Scudetto, having established an eight-point lead over Roma at the top of the table, and will be keen to maintain their interest in the Coppa Italia beyond the last-eight stage.

The teamsheet is out and I shall type the names shortly. But I can tell you now for sure that Francesco Totti has started for Roma, while Sebastian Giovinco is in Juve’s lineup.

ROMA XI: De Sanctis; Maicon, Benatia, Castan, Torosidis; Nainggolan, De Rossi, Strootman; Florenzi, Totti, Gervinho

JUVENTUS XI: Storari; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Isla, Vidal, Marchisio, Pirlo, Peluso; Quagliarella, Giovinco

So Roma name a very strong lineup, while Juve do give one or two of their fringe players the chance to impress. Francesco Totti, Gervinho and Alessandro Florenzi are in attack for the hosts and will be supported from midfield by Kevin Strootman, Radja Nainggolan and Daniele De Rossi. Maicon is back in defence for the Lupi.

Meanwhile, Juve coach Conte pits Fabio Quagliarella alongside Sebastian Giovinco in attack against their Roman hosts, although Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal maintain their respective places in midfield. Marco Storari replaces Gianluigi Buffon in goal for a team that will deploy a 3-5-2 system with Mauricio Isla and Federico Peluso as the wingers.

The excitement is building at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome where kickoff is just over 10 minutes away. This will be a really thrilling match, so stay tuned on this page for all the action live as it unfolds.

Let me remind you that there will no second legs or replays if Roma and Juventus are on level terms after 90 minutes. The tie will go into extra time and then penalties, if necessary. So we will know which of these two teams will feature in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italian tonight.

As we inch towards kickoff, let’s hear from Roma coach Rudi Garcia: “I'd like to win against Juventus because it is a game where the winner goes through to the semi-finals. At the moment we are focused on this competition, it will be a good game to play. We need to ensure that the match goes in our favour this time. The venue of the game can change everything. It is difficult to play at their stadium, but this time it is at the Stadio Olimpico. Their team know how to do everything. Juve do not envy any other team. They know that they have a good squad that can play together. They have won two league titles and this year - with the arrival of two strong strikers in Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente - the team's even stronger."

It’s just five minutes to kickoff and the two sets of players are getting ready to come out onto the pitch!

The players are out and the pre-match formalities are taking place. We are just moments away from getting the contest underway.

The atmosphere inside the stadium is electric and the Roma supporters are already in full volume. The hosts will be slight favourites for the match, but Juve cannot be taken lightly.

KICKOFF The match is underway in front of around 65,000 supporters, most of whom would be cheering for Roma against Juventus.

It has been a rather quiet start to the match, although Roma have seen more of the ball in the opening three or so minutes. Francesco Totti tries to make a run down the right and then shoot on goal, but his attempt is blocked.

Roma earn the first corner of the match, but Juve do well to clear the danger away. The Bianconeri are actually on the backfoot at the moment.

CHANCE! Radja Nainggolan finds himself on the end of a loose ball outside the Juve penalty box and drives it towards goal, but it goes wide. Nainggolan has been a brilliant buy for Roma and he could well score one tonight from distance.

Juventus are trying to push forward, but they are incoherent in attack and the hosts are keeping their opponents at arm’s length.

Wonderful floated delivery from Totti from the left touchline towards Gervinho that finds him in a good position, but the ball has already gone out of play. Totti has looked very lively so far in this contest.

CHANCE! Brilliant good ball from Mehdi Benatia to Alessandro Florenzi from midfield that allows the Roma attacker to run on goal. However, his final shot 25 yards from goals goes way, way wide and does not trouble Marco Storari at all.

YELLOW CARD Juventus earn a free kick in ‘Andrea Pirlo range’ as Benatia brings down Sebastian Giovinco after failing to contain the Italian forward and is booked in the process.

Disappointing free kick from Pirlo, though, as it hits the top of the Roma wall and goes out of play for a corner.

This set piece does not lead to anything concrete for Juve either, although in the last three or so minutes they have started to push Roma back from their own half.

And just as I finish typing the last post, Rome are back on the front foot and pushing Juve deep inside their own penalty area. Moments later the visitors launch an attack, but the final cross from the left is cleared away with ease.

There has been a very hectic pace to this match and Roma are certainly the side looking to take an early lead. However, they are yet to have a real and meaningful chance.

It’s becoming a bit scrappy at the moment, if I am honest, although it is mainly because Juve are playing defensive football and not letting the Roma attackers come too close to their penalty area.

The pace has fizzled out a bit in the last couple of minutes and the game is being restricted to the midfield.

Strong run from Greek full-back Vasilis Torosidis as he runs past two Juve defenders and goes at the byline to put in a cross, but the ball goes out of play.

CHANCE! Roma put pressure on Juve inside their penalty area, with Totti drilling in a shot following good build-up play involving Daniele De Rossi among others, but Giorgio Chiellini heads it away.

CHANCE! Second successive chance for Roma to take the lead at the Stadio Olimpico as Torosidis curls a delivery at the far post, but Kevin Strootman just fails to make contact with the ball.

YELLOW CARD Alessandro Florenzi goes into the referee’s book for a very, very late challenge on Giovinco.

Juve earn a corner but fail to make the most of it. It is still goalless between Roma and Juventus in this Coppa Italia quarter-final tie after 30 minutes.

CHANCE! Totti goes for a screamer with his left foot from just outside the Juve box, but his effort goes narrowly wide of goal.

CHANCE! Wonderful play from Gervinho down the right flank as he drills in a low cross across the face of the Juventus goal, but Florenzi is a fraction too late in connecting with the ball.

Maicon does brilliantly to surge into the Juventus box and plays a one-two with Totti, but he is eventually dispossessed of the ball. The confidence of the Brazilian full-back on that occasion was awe-inspiring.

CHANCE! Sensational run from Maicon again, this time along the right flank, from where he drills in a cross across the face of the Juve goal; but once again, no-one in a Roma shirt is able to get to the ball inside the six-yard box.

Roma are really looking menacing now and their crosses are starting to rattle the Juventus defenders. However, they need to get bodies inside the box on such occasions for the moves to come to fruition.

Brilliant movement again from Gervinho, who collects the ball smartly on the left edge of the Juve penalty box. From there he finds Nainggolan on the right, who in turn tees up Totti 20 yards from goal. The Roma captain takes the shot first time, but it is blocked and the danger is cleared.

Juve go on the attack now as Sebastian Giovinco tries a nice trick to get the ball through to Mauricio Isla, but he fails.

Another corner kick for Juventus, another set piece gone to waste. Three minutes left until half time and it appears that the score will be 0-0 until then.

CHANCE! Juventus survive yet another Roma attack and only just! A cross is floated in again from the right by Maicon that is headed out of play for a corner, as Florenzi lurks at the far post.

Terrible, terrible effort from Maicon as he lets fly from distance and the ball goes high and wide, as the rain starts to pour down.

It’s half time at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome where it is goalless between Roma and Juventus in the Coppa Italia quarter-final tie. The hosts have had the better of the chances and the visitors have largely played defensively, but 0-0 it is at the break.

The Giallorossi have certainly been the more industrious side so far in this contest, but they need to be more clinical with their chances. In the last 10 or so minutes of the first half, a number of dangerous crosses were drilled in but there was no-one to turn the ball home.

Juve coach Antonio Conte appears to have set his team on playing defensive football and then trying to hit Roma on the counter. The Bianconeri have not exactly been a force up front tonight, but there have been glimpses that they can sneak a goal. And if they do that and go ahead, then Roma could well struggle to restore parity.

And why would Roma struggle to do so? Because in the first 45 minutes, Rudi Garcia’s side have failed to break the deadlock despite having a number of chances to do so.

Another reminder that if it ends all square at the end of normal time, then the tie will go into extra time and penalties if necessary. There will be no second legs or replays.

The players are coming out for the second half now and it appears that Juve may make a change.

SUBSTITUTION Conte makes his first change of the evening. Angelo Ogbonna comes on for Giorgio Chiellini.

The Roma players are now starting to get back on the pitch, while the Juve stars are already there and waiting for the match to resume.

KICKOFF Juventus get the second half underway. The tie is goalless from the first half.

GOAL DISALLOWED Roma survive a scare in the opening minute of the second half and how! Federico Peluso heads a cross from the right into the net, but it is ruled out as the ball had drifted out of play before it came back for the Juve player.

The defending from Roma was terrible on that occasion, I have to admit. It was by and large a free header from Peluso. Rudi Garcia will not be happy with his defenders, even though the goal was correctly ruled out.

Fabio Quagliarella was down on the pitch with injury following a clash with a Roma player, but he is back on his feet now. Andrea Pirlo takes the free kick that his teammate earned, but once again he fails to make the most of it.

Meanwhile, Miralem Pjanic is warming up for Roma and Paul Pogba is doing likewise for Juventus. Loads on talent on the bench for either side.

CHANCE! Florenzi flicks a header from a Torosidis cross from the left flank, but his attempt goes wide of the mark.

CHANCE! First meaningful chance for Roma in the second half as Maicon drills in a cross from the right, but there is no-one to turn it home. This was the problem in the first half for the hosts and it appears that it remains the problem in the second period as well.

Roma are starting to get into their stride now and are taking the game to Juve once again, just as they did for much of the first half.

Thirty minutes of normal time remain in this match and the deadlock is yet to be broken. The pace has dropped in the second period, but it could pick up anytime soon.

Pirlo floats in a long ball over the top looking for Giovinco, but the diminutive Italian cannot control it under pressure and a goal kick is given to Roma.

YELLOW CARD Tiredness is creeping into both sets of players, especially the Juve set. Meanwhile, Kevin Strootman goes into the referee’s book for a challenge on Artuto Vidal. He is the third Roma player to have been showed the yellow card tonight.

YELLOW CARD Federico Peluso becomes the first Juventus player to be shown yellow tonight for a challenge on Gervinho. He accepts the decision and play resumes.

As we inch towards normal time, it looks more and more likely that just one goal will be enough to separate the two sides. The game is being played at a pedestrian pace now, a far cry from what we observed in the first half of this quarter-final tie.

De Rossi goes on a run down the left side of the Juve box, but he fails to make the much of it and the ball runs out of play for a corner.

Morgan De Sanctis almost makes a mess of a simple catch. He comes way out of his line to claim a ball dropping from the top, but fails; however, Peluso’s header is nowhere near goal.

YELLOW CARD Leandro Castan is now booked for Roma. So it’s 4-1 to the hosts as far as cautions are concerned.

Arturo Vidal tries to go for a shot from distance, but his attempt is wide and does not trouble De Sanctis as well. The match has become scrappy now.

SUBSTITUTION Roma coach Rudi Garcia makes his first change of the evening. Miralem Pjanic comes on in place of Alessandro Florenzi.

Free kick to Roma long way out from the Juve goal. However, Totti is preparing to take it...

Totti clips his delivery over the top and Benatia almost gets on the end of it, but it is eventually cleared by a dogger Juve defence.

CHANCE! Terrible decision-making from Mauricio Isla, who does well to claim the ball from Daniele De Rossi and then run towards goal, but he decides to shoot – and shoot wide – when he could have easily picked up Fabio Quagliarella, who was in a better position.

SUBSTITUTION Fernando Llorente replaces Giovinco for Juventus.

Roma take the lead and how! Miralem Pjanic does well to collect the ball in midfield and then sprints towards goal. The playmaker then picks out Strootman on the left and his cross from the byline is turn in acrobatically with his right foot by Gervinho.

SUBSTITUTION Third and final change of the evening for Juventus. Carlos Tevez comes on for Federico Peluso. Three up front for the Bianconeri.

SUBSTITUTION Roma earn a corner and Francesco Totti is about to take it when his number comes up and he is substituted. Adem Ljajic comes on in the Italian legend’s place.

Pjanic tries to do a few tricks again around the Juve penalty area, but this time he is foiled. He has been linked with a number of top clubs in Europe and he showed why with the sensational piece of invention in getting Roma 1-0 up against Juventus at the Olimpico.

CHANCE! Gervinho goes for goal from a narrow angle on the right side of the Juve penalty box, but Marco Storari makes the save.

Three minutes of normal time remain. Juve do look down, but they are not out yet. They have scored late goals this season and there is no reason why they cannot do it tonight.

Half-chance for Juve as Claudio Marchisio shoots from the edge of the Roma box, but it goes high over the crossbar.

Corner for Roma in the final minute of normal time. It is taken shot and is eventually taken control of by Juventus.

Four minutes of injury time have been added.

OFF THE POST! Miralem Pjanic goes so so close to making it 2-0 to Roma! The home side come out in droves and Pjanic shoots on goal from outside the box, but his effort just clips the post and goes out of play.

CHANCE! Now Vidal goes close for the Bianconeri, who launch an attack, but the Chilean’s drilled effort goes wide.

YELLOW CARD Vidal is shown a yellow card for protesting too much about a throw-in with just seconds remaining on the clock.

It’s all over at the Stadio Olimpico where Roma have defeated Juventus 1-0 to progress to the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia. Gervinho’s goal 11 minutes from time proved to be the difference between the two sides in Rome.

Roma were the dominate side from start to finish and could have added more to their tally, but it was not too be. Nevertheless, coach Rudi Garcia will be pleased that they eventually won their quarter-final tie.

Thank you very much for joining me here on Sports Mole tonight and hope that you enjoyed our coverage of the match. Have a good night, it’s goodbye from me for now.