Roma can strengthen their grip on a Champions League spot by beating Genoa when the two teams meet at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.
The Giallorossi got back to winning ways with a victory in their last match against Sassuolo, but Genoa are no pushovers, and have won four of their previous five league matches.
Roma
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It has been a frustrating season for Roma, who have failed to build upon their success last campaign and have not been able to seriously trouble Juventus, who are just a point away from winning the Serie A title for the fourth year in a row.
They had even seen their place inside the top three come under threat due to their poor form since January, but with five games of the season left to play they are still firmly in charge of their own destiny.
Rudi Garcia's side did suffer a blow at the weekend when a late goal from Mauro Icardi saw them drop to a 2-1 defeat at Inter Milan, which helped Napoli to close to within just a couple of points of them in the Serie A table.
However, an impressive 3-0 victory over Sassuolo on Wednesday evening opened the gap back up to five points and they were further boosted as Napoli were beaten by Empoli the following day.
Their remaining fixtures don't seem too daunting, aside from a Rome derby against fierce rivals Lazio on the penultimate weekend of the season, but with four of those games at the Stadio Olimpico, they will need no reminding that their form at home has been poor.
Since November, the Giallorossi have won just one of their league games on home turf, which was a 1-0 victory over Napoli at the start of April. It is an area that Garcia will desperately want his side to improve upon over the next month and ahead of next season, where they will once again be expected to fight for the title.
Recent form: WWDDLW
Genoa
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Over the past month, there have been no teams in Serie A in better form than Genoa, who have moved up to sixth in the table to boost their hopes of getting into the Europa League.
The Rossoblu have managed to win four of their previous five league matches and they produced another outstanding performance on Wednesday to claim a 3-1 victory over AC Milan at San Siro.
Gian Piero Gasperini has made his team one of the most exciting to watch in the top flight and only four clubs have bettered their tally of 49 goals in the league this season.
They are probably too far away from catching Roma and getting into the top three, but a win at the Stadio Olimpico would enable them to put further pressure on the chasing pack around them and help to seal a return to Europe for the first time in five years.
A place in the Europa League could help them to keep hold of a number of their star players, with the likes of Andrea Bertolacci and Iago Falque, who both scored against Milan, reportedly attracting the attention of a number of big clubs.
Recent form: DWWLWW
Team News
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Seydou Doumbia could keep his place in the starting lineup after scoring the opener for Roma in their win at Sassuolo.
However, the club will once again be without long-term absentees Leandro Castan, Kevin Strootman and Maicon.
Genoa have been dealt a blow by the news that Diego Perotti will miss the rest of the season with a muscular injury.
His absence means that Zakarya Bergdich is likely to keep his place in the side, with M'Baye Niang and Falque leading the attack.
Roma possible starting lineup:
De Sanctis, Florenzi, Manolas, Yanga-Mbiwa, Holebas, Pjanic, De Rossi. Nainggolan, Iturbe, Doumbia, Gervinho
Genoa possible starting lineup:
Perin, Roncaglia, De Maio, Izzo, Edenilson, Rincon, Bertolacci, Kucka, Bergdich, Iago, Niang
Head To Head
A goal from Radja Nainggolan was enough to give Roma a 1-0 victory when these teams met back in December.
That result continued the Giallorossi's good run against their opponents, as they have won five of the previous six meetings between the two teams.
There have been 16 goals scored in their last five meetings, but the previous two games have both ended in 1-0 wins.
We say: Roma 2-1 Genoa
Roma's victory over Sassuolo will have been a huge boost of confidence for Garcia's side, but they have badly struggled at home in recent months. They are coming up against good opposition in Genoa, who are more than capable of causing an upset, but we think that the Giallorossi will have just enough to claim a vital win.
Alex Meyers
