Preview: Roma vs Pisa - prediction, team news, lineups

With their top-four hopes hanging by a thread, Roma will try to get back on track when they host lowly Pisa on Friday evening.

Having lost three of their last four Serie A matches, the Giallorossi are letting Champions League football slip through their fingers; meanwhile, their struggling visitors look set for a quick return to the second tier.

Match preview

Since the start of March, Roma have taken just four points from five league games, allowing Como and Juventus to pull clear in the race for a seat at Europe’s top table.

Uncharacteristically, the Giallorossi have shipped 12 goals during that downturn - the same number as between November and February - after being hit for five by Inter Milan last time out.

Trailing within the first minute, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side were ultimately blown away by the Scudetto favourites at San Siro, as their dismal away form continued.

Now sitting sixth in the standings, Roma lie four points behind fourth-placed Como with seven rounds remaining, and Juventus are sandwiched between.

Seventh-placed Atalanta lurk just one point behind, so more slip-ups could prove costly: having been dumped out of this year’s Europa League by domestic rivals Bologna, European football for next term is not yet guaranteed.

In that context, the capital club will welcome a return to home turf, where they have won 10 of 15 Serie A fixtures this season, last losing a league game at Stadio Olimpico back in December.

Victory will be all but essential this weekend, as Roma then face a difficult run-in: they are yet to meet Atalanta and Fiorentina, plus continental conquerors Bologna and old foes Lazio.

Down the decades, Pisa have won just two of 10 previous top-flight meetings with Roma, most recently suffering a 1-0 home defeat last August.

Any early-season optimism left at that stage was then punctured by a grim winless run of 17 league matches, and last year’s Serie B runners-up have never really recovered.

Beaten 1-0 by Torino last time out, the Nerazzurri are rock bottom of the table on 18 points, now nine from safety with seven games remaining.

Pisa have only won twice all season, with a mid-term change in the dugout failing to make any impact: appointed in early February, new boss Oscar Hiljemark has produced just one win from eight attempts so far.

Indeed, the Tuscan club seem to be going down with a whimper, failing to find the net in five of their last seven outings - since Hiljemark arrived, they are the only team not to score an away goal.

Pisa will also head for Rome aiming to end a 15-match winless streak on the road; anything other than a shock success will see them slip even closer to the trapdoor.

Roma Serie A form:

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Roma form (all competitions):

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Pisa Serie A form:

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Team News

After conceding three times in 12 minutes during their second-half collapse against Inter, Roma may make changes on Friday, when Gianluca Mancini will be sidelined by an adductor injury.

The Italy defender joins a significant absence list featuring forward trio Paulo Dybala, Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson, though key midfielder Manu Kone and Brazil wing-back Wesley are both close to returning.

Having scored a late consolation on Sunday, former captain Lorenzo Pellegrini needs one more goal to hit 50 in Serie A, and he could do so on his 300th top-flight appearance.

Due to a lack of fit options, Donyell Malen is unlikely to get any rest. Since arriving in Rome midway through January, the Dutch striker has been Serie A’s top scorer with seven goals, also attempting the most shots during that period.

Pisa’s main marksman is six-goal Stefano Moreo, while Matteo Tramoni has played a part in three strikes across his last four away appearances - scoring against Cagliari and Udinese, assisting Moreo against Inter.

The visitors are still missing Daniel Denoon, Marius Marin and Isak Vural due to injury, but veteran winger Juan Cuadrado returned to the bench last weekend.

After serving a two-match ban, winter singing Rafiu Durosinmi can now return, placing pressure on Henrik Meister’s position up front.

Roma possible starting lineup:

Svilar; Ghilardi, Ndicka, Hermoso; Celik, Cristante, Pisilli, Tsimikas; Soule, Pellegrini; Malen

Pisa possible starting lineup:

Semper; Calabresi, Caracciolo, Canestrelli; Leris, Hojolt, Akinsanmiro, Aebischer, Angori; Tramoni; Durosinmi