Pruzzo and Sabatini back Roma ahead of Inter clash

Lazio supporter Giuseppe Cruciani has named Roma as the clear favourites for the Scudetto, saying the club can only lose the title itself. Speaking on the Numer1 podcast, the La Zanzara presenter pointed to Gian Piero Gasperini's side as the team to beat. "Not out of superstition, but based on what we've seen so far. Roma have never dropped a match, maybe once a long time ago. The only game they lost was when they were ahead five minutes from the end against Real Madrid. Apart from that, they have always dominated," Cruciani said, impressed by the consistency of the giallorossi. Cruciani also highlighted that Roma have kept going despite the absences of three key players: Svilar, Koné and Dybala. He said those losses had not stopped the team from continuing to get results and produce high-level performances, which made their campaign all the more significant. His prediction was emphatic: "Roma are the real favourites for the Scudetto. If they don't win it, it's because something strange happens. It's almost impossible that they don't win it." Cruciani gave Roma a 55% chance of winning the title, ahead of Inter on 40% and Milan on 5%. His view stands apart from his fellow panellists. Ivan Zazzaroni still considers Inter the favourites, while Sandro Sabatini sees the two clubs as essentially level. Cruciani, by contrast, has no doubts. For Roma fans, hearing such words from a Lazio supporter makes the prediction all the more striking.

Giuseppe Cruciani, the Lazio-supporting journalist and host of La Zanzara on Radio24, has declared that Roma are the real favourites for the Scudetto and that only Roma could throw the title away. Speaking on the Numer1 podcast, he said the claim was not superstition but based on the team's performances so far. Cruciani said: "Non lo dico per scaramanzia, ma per valutazione di quello visto finora. Non ha mai sbagliato una partita, forse un tempo. L'unica partita che ha perso era in vantaggio a 5' dalla fine contro il Real Madrid. Per il resto ha dominato sempre. Gli mancano 3 giocatori fondamentali come Svilar, Koné e Dybala. La Roma è la vera favorita allo scudetto, se non lo vince è perché succede qualcosa di strano. È quasi impossibile che non lo vinca." In English, his remarks read: "I'm not saying it out of superstition, but based on what we've seen so far. They have never lost a match, maybe apart from one half. The only game they lost was when they were ahead with 5 minutes left against Real Madrid. Otherwise they have always dominated. They are missing three key players, such as Svilar, Koné and Dybala. Roma are the real favourites for the Scudetto; if they don't win it, something strange would have to happen. It is almost impossible that they don't win it." His comments come with Roma sweating on the fitness of three key men. Cruciani named goalkeeper Mile Svilar, midfielder Manu Koné and forward Paulo Dybala as fundamental absences, and he framed the Real Madrid defeat, where Roma led with five minutes to play, as the only blemish on an otherwise dominant campaign.

Former Roma left-back Max Tonetto, speaking exclusively to Retesport, said Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma share a strong identity with the side Luciano Spalletti built, with both projects built on a clear idea and a club that backs its coach. Tonetto said the results are now visible: Roma reached the Champions League in a season that brought many defeats, and the team has grown with signings made in the market. He noted that the first Spalletti team had far more difficulties. Looking ahead to Manchester United, Tonetto said the environment at Old Trafford is important, as the stadium regularly hosts Champions League football. He said Roma must impact the match in the right way, and that the first 15 minutes will be key. He added that Roma are aware of their qualities but must not give the opponent courage, because things can turn around quickly. On Gasperini, Tonetto said the coach's great philosophy is to accept no compromises: regardless of the opponent or the league position, the team always plays the same way. He said the road Gasp has taken is the right one, and that this way of playing pays off. Tonetto contrasted the two coaches: unlike Gasperini, Spalletti sought adjustments when an opponent had particular traits, while this Roma does not do that. He cited the match against Cagliari, when Mancini struggled against Fadera but the coach made no changes and kept playing the same way. The only change came in the final minutes, with Ghilardi, and Tonetto said the coach admitted he should have made it earlier. He added that all the players think in the same way. On Lulli, Tonetto called him a great discovery. He said Gasperini has worked with him since last season and that he is the ideal winger for the coach's game. He described him as the perfect stereotype: he has sprint, closes down every cross, and has an incredible engine and legs. Tonetto said he was surprised by the maturity and personality the player has shown, adding that it is not normal at his age. He said it could be a gradual path Gasperini is studying for him, or a chance from rotation, but that it will happen soon, and that the player is showing on the pitch that he is reliable, a fundamental quality for a coach. He said he did not believe there were many coaches better than Gasp at developing young players like him. Tonetto said the leap forward has been remarkable and that the fact he could be a starter is important. Tonetto also addressed the team's gaps and Niccolò Pisilli. He said the side lacks a midfielder, and that Pisilli is not, in his view, a defensive midfielder: he can do it, but lacks those characteristics, and paradoxically one would lose something in his forward movement. He called Pisilli good in many roles, adding that he will need a clearly defined identity but is on the right track with Gasp. Tonetto said he sees Pisilli as a box-to-box midfielder, closer to the trequartista zone than the holding line, and said he has already shown a lot. He said it is always pleasing to add a player from the academy, and that it is a source of pride to see him wear the captain's armband. On sending players out on loan, Tonetto said it makes sense to have this internal option, since not everyone becomes a first-rate player immediately and some need a few years, which is why the Under 23 side is useful. Asked whether Roma are a title side, Tonetto said the goal is to settle in the top part of the table. He said the same mentality must be kept, and that the final half hour of a season can make the difference in winning the Scudetto. He concluded that always being close to the top is the right path.