The Round of 16 match in the Coppa Italia between Roma and Sampdoria will take place on December 18 at the Stadio Olimpico. Roma vs. Sampdoria: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Predicted lineups for Roma vs. Sampdoria
Roma (3-4-3): Mile Svilar – Mario Hermoso, Mehmet Zeki Celik, Evan N'Dicka – Saud Abdulhamid, Manu Koné, Enzo Le Fée, Angeliño – Alexis Saelemaekers, Stephan El Shaarawy, Paulo Dybala.
Sampdoria (3-5-2): Simone Ghidotti – Alessandro Riccio, Mees Meulensteen, Lorenzo Venuti – Nicholas Ioannou, Alessandro Bellemo, Matteo Ricci, Leonardo Benedetti, Fabio Depaoli – Massimo Coda, Gennaro Tutino.
The starting lineup for each team is based on their previous match.
Roma
The Romans have won the Coppa Italia trophy nine times. Only Juventus has more victories in this tournament (15). The club last triumphed in Italy's second most prestigious tournament in 2008 and reached the final in 2013. In the last Serie A season, the team finished in the top eight, starting their Coppa Italia campaign from the Round of 16. Last season, Roma ended their run in the quarter-finals, losing away to Lazio 0-1.
- The Romans have an uncompromising streak in this tournament, comprising 16 matches (8 wins and 8 losses).
- The number "1" appeared in the scoreline at the end of regular time in 6 of Roma's last 8 Coppa Italia games.
- The club has not won the first half in the Coppa Italia for 10 matches (4 draws and 6 losses).
Sampdoria
As a Serie B representative, the Genoese started at earlier stages of the tournament. They narrowly advanced past Como 1907 (1-1, extra time 0-0, penalties 4-3) and Genoa (1-1, extra time 0-0, penalties 6-5) thanks to better penalty execution. Sampdoria has four Coppa Italia trophies, but the last victory was 30 years ago. The club reached the final in 2009. Last season, the Genoese were eliminated at their second stage, losing away to Salernitana 0-4.
- The number "1" appeared in the scoreline at the end of regular time in 7 of Sampdoria's last 9 Coppa Italia games.
- No more than two goals were scored in 90 minutes in 6 of the club's last 7 matches in this tournament.
- The Genoese lost and failed to score in the first half in all five of their last Coppa Italia matches.
Roma vs. Sampdoria: Match Prediction
The Romans are having a very poor season. They are much closer to the relegation zone than the European competition spots. It seems unlikely that the team will qualify for a continental tournament through the league, but they still have a chance by winning the Coppa Italia. I am confident that for new coach Claudio Ranieri, it is important to perform well in this tournament, so he will motivate his players to win the upcoming match.
Roma has a good record in head-to-head meetings. In the last 10 Serie A encounters, the club secured 7 wins, with 2 draws, and only once were the Genoese victorious. At the Olimpico, in the last five head-to-head meetings, the Romans won 4 times with 1 draw. Additionally, note that the capital club has won 7 of their last 10 home Coppa Italia matches. Meanwhile, Sampdoria has lost 8 of their last 10 away games in this tournament.
I expect the hosts to win comfortably, especially since the Genoese are struggling even in Serie B, where they are fighting for survival. My prediction – Roma with a handicap (-1)