The Cult of Calcio

Record-time Italian champions Juventus have reportedly put Jonathan David up for sale only 12 months after luring him to Turin. According to Corriere dello Sport via Calciomercato, Lyon and Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on the Canadian striker.

Juventus went to great lengths to lure David to the Allianz Stadium last summer. After five impressive seasons at Lille, the 26-year-old was one of the hottest properties on the market, with ‘half’ of Europe vying for his signature. However, the Bianconeri won the race.

Most importantly, Juventus didn’t have to spend a dime to sign David. He arrived as a free agent after his contract in France expired. Still, that’s not an excuse for his embarrassing first season in Serie A. Indeed, he scored just six goals and added four assists across 35 league appearances.

Our take on Juventus & David

The fact that Juventus signed David on a Bosman deal is a mitigating circumstance. Twelve months after bringing him to Turin for free, Luciano Spalletti’s side can make a substantial capital gain, with the Canadian’s current market price floating around €30 million.

Juventus will entertain offers in that region as they prepare to overhaul their attacking options in light of Dusan Vlahovic’s impending departure. Meanwhile, Lyon and Tottenham are seemingly unfazed by David’s disappointing form in Serie A, and they could engage in a transfer tug-of-war in the coming months.

While a move to Lyon would enable David to return to his old stomping ground, given that he was outstanding in Ligue 1, North London may be a more attractive destination. Roberto De Zerbi is one of David’s long-term admirers, and the Italian could even be ready to overlook his crisis at Juventus.

A standout fixture of the UEFA Europa League Round 5 pits Tottenham Hotspur and Roma against each other in North London. Claudio Ranieri makes his long-awaited return to England after suffering defeat on his touchline debut.

Romelu Lukaku returned to haunt Roma in the latest edition of the famous Derby del Sole last Sunday. The former Giallorossi striker netted a second-half winner for Napoli to spoil the beginning of Ranieri’s third stint at the Stadio Olimpico. However, there’s no time to dwell on the past.

With just one win from the opening four league phase fixtures, Roma’s quest to secure automatic knockout qualification is in tatters. There’s a little wriggle room, considering they already trail eighth-placed FCSB by four points following a 1-1 draw at Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.

On the other hand, Tottenham had been living up to the billing as one of the leading candidates to conquer Europe’s second-tier competition until Gameweek 4. After three consecutive victories at the start of the newly formatted league phase, Spurs fell to a 3-2 defeat at Galatasaray.

It threw a spanner in the works as the London giants bid to arrest a gut-wrenching 16-year title drought. With the Premier League trophy already out of reach, lifting the Europa League crown for the first time since the early 1980s feels like Tottenham’s best chance to add to their dusty trophy cabinet.

Beating Roma in this heavyweight clash would bring them significantly closer to securing direct promotion to the knockout stages.

Match Preview

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham head into proceedings in high spirits after inflicting Pep Guardiola’s heaviest home defeat during his illustrious managerial career. Indeed, James Maddison’s first-half brace set the tone for Spurs’ incredible 4-0 league triumph at the Etihad Stadium last Saturday.

However, a lack of consistency has plagued Ange Postecoglou’s side this season. Ceding Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace their first Premier League victories of the season highlight Spurs’ volatility. It’s nearly impossible to predict which version of Tottenham will show up on any given day.

Long-standing struggles in continental clashes against Italian opposition could play into Roma’s hands. Spurs have only claimed two wins across their eight previous Europa League encounters against Serie A clubs (D4, L2), suggesting the Giallorossi could triumph against the odds.

But stopping Tottenham from scoring feels almost unachievable. Postecoglou’s charges have bagged at least two goals in five of their last seven home outings in all competitions, including a 3-0 thumping of Qarabag in the Europa League.

Roma

Except for an unconvincing 1-0 home victory against Dynamo Kyiv on matchday three, the Italians have gone winless in their remaining Europa League games this term (D2, L1). Roma shockingly slumped to a 1-0 loss at Swedish outfit Elfsborg on Matchday 2, perhaps best illustrating the depth of their form woes on the road.

Ranieri’s men have emerged victorious from only one of their last 12 Europa League fixtures outside the Italian borders (D6, L5). Furthermore, they have won none of their nine competitive away matches this season (D5, L4), ominously scoring one goal or fewer on eight occasions.

As if that’s not worrying enough, they’ve lost on their last two Europa League visits to English clubs via an aggregate score of 7-2. Roma must buck that trend in North London to increase their chances of securing a spring on the continental stage.

However, you’d need to go back to 2001 for Roma’s last Europa League win away to English opposition. Therefore, the task awaiting Ranieri’s team on Thursday is nothing short of Herculean.

Team News

Former Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario underwent an ankle surgery and will not be in goal. Tottenham will turn to Fraser Forster to fill the void. Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Richarlison, and Wilson Odobert are also unavailable for selection, leaving Postecoglou with difficult choices.

As for Roma, Milan loanee Alexis Saelemaekers and second-string forward Eldor Shomurodov will not be part of the traveling squad. Spanish defender Mario Hermoso is edging closer to returning to full fitness, but Ranieri will unlikely risk fielding him prematurely.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Roma Potential Starting Line-ups

Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3): Forster; Spence, Dragusin, Davies, Gray; Sarr, Bentancur, Bergvall; Johnson, Solanke, Werner.

Roma (4-4-2): Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Hummels, Angelino; Soule, Baldanzi, Cristante, Zalewski; Dybala, Dovbyk.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Roma Prediction

Unless Roma can perform a U-turn on their disastrous performance in Naples, this could be a field day for Tottenham. Though Postecoglou will likely field an experimental line-up, Spurs are in far better shape to return to the win column after the Istanbul heartbreak.

Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur to Win