Roma-Waalwijk is a friendly and will be played on Thursday at 16:00: news, statistics, live TV, streaming, likely formations, predictions
The Dutch side of Waalwijk will take on Roma in the last of three friendly matches in the Portuguese training camp in Albufeira. On Monday, Pellegrini and his team-mates recorded their first success in the four tests played since the end of November – including the two matches on Japanese soil, both of which ended in draws – by beating Casa Pia 1-0 thanks to a goal from El Shaarawy.
Roma didn’t particularly shine, but there was some progress compared to the previous game against Cadiz, which ended in a humiliating 0-3 defeat in favour of the Spaniards. They paid the price for Mourinho’s decision to keep Abraham on the bench – the English striker’s bad patch is continuing – and to play without a true striker, with the former Milan player acting as a false nueve in front of the trequartisti duo of Pellegrini and Zaniolo. The Giallorossi built up a number of chances but, as usual, they made a lot of mistakes in front of goal and risked conceding the equaliser. At the end of the match Mou was also visibly concerned about the condition of Smalling and captain Pellegrini, both of whom came off injured and were in doubt for the last friendly in the Algarve.
In the challenge against Walwijk, the presence of Bove in the three-quarter, behind the pair Zaniolo-Abraham, cannot be excluded. In defence, however, in place of the Englishman will be Kumbulla. In contrast to the Giallorossi, Joseph Oosting’s men have only played one friendly match in this World Cup break, losing decisively (3-0) to Belgium’s Sint-Truidense. Walwijk are currently tenth in the Eredivisie, a league that does not open again until 7 January, when they face Heerenveen.
Vroegh
The Prediction
Roma should repeat their success against Casa Pia, even scoring a few more goals, considering that the Dutch tend to get off balance and leave many spaces uncovered. The total goals this time could be at least three.
Roma v Waalwijk likely line-up
- ROMA (3-4-1-2): Svilar; Mancini, Kumbulla, Ibañez; Celik, Matic, Camara, Zalewski; Bove; Zaniolo, Abraham.
- WAALWIJK (3-5-2): Vaessen; van der Buijs, Adewoye, Gaari; Lutonda, Clement, Anita, Oukili, Lelieveld; Lobete, Hassani.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 3-1
