After an impressive recruitment drive over the summer break, Roma get their 2022-23 campaign under way against Salernitana on Sunday evening.
Having finished sixth last season in Serie A, the Europa Conference League winners now seek to take the next step under Jose Mourinho, and they start against a side that defied the odds to survive relegation in May.
A tumultuous first year under their charismatic coach ended in glory for Roma, as they were crowned the inaugural Conference League champions in Tirana, though they fell short in their quest for Champions League qualification by some seven points.
The Giallorossi will therefore enter the Europa League at the group stage this term, and for the challenge ahead, Jose Mourinho has recruited a host of experienced heads.
A special Eternal City welcome was laid on for Paulo Dybala, whose successful time at Juventus came to an injury-plagued end, with two former Premier League stars Georginio Wijnaldum and Nemanja Matic also arriving to supplement the squad.
Some dead wood has been cleared out too, but Mourinho may have preferred to retain midfield pair Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jordan Veretout, who left for Inter and Marseille respectively.
After two wins from their first four friendlies of the summer, Roma saw off both Tottenham Hotspur and Shakhtar Donetsk without conceding a goal, and they are set to stick with a similar lineup for their first competitive game of the season.
As they have not lost a Serie A season opener since 2011, and face modest opposition, the capital club can travel south confident of claiming all three points.
Of their previous six top-flight encounters with Roma, Salernitana have won only once, and though the Campanian club start as outsiders on Sunday, they will be glad just to get their toes on the start line following last season’s events.
Having narrowly avoided expulsion from the league a month earlier, the Granata appointed proven survival specialist Davide Nicola in February, as the club’s new ownership decided to make a managerial change.
The third coach of the season at Stadio Arechi, Nicola turned the ship around and ultimately defied the odds to keep Salernitana afloat, after previously saving Crotone, Genoa and hometown club Torino from the trapdoor to Serie B.
Nonetheless, after finishing with the lowest points tally to escape relegation in the three-points-for-a-win era, the southern side will need to improve if they are to secure a third straight Serie A season.
With that in mind, Matteo Lovato has been brought in on a permanent deal to shore up the defence, with Lille left-back Domagoj Bradaric and goalkeeper Luigi Sepe also signing up for the challenge of defying the drop.
After a series of draws in pre-season, Salernitana were dumped out of the Coppa Italia by Serie B side Parma last week, and that 2-0 home defeat does not bode well for the visit of Roma.
Salernitana form (all competitions):
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Roma form (all competitions):
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We say: Salernitana 1-2 Roma
It could take some time for Roma’s new signings to gel, but pre-season evidence suggests they can be a potent force in Serie A this season. Facing Salernitana’s vulnerable defence, the visitors will get off to a flying start with a first-day win at the Arechi.