Roma host Serie A leaders Juventus tonight aware that failing to beat the Bianconeri will keep the Serie A title in Turin for a sixth straight year.

As well as being determined to stay alive in the race for Scudetto, Roma are keen to cling on to a Champions League place, with Juve already looking forward to their final appearance in June.

Here, Press Association Sport identifies five talking points before the Stadio Olimpico showdown.

Juve primed for title party

Massimiliano Allegri’s all-conquering team had hoped to sew up their record sixth successive Scudetto weeks ago, but back-to-back draws allowed Roma to keep the gap at seven points heading into the third last game of the season.

A point from their trip to the capital would suffice, yet Juve have only taken four of those from their last four visits. Even if Roma manage to stall the celebrations, Juve’s next game sees 17th-placed Crotone visit Turin, so the race is as good as run.

Old Lady still rotating

Juve’s failure to beat Atalanta and then Torino over the last two weekends has been blamed on their run to the last four in the Champions League, with a tough two-legged tie against Monaco requiring Allegri to deviate from his fearsome first team, which was so powerful against the French side.

Their arrival in the Cardiff final meant the Coppa Italia clash with Lazio was brought forward two weeks, so Allegri will need to keep the plates spinning in Rome.

Key midfielders Claudio Marchisio and Sami Khedira are confirmed absentees for today’s match – what will the Juve boss have up his sleeve?

To Totti or not to Totti?

Francesco Totti is 40 years old and has barely featured for Roma this season.

At that advanced age a coach might be forgiven for leaving a striker out of his plans, but Luciano Spalletti has come under increasing pressure from the fans to include the one-club man as he edges towards retirement.

Totti, who has been offered a directorship from July, was left on the bench at San Siro last week and Spalletti admitted he could have been more sensitive, teasing a swansong appearance against Juve.

Battle of the big guns

When Juve paid Napoli €90 million for Gonzalo Higuain, who scored 36 league goals last season, he was expected to blaze a similar trail in Turin.

The Argentinian has been effective, notching at key times as the Bianconeri battle for glory on three fronts, but with 32 goals in all competitions he is five behind Roma’s Edin Dzeko.

Unable to establish himself as starter at Manchester City, Dzeko has made hay in Italy, and he will be eager to make up for his poor showing at Juve in December.

Roma seeking home comforts

Despite the fact they are almost certain to miss out on the Scudetto, Roma have enjoyed their best domestic campaign in years.

Second only to Napoli – one of only two teams to beat them in the capital – in the scoring charts, they have put three or more goals past opponents on 17 occasions.

But they have failed to win at the Olimpico in two attempts, more recently suffering a 3-1 derby defeat to Lazio for which supporters will be expecting some level of atonement at the expense of Juve.

Playing today – 15.00
Bologna vs Pescara    
Cagliari vs Empoli    
Crotone vs Udinese    
Inter vs Sassuolo - 12.30
Palermo vs Genoa    
Roma vs Juventus - 20.45
Sampdoria vs Chievo        
Torino vs Napoli

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