(Football news) In addition to trying to secure a quarterfinal matchup with bitter rivals Lazio, Jose Mourinho’s team will also be looking for some payback for losing the cup to the Grigiorossi the previous year.
Roma finished sixth in the Serie A rankings at the conclusion of 2023 despite having a mixed start to the season. However, their success in the Europa League raises the possibility that they will make significant runs in cup competitions in the future.
Since Jose Mourinho took over, the Giallorossi have gained notoriety for making it through elimination rounds. They were the winners of the Europa Conference League in 2022 and defeated finalists in UEFA’s second-tier competition the previous season.
But things didn’t go as planned in the Coppa Italia quarterfinal matchup between Roma and Cremonese last year; Roma lost 2-1 at Stadio Olimpico, shockingly eliminating them in front of their own supporters.
The capital city team is back in the Coppa with a matchup against the same opponents after receiving a bye through the earlier stages due to their top-eight league table position in the previous season.
Their ultimate goal will be to pass Inter Milan, the current holders, and sit alone behind Juventus, the only team to have won the Coppa Italia more times than Roma’s nine victories, given Mourinho’s insatiable hunger for hardware.
Roma has a lot of work ahead of them to earn a top-four berth in Serie A, but they are tough to overcome at home and will be looking for revenge in midweek after their 1-0 league loss to Juve on Saturday night, which extended their run of defeats against the best teams.
Almost a year after they unexpectedly won their first-ever Coppa match against Roma, the Cremonese are back in the Eternal City in the hopes of pulling off another coup.
The Grigiorossi will always cherish their memorable exploits from the previous season, when they upset the odds and advanced to the semifinals before falling to Fiorentina 2-0. They will also never forget their victory over Roma and Napoli.
Also read: Juventus will play in Salernitana in Coppa Italia
