The start of this season’s Serie A campaign has been a chaotic one. Juventus are winless, Chievo are on top of the table having scored seven goals in two matches, and everything has seemed all jumbled up in the early going. Two things have gone more or less as expected, though -- Roma are near the top of the table, and Frosinone are near the bottom of it.
Roma vs. Frosinone 2015 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Roma look to try to pull away from Juventus against Serie A’s latest new arrivals.
Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images
Roma’s season didn’t start so well, though, drawing away at Hellas Verona, but they recovered nicely, stunning Italy by beating Juve 2-1 just before the international break. Another victory against winless Serie A debutants Frosinone -- playing just their third ever Serie A match -- could help Roma build some much-needed momentum as they try to pull away from Juventus early in the season before the defending champs get their feet under them.
This will also be the first Serie A match to feature an enhanced goal-confirmation system -- commonly called goal line technology -- after the Italian league adopted the system this year. The enhancements add additional cameras to each goal in order to more clearly and accurately determine whether or not a questionable goal should stand. The bulked-up system should be spread through the rest of the league before long.
Key player -- Edin Dzeko (Roma)
Dzeko was Roma’s big summer signing, and so far he’s been an impressive addition. He’s picked up a goal and an assist in his first two Roma matches, and he’s made the top of Roma’s attack look more consistently threatening than it’s been at almost any point over the last few years. If he can keep up that form, Frosinone’s defense could be in for a heap of trouble.
Debut to watch -- Salih Uçan (Roma)
Now, Uçan is a stone cold lock to make his first appearance of the season in this match, but with Roma’s midfield thin in attacking talent and Miralem Pjanic sidelined with injury, the Turkish international is the most likely man to step up to replace him. Uçan only played a minimal role for Roma last season, but he has shown significant skill and potential in the past, including a touch of penetrative passes that should play very well with the giallorossi attack. A side like Frosinone would be a good one to break him in with as a starter, and if he does well here Rudi Garcia could wind up trusting him with a much bigger role.
Frosinone injuries and suspensions
Out: Massimiliano Carlini (flu), Mirko Gori (flu) In doubt: Nicolas Castillo (knee), Aleandro Rosi (knock), Leonardo Blanchard (knock)
AS Roma injuries and suspensions
Out: Miralem Pjanic (calf), Kevin Strootman (knee) In doubt: list
Rudi Garcia’s side has been pretty battered early in the season, but they’re finally starting to get healthy, with Antonio Rudiger, Maicon, and of course, Francesco Totti all looking likely to play some role in this match. The loss of Pjanic to an injury picked up on international duty is a big blow, though, taking away a vital attacking presence in midfield. Frosinone are dealing with a bad flu bug moving through their camp, with two players left out of the squad because of it and others rumored to be weakened by it as well. They might be getting back key summer loan signing Castillo, though, who missed their first two matches with a knee injury.
Match Date/Time: Saturday, 12 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. local
Venue: Stadio Comunale Matusa, Frosinone, Italy
TV: beIN Sports (U.S. and Canada - English), Sky Calcio 1, Sky Sport 1 HD Italia (Italy), BT Sport 2 (U.K.) RAI International (U.S. and Canada - Italian)
Online: fuboTV, beIN Sports Connect (U.S. & Canada), BT Sport (U.K.), Sky Go Italia (Italy)
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