Roma close in on top four as Juventus and Milan come under pressure

ROME: Roma head to Parma on Sunday with their push for a return to the Champions League gathering momentum, while Juventus and AC Milan face growing pressure in the race for a top-four finish in Serie A.

A heavy defeat to newly crowned champions Inter Milan a month ago had appeared to damage Roma’s hopes of ending their long absence from Europe’s premier club competition. But a return of 10 points from their last four matches has lifted the capital side to within one point of fourth-placed Juventus, while Milan are only two points further ahead in third.

Coach Gian Piero Gasperini said after last weekend’s emphatic win over Fiorentina that Roma could not afford any slip-ups in the closing stretch of the season.

We're going well, but we know that we cannot make any mistakes if we're going to have any chance of making the Champions League.

We've got three matches that we have to get right and hope that others don't.

Roma’s improved run has come at an important stage of the campaign, and it has also strengthened Gasperini’s standing at the club after tensions with Claudio Ranieri had cast doubt over his future. Ranieri was removed from his position as senior advisor to Roma’s billionaire American owners two weeks ago after a dispute with Gasperini spilled into public view shortly before the 3-0 win over Pisa that started the team’s current strong spell.

The Friedkin family has chosen to continue backing Gasperini, who remains popular with supporters despite his disagreement with Ranieri, a local figure and lifelong Roma fan. The club’s owners are hoping he can guide Roma back into the Champions League.

Roma have not featured in Europe’s top club competition since Porto knocked them out in the last 16 seven years ago. With three league matches left, their chances of ending that absence have improved.

Roma have also been helped by Milan’s sharp decline in form. Massimiliano Allegri’s side have collected only seven points since defeating Inter two months ago. That derby victory had seemed to revive the title race, but Milan have since scored only once in five matches and are now being chased not only by Roma but also by Como, who sit three points behind the top four.

Milan, who host Atalanta at San Siro on Sunday night, have also been hit by the loss of key midfielder Luka Modric for the rest of the season because of a cheekbone fracture. His absence was felt in last weekend’s match at Sassuolo.

Parma have no major objective left to play for, while Verona, Roma’s final opponents of the season, have already been relegated. Between those fixtures, however, Roma must navigate the Rome derby against Lazio, who will be eager to dent their rivals’ ambitions.

Player to watch

Donyell Malen has emerged as a central figure in Roma’s second-half surge. Since joining on loan from Aston Villa in January, the Netherlands forward has scored 12 goals and become one of Gasperini’s most influential players. His direct attacking style has given Roma added thrust, in a manner likened to some of the standout performers from Gasperini’s successful years at Atalanta, including Ademola Lookman and Alejandro Gomez.