The yellow-reds have not defeated Inter at home since 2016. Juric is putting his faith in Artem.

The mighty Roma is badly in need of goals, and more specifically weighty ones. This Sunday at the Olimpico Stadium, Inter is set to arrive, and the Romans are on the hunt for a victory against the Nerazzurri – a feat not achieved on home ground since 2016. On that unforgettable evening, the showstopper was none other than Edin Dzeko. Juric is placing high hopes on seizing the three points, thanks to the proactive efforts of Dovbyk. Last year, Lukaku often disappointingly missed his match-ups against the league’s heavyweights. A mere two goals – against Napoli and Juventus – were recorded to his name. Of those, one–the one against the Neapolitans–came when the clock was virtually run out, and with Roma having an advantageous 11-against-9 player situation on the field. Artem has put a minor muscle issue, picked up on international duty, behind him and returned invigorated by his goal against the Czech Republic. This early in the season, he has already found the back of the net 5 times across Serie A, Europa League, and the Nations League. Now aiming for victory against a titan.

In Turin, he didn’t get many chances to score in a showdown that ultimately ended in a 0-0 stalemate. In the past season, he was a thorn in the side of Spain’s queens. Two goals against the mighty Barcelona and one against Atletico Madrid (plus an assist). He ran out of steam only against Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid. In other leagues too, he has always been a menace for the top teams. In Denmark, he punished Copenhagen, while in Ukraine, he tamed Shakhtar. His front line partner is to be none other than Paulo Dybala. Today marks the highly anticipated return to group play, and it’s against this noir-and-azure clad team that he scored his only goal from a play against a big-time club since donning the jersey of the strong Roma. The other matches, against Atalanta and Napoli, saw him score from penalty kicks. A sterling performance will be needed to set the atmosphere ablaze in an Olympic Stadium that will be sold out, but without the South Curve for the first 15 minutes.