Roma vs. Hellas Verona; Serie A Match Preview

When the sun rises over the Eternal City this Easter Saturday, Roma will find themselves at a critical juncture in their Serie A campaign. After a series of high-stakes encounters, the Giallorossi get to welcome Hellas Verona to the Stadio Olimpico, seeking a much-needed victory to reset their charge up the table and quest for Champions League football.

This match might not carry the apocalyptic weight of a European knockout tie or last week’s Derby della Capitale, but for a Roma side that’s stumbled through managerial upheaval this season and clung to its continental ambitions by a thread, it offers something rarer than gold these days: a breather.

The Giallorossi come into this one at least slightly disappointed from last weekend’s 1-1 derby draw, where Matías Soulé’s equalizer at least helped preserve Ranieri’s unbeaten record against Lazio—a record that now spans generations of chaos in Trigoria. The draw didn’t settle much in the table, but it was a statement of grit, the kind Roma will need plenty of as the final month of the season looms.

Verona, meanwhile, is fighting a very different battle—the battle to keep people interested in them for the rest of the 2025/2026 season. There’s next to no chance that Verona will fall to Serie B this season, and with no chance at European football either, they’re stuck in a bit of small club top-flight purgatory.

Still, it’s important to remember that this side has already stunned Roma once this season, when they snatched a 3-2 win in the lead-up to the club’s second sacking of the season. That loss feels like a lifetime ago, but déjà vu may be just one bad bounce away tomorrow.

Shomu Gets the Start. What Will He Do With It?

Don’t look now, but Eldor Shomurodov is now a key part of Roma’s forward rotation. The Uzbek Messi has been showing up time and again as both a substitute and rotation starter to spell Artem Dovbyk, and with the Ukrainian now set to have a match off due to injury, Eldor will once again find himself in the starting eleven.

What is there for Eldor to play for as the starter? Well, not a new contract: Shomurodov recently received a contract extension at a lower pay that will keep him in a Giallorossi kit until 2027 (imagine saying that a few months ago). Instead, I’d say that there’s a chance for Shomurodov to continue to grow his role in the team and cement it ahead of whoever comes in as the Giallorossi’s next manager.

Look past the Ranieri era and into the great tactical unknown of this summer, and you start to see interesting possibilities for Eldor. Roma’s next manager, whoever they may be, will have decisions to make, not just about who plays, but also how. And in a two-striker system, Shomurodov might finally get the setup that suits his strengths: a freer role alongside a more physical No. 9, linking play, pressing high, running channels, doing all the off-ball dirty work that never quite earned him a full-time job in Rome. He’s not a 20-goal striker, at least not for a club like Roma. However, Shomurodov can be a connective piece—smart, fast, selfless—and in the right setup, he might just be the perfect partner in crime to Artem Dovbyk. The future is open.

Can Pisilli Get More Playtime?

Photo by Giacomo Cosua/NurPhoto via Getty Images

While Eldor Shomurodov’s future at Roma may feel more open than ever before, Niccolò Pisilli’s journey presents a curious contrast—his long-term potential still seems limitless, yet his current role feels quieter and a bit more reserved. Despite his promise and recent contract extension, Pisilli has seen less playing time lately, with only 21 minutes across the last six games. After a solid start to the season, Ranieri has acknowledged that the young midfielder’s form has dipped, though he remains confident that Pisilli will return to his best with time:

“He’s done well since I joined. Lately his condition has dipped a lot and that’s normal. He’s picking up again now so he has the same chance as the others. It’s got nothing to do with his contract, or the fact that he might rest on his laurels, because he always tries his hardest in training. But a coach notices if things are coming naturally or if they’re not coming like they used to. Give him a bit of time and you’ll see the Pisilli we all know again.”

For now, maybe it really just is a matter of waiting for the right opportunity—or perhaps tomorrow’s match against Verona is that opportunity. Pisilli’s technical ability and versatility are still key long-term assets to Roma, and with his comfort in a variety of midfield roles, there is no shortage of ways he can impact the game at his best. The side could certainly use some rotation heading into a nasty May, and the great thing about Pisilli is that whether he’s playing as a box-to-box midfielder, a deeper playmaker, or even further up the pitch, he can bring you something significant on his best days.

Whether Ranieri gives Pisilli his first start since February or if he has the Roman come on as a second-half substitute, one thing is clear: if Pisilli can develop his talent in the way we’ve seen the likes of Mile Svilar and Matias Soulé develop this season, he could be a key part of Roma’s long-term future—and confirm the idea that in Rome, the young talent isn’t just part of the squad, but key figures in shaping it.

Match Details

Date: April 19th

Kickoff: 20:45 CET/2:45 EDT

Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Roma

Referee: Luca Pairetto