Garcia calls on Roma to make title race ´interesting´

Roma head coach Rudi Garcia has targeted 21 points from their remaining eight league matches to make the Serie A title race “interesting”.

Juventus are seemingly on course to collect a third consecutive league title, with the Turin outfit holding an 11-point lead over Roma, though they have played a game more.

Antonio Conte’s men lost in Serie A for just the second time this season in a 2-0 reverse at third-placed Napoli on Sunday.

As a result, the gap at the top of the table will be cut to just eight points if Roma can rack up a fifth straight league victory in Wednesday’s encounter with Parma at Stadio Olimpico, a match described by Garcia as a “final”.

A win would all-but secure a position in next season’s UEFA Champions League as Roma would establish a 21-point lead over fourth-placed Fiorentina with seven games remaining, and also possess a vastly superior goal difference.

However, Garcia is setting his sights higher and is refusing to give up the quest for the league title until it is mathematically impossible.

“I’d say it (the Parma game) is a final,” he said. “The maths say that if we win tomorrow we are in the Champions League.

“But then again it’s better that we qualify directly rather than having to play preliminary rounds. For the moment we just need to win.

“We need to win as many games as possible and the one we have in hand, which is tomorrow. Then we will see, even if Juve draw matches they are losing points.

“It’s in our hands to get second place, but if we can challenge to finish higher then great.

“There are eight games for us and seven for them. With 21 points we could maybe do something, until the maths say otherwise we need to believe we can do it.”

Defeating Parma will not come easily for Roma, as victory for Roberto Donadoni’s men will propel them above Inter and into the UEFA Europa League spots.

Garcia added: “We need to win tomorrow (but) it’s not a foregone conclusion as Parma are fighting for the Europa League. It doesn’t matter who we are playing, we are hungry and we are motivated.”