Hellas Verona are the last obstacle Roma must clear to reach the Champions League next season, and the season’s final 90 minutes will decide whether they finish fourth. Roma travel to the Bentegodi on Sunday evening at 8:45 PM for the closing matchday, with the margin for error gone.
That urgency frames the latest comments from Kieron Bowie, the striker in Paolo Sammarco’s side, who spoke after the draw against Inter and did not hide the way the season has felt from his side of it. “Maybe I should have arrived earlier? Football is like that,” he said. “I did well in the first half in Scotland, and that brought me here.”
Bowie also made clear that, even with questions hanging over the future, his attention is still on the match ahead. “I’m disappointed with how things went, but I gave my all and I’m happy to have helped the team,” he said. Asked about a possible drop to Serie B, he said, “Would it be a step backwards to go to Serie B? I don’t know what will happen, but I have a four-year contract.” He added: “Any thoughts on Serie B? I haven’t thought about it yet, honestly.”
For Roma, the equation is simple. The club needs to get past Verona to qualify for Europe’s top competition, and the fight for 4th comes down to one final trip. Matchday 37 ended with Roma beating Lazio 2-0 on 17 May 12:00, a result that kept their campaign alive. Matchday 38 is scheduled for 24 May at 15:00, with Verona against Roma set to settle the issue at the Bentegodi.
There are also practical concerns around the team sheet. Ndicka has been ruled out for Verona, while Pellegrini and Kone are doubtful, adding another layer of uncertainty before kickoff. Roma have already had one eye on the wider picture too, with the possible centenary kit design revealed as the club heads into a decisive week.
For Bowie, though, the focus remains narrower. “Let’s focus on Roma, and I’m thinking about scoring another goal,” he said. That is the cleanest read on where this finish stands: one club needs a result, one forward says he has not yet looked beyond the present, and a season built over months now comes down to a single afternoon in Verona.
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