Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has played down the importance of Monday night's Serie A clash with Roma, despite the flashpoints in October's 3-2 win still fresh in the memory.
Juve head into the game in Rome with an advantage of nine points over the Giallorossi at the top of the table. Victory would practically assure them a fourth successive Scudetto, barring an unlikely collapse, whereas defeat will give Roma hope they can still catch them at the top.
For Allegri, however, it is purely a clash of Italy's strongest sides whose rivalry has intensified since the controversies of the reverse fixture in Turin.
"The game is going to be very important, but not fundamental for the title," Allegri told a news conference. "Certainly two sides who have given life to some great, physical and technical duels in recent years will meet."
Juventus won October's game 3-2 but both teams ended the game down to 10 men after Alvaro Morata and Roma defender Kostas Manolas were shown a straight red for clashing on the sideline. There were also three penalties given (two to Juve) and Roma coach Rudi Garcia was sent to the stands in the first half, as referee Gianluca Rocchi took centre stage.
Roma legend Francesco Totti said after the game: "They should make a league just for them because in the end, come what may, they always win" but Roma midfielder Daniel De Rossi has now tried to draw a line under the incidents.
"I didn't say anything back then, but I shared Totti's views," De Rossi told Sky Sport Italia.
"Everybody's tense after a game. The problem is that maybe too much was said in the months which followed because looking at all the draws we've just had, that game was not decisive.
"The only thing we can do now to reopen the title race is to win. If we want to try to create a miracle, considering how far behind we are, then we've got to win."
Allegri is also keen to move on from the controversies which overshadowed the fixture at the Juventus Stadium, and which rumbled on for weeks, in order to focus on the title race.
"It's only logical that he [De Rossi] says that," he said. "They're going to try everything to close in on us. The first game between us was a great encounter, even if that got lost a little in the aftermath. Even now people are analysing the incidents in that game and opinion remains divided.
"After this game, there will be another 13, meaning there are 39 points still to play for, and there are going to be lots of head-to-heads at the top. Having said this, tomorrow starts at 0-0 and we want to ensure our own head-to-head record [with Roma] remains in our favour."