Separated by just one point in the Serie A standings, European contenders Roma and Fiorentina will clash at Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.
The Giallorossi’s revival continued with last week’s win over the reigning champions, but the Viola followed back-to-back victories with a Conference League defeat in midweek.
Match preview
Taking them within two points of the Champions League places with just four rounds remaining, Roma extended their top-flight unbeaten run to 18 matches last weekend, when they beat Inter Milan at San Siro.
Continuing a purple patch, rising star Matias Soule scored the only goal – making it three goal involvements in his last three appearances – to maintain the longest ongoing undefeated streak across Europe’s top five leagues.
Posting 13 wins in the process, Roma are enjoying their best such sequence since 2010, when they went 24 games without losing during Claudio Ranieri‘s first reign.
Since starting a third and final spell in charge of his boyhood club, Ranieri has serenely led the Giallorossi away from the bottom half and into the the mix for an unlikely top-four finish.
His team have picked up the most points in Serie A this calendar year (40 from 16 games so far), also conceding the fewest goals (eight) and keeping nine clean sheets.
Shutting out an Inter side that went on to put three past Barcelona speaks volumes for their new-found resilience, and that will be put to the test by Fiorentina, who lurk just one point behind in.
History will be on the hosts’ side at Stadio Olimpico, as Roma have lost just three of their last 50 home games against the Viola – and none since 2018 – but that record counted for little when the teams last met.
Following their emphatic 5-1 victory in October’s reverse fixture, Fiorentina can now do the double over Roma for only a second time in 60 years.
In fact, the Tuscan club are unbeaten in four games against their counterparts from the capital, so they will retain hope of a win that would see them swap places in the table.
While Roma have been formidable for several months now, Fiorentina are recently unbeaten in six league games, dating back to a March loss against Scudetto chasers Napoli.
Still in the hunt for continental qualification, they welcomed local rivals Empoli to Stadio Franchi last week, when Yacine Adli‘s early goal put them on course for a 2-1 win in this season’s third Derby dell’Arno.
However, hopes of making a third straight Conference League final then faded on Thursday evening, with a 2-1 loss away to semi-final opponents Real Betis – albeit, a late strike from captain Luca Ranieri did reduce the Viola’s arrears.
Before next week’s return leg in Florence, Raffaele Palladino‘s men must try to end Roma’s superb run in Serie A; otherwise, any dreams of returning to Europe could be all but ended.
Team News
With no need to rotate, Claudio Ranieri should name a settled side on Sunday, his main concern regarding who will lead Roma’s attack.
Eldor Shomurodov and Artem Dovbyk were paired against Inter, but Ranieri could drop one this weekend, leaving Matias Soule to link up with either – the latter has scored five goals in Serie A this season, but all on the road.
As Saud Abdulhamid and Victor Nelsson are both expected to return, star man Paulo Dybala – already ruled out for the rest of the season – could be the Giallorossi’s sole absentee.
Meanwhile, Fiorentina are missing Dodo (appendicitis) and Danilo Cataldi (muscular), but Moise Kean was back on the bench in Seville after a week-long absence for personal reasons.
Sitting second in this term’s Capocannoniere rankings, the latter has scored three Serie A goals against Roma to date, including a brace in October’s 5-1 thumping.
It remains to be seen whether he starts at the Olimpico, or if Lucas Beltran and Albert Gudmundsson continue their new partnership up front.
Roma possible starting lineup:
Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Ndicka; Saelemaekers, Cristante, Kone, Angelino; Soule, Pellegrini; Dovbyk
Fiorentina possible starting lineup:
De Gea; Pongracic, Mari, Comuzzo; Folorunsho, Fagioli, Adli, Mandragora, Gosens; Gudmundsson, Kean
We say: Roma 1-0 Fiorentina
Not only are Fiorentina much more flaky on the road, Roma have made Stadio Olimpico a fortress again – so the home side should edge a close contest.
Also benefitting from more rest than the Viola, who are between two legs of a European semi-final, Claudio Ranieri’s men can keep their top-four challenge on track.
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