Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Fiorentinavs.Roma

sportsmole.co.uk, 25 October 2024, 11:56
Fresh from wins in Europe, two teams separated by three points in Serie A will clash at Stadio Franchi on Sunday evening, when Fiorentina meet Roma.

The Viola have run into top form since the end of September, while their counterparts from Italy's capital city are still seeking consistency.

Match preview

Despite conceding first on Thursday evening, Fiorentina proceeded to maintain their flawless start in this season's Conference League, as the two-time beaten finalists saw off Swiss strugglers St Gallen.

Just days after crushing 10-man Lecce 6-0 in Serie A, the Viola posted back-to-back wins in UEFA's third-tier club tournament, with Jonathan Ikone netting a second-half double en route to a 4-2 win in Switzerland.

After starting their first league campaign under head coach Raffaele Palladino with three draws and one defeat - in addition to scraping through their Conference League qualifer - they have certainly started turning things around of late.

Summer signings Danilo Cataldi and Andrea Colpani both bagged a brace last weekend, and across all competitions Fiorentina have now scored 14 times in their last four outings.

The Tuscan club have also taken 10 points from the last 12 available in Serie A, where they could now record three straight wins for the first time since last year.

However, Fiorentina head into Sunday's game having won only two of their last 12 league matches against Roma, with both contests last term ending in a draw.

On the other hand, history is not exactly on Roma's side either, as they have picked up just one point from their last three visits to Florence, last keeping a clean sheet at Stadio Franchi back in 2014.

Like their hosts, the Giallorossi were winners in Europe this week, with Artem Dovbyk's first-half penalty against fellow Ukrainians Dynamo Kyiv securing maximum points for the first time in three attempts.

Roma may still trail behind old foes and Europa League leaders Lazio in the standings, but victory will have come as sweet relief for new boss Ivan Juric.

After losing to Elfsborg, drawing with Monza, then suffering a 1-0 home defeat against Italian champions Inter Milan last weekend, the man who succeeded club hero Daniele De Rossi had been under fire from fans and the media.

Now, his focus must turn to topping up a modest tally of 10 points in Serie A, which is Roma's lowest haul at this stage of a season since 2010.

As the ex-Genoa and Torino coach needs just one more win to join an exclusive club boasting more than 300 points in Italy's top flight, he would dearly love to pass that landmark on Sunday.

Fiorentina Serie A form:

D

L

W

D

W

W

Fiorentina form (all competitions):

W

D

W

W

W

W

Roma Serie A form:

D

D

W

W

D

L

Roma form (all competitions):

D

W

L

D

L

W

Team News

Fiorentina have rotated their squad substantially between European fixtures and Serie A, so several changes should be expected, including returns for Moise Kean, Dodo and David de Gea.

Robin Gosens - who scored as a substitute in midweek - could also come back into the starting XI, replacing club captain Cristiano Biraghi. Former Atalanta BC star Gosens has registered a goal or an assist in his last three starts against Roma, and he now needs one more to reach 50 goal involvements in Serie A.

Meanwhile, the hosts will again be without Iceland striker Albert Gudmundsson (hamstring), Rolando Mandragora (knee) and Marin Pongracic (thigh) due to injury.

Roma's absence list is similarly short, as Alexis Saelemaekers (ankle) is the only player definitely sidelined, while Stephan El Shaarawy (calf) is close to recovering and Gianluca Mancini could return following an illness.

After Ivan Juric also made changes to his team in midweek, Argentinian duo Paulo Dybala and Matias Soule will both push for places in an attack led by top scorer Artem Dovbyk.

Elsewhere, Italy internationals Bryan Cristante and Lorenzo Pellegrini should step back into the Giallorossi's midfield.

Fiorentina possible starting lineup:

De Gea; Dodo, Comuzzo, Ranieri, Gosens; Adli, Cataldi, Bove; Colpani, Kouame; Kean

Roma possible starting lineup:

Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Angelino; Celik, Cristante, Kone, Zalewski; Pellegrini, Dybala; Dovbyk

We say: Fiorentina 1-1 Roma

Given Fiorentina's recent revival, they should start favourites, but Roma have developed a habit of scoring late on and could come away with one point.

Previews by email

Top News

14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Kazakhstan vs. Austria (Thursday, 3.00pm) Amid a three-way battle for promotion from League B Group 3, Austria aim to improve their prospects with a win on Thursday, when they meet Kazakhstan in the UEFA Nations League. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Athletico Paranaense can temporarily climb out of the Brasileiro Serie A relegation zone with a victory over Atletico Mineiro on Saturday at Arena de Baixada. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England interim manager Lee Carsley has played down Harry Kane's strong words about the withdrawal of many of his teammates, insisting he is looking forward to working with other players who also deserve a chance. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly fearful that Lisandro Martinez could spend an extended spell on the sidelines with the hip injury that has forced him to withdraw from Argentina duty. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Sporting Lisbon wing-back Maximiliano Araujo has hinted that he hopes to join Pep Guardiola at Manchester City in the near future. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Morocco will be looking to maintain their 100% record in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers when they visit the Stade de Franceville to take on Gabon on Friday. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk San Marino will hope to leapfrog Gibraltar and prevent them from earning promotion from their UEFA Nations League D group when they welcome them to Stadio Olimpico di Serravalle on Friday. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk In their fifth UEFA Nations League C match of 2024-25, Northern Ireland are set to host Belarus on Friday at Windsor Park, with victory enough to guarantee a place in the top two. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Zimbabwe will be hoping to book their place at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations when they face Kenya on matchday five of qualifying this Friday at the Peter Mokaba Stadium. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United could reportedly move for Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite and Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez during next summer's transfer window. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool should arguably be considered favourites for Premier League glory after they took charge of the title race last weekend when they beat Aston Villa 2-0 at Anfield and moved five points ahead of second-placed Manchester City. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Burnley could reportedly offer Ruud van Nistelrooy the chance to make a swift return to English football, with the Clarets interested in bringing him in as their new manager. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Cristiano Ronaldo is set to lead Portugal out in Porto when they face Poland in the UEFA Nations League on Friday night. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England captain Harry Kane has expressed his disappointment at the number of players to have withdrawn from the Three Lions squad for their UEFA Nations League fixtures with Greece and Republic of Ireland. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona centre-back Pau Cubarsi has been handed a call-up to the Spain squad for the national team's November international fixtures against Denmark and Switzerland in the UEFA Nations League. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid youngster Marc Cucalon has been forced to retire from professional football at the age of 19 due to a serious knee injury which he suffered in the latter stages of 2022. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona have revealed that Ansu Fati has been ruled out for around four weeks with a hamstring injury. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Portugal manager Roberto Martinez is facing a crisis at centre-back ahead of their UEFA Nations League clash with Poland in Porto on Friday night. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Portugal welcome Poland to Porto on matchday five of the UEFA Nations League on Friday night. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has said that it is "the right moment" for Ruben Amorim to arrive at Old Trafford, claiming that the Portuguese "did something very special" at Sporting Lisbon. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal defender Ben White has apparently gone under the knife to treat a joint issue in his knee, which will sideline the Englishman for around two months. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid have reportedly identified Al-Nassr centre-back Aymeric Laporte and Tottenham Hotspur right-back Pedro Porro as two of their top defensive targets for 2025. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are reportedly among three Premier League clubs interested in FC Nordsjaelland full-back Daniel Svensson. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are reportedly among three Premier League clubs interested in FC Nordsjaelland full-back Daniel Svensson. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Botswana will host Mauritania in their penultimate 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Francistown Stadium on Friday. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia has provided a positive injury update ahead of potentially representing Belgium. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Scotland's stay in the UEFA Nations League's top tier could be brought to its end on Friday, when they face an almost must-win game against League A Group 1 rivals Croatia. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Lamine Yamal is among a number of absentees for Spain, as the national side conclude their 2024-25 UEFA Nations League group-stage campaign with fixtures against Denmark and Switzerland. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Spain will be bidding to secure top spot in Group 4 of League A in the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League when they head to Denmark on Friday evening for what is shaping up to be an intriguing affair. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Brighton & Hove Albion forward Danny Welbeck has claimed that speculation regarding a potential return to Manchester United is "irrelevant".