Fiorentina need to get back to winning ways if they want to keep their dreams of a Champions League finish alive, but with Edy Reja determined to restore order to Lazio, three points may be a tough challenge for the hosts.
This game may have to compete with Serie A's marquee match, pitting Juventus against AC Milan, but Fiorentina - Lazio deserves a bit of attention as well. Not because it will necessarily be an exciting game - Edy Reja is doing his darndest to suck any bit of fun out of the biancocelesti - but because both sides have a point to prove.
After the return of Reja, Lazio were coasting along, going six games unbeaten and starting to resemble a side that could actually compete. At least, those who managed to stay awake through their matches could argue this point. Then came the rude awakening: a 3-1 loss to bottom side Catania. Then last week, relegation candidates Sassuolo fought back, with Lazio only able to win thanks to an own-goal from Paolo Cannavaro. Will Reja be able to restore some order this week?
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A trip to Florence to face Vincenzo Montella's attack-minded squad must mean that Lazio are prepared to sit back, defend, and accept a point. Fiorentina used to be able to rip such sides apart. Then came the loss of Giuseppe Rossi, combined with other, more minor injuries that kept the viola from fielding a coherent squad - and often from putting any true forwards on the pitch.
The stress has eased somewhat, what with Alessandro Matri coming in on loan from Milan. He's tipped to start alongside Josip Iličić and Juan Cuadrado, although with Mario Gómez finally back to health, Montella might decide to use the German instead. The viola need all the help they can get right now: just one win and only five points from their last five outings means they're now six points behind Napoli in that all-important third-place slot.
Fiorentina will also need to deal with the loss of Borja Valero, whose alleged physical altercation with the referee during last week's draw with Parma sees the Spaniard banned for four matches. That means a less coherent midfield, and Lazio could take advantage of the hosts' weaker pressing and attempt to actually go for goal.
Injuries and Suspensions
Fiorentina: Ahmed Hegazy, Manuel Pasqual, Ante Rebić, Giuseppe Rossi (injured); Modibo Diakité, David Pizarro, Borja Valero (suspended)
Lazio: Emiliano Alfaro, André Dias, Ederson, Hélder Postiga (injured)
Projected Lineups
Fiorentina (4-3-3): Neto; Juan Manuel Vargas, Stefan Savić, Gonzalo Rodríguez, Nenad Tomović; Matí Fernández, Massimo Ambrosini, Alberto Aquilani; Josip Iličić, Alessandro Matri, Juan Cuadrado
Lazio (3-5-2): Federico Marchetti; Ștefan Radu, Lorik Cana, Giuseppe Biava; Senad Lulić, Lucas Biglia, Cristian Ledesma, Luis Pedro Cavanda; Miroslav Klose, Stefano Mauri, Antonio Candreva
Match Date / Time
Sunday, March 2 at 8:45 p.m. local, 2:45 p.m. ET
Venue
Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence
Watch
TV: Sky Calcio 2 (Italy)
Online: beIN Sports Play (USA and Canada); bet365