Na serious wahala dey for Fiorentina side as dem welcome Lazio for Serie A match dis Monday evening. After dem collect proper 3-0 beating for Crystal Palace hand for Conference League quarter-final, di Viola boys know say dem must focus for Serie A survival now. Di team dey dangle just above relegation zone with seven matches remain, and dis Lazio game na crucial one.
Paolo Vanoli men don show small improvement recently. Dem win 1-0 away to Hellas Verona last week, and dem don keep three clean sheets from dia last six league games. But before dem face Crystal Palace again and battle relegation rival Lecce, dem must first try beat Lazio for third straight time for Stadio Franchi.
Lazio side dey come with dia own story. Dem just draw with Parma last time out, and dem dey occupy ninth place for table. Di Biancocelesti trail 13 points behind city rival Roma, so Europe qualification through league almost impossible. Maurizio Sarri main target now na Coppa Italia, where dem get semi-final second leg against Atalanta coming soon.
One thing wey Lazio sabi well well na late goals. Dem don score 38% of dia goals for final 15 minutes dis season, including Pedro last-gasp equalizer against Fiorentina for January reverse fixture. Di capital club dey try make consecutive away wins for first time since last May.
For injury news, Fiorentina go miss Albert Gudmundsson and Nicolo Fagioli because of suspension. Manor Solomon dey set to return from injury, but Niccolo Fortini still dey sidelined. Fabiano Parisi and top scorer Moise Kean fit play some part if dem pass late fitness test, but Roberto Piccoli likely continue lead attack.
Left-back Robin Gosens, wey score for reverse fixture, get history against Lazio with involvement for seven Serie A goals. Dodo dey expected start for right side.
Lazio dey miss goalkeeper Ivan Provedel and captain Mattia Zaccagni due to injury. Long-term absentee Samuel Gigot and playmaker Nicolo Rovella no dey available. Patric, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Mario Gila must undergo further tests before match.
Daniel Maldini generally dey preferred as central striker over Peter Ratkov and Boulaye Dia, but di Italy forward miss training and him participation dey in doubt.
Possible starting lineup for Fiorentina show De Gea; Dodo, Pongracic, Ranieri, Gosens; Ndour, Mandragora, Brescianini; Harrison, Piccoli, Fazzini. For Lazio side, Motta; Marusic, Romagnoli, Provstgaard, Tavares; Dele-Bashiru, Cataldi, Taylor; Isaksen, Dia, Noslin.
Dis match get more riding on am for Fiorentina side. Dem desperate for all three points for dia fight to avoid drop. But after dem play most of dia main men against Crystal Palace, and with Lazio known for late goals, di hosts fit fade for closing stages.
Fiorentina Serie A form show W L D W D W recently, while Lazio own be D L W W W D. For all competitions, Fiorentina form na W W W D W L, and Lazio own na L D W W W D.
Di Tuscan club don win half of dia Serie A matches since February start, and dia defensive record don improve substantially. But dem only win three of dia 15 home games dis season, while Lazio don lose just one of dia last nine away fixtures.
Maurizio Sarri men don pick up ten points from dia last four league games, including wins to nil over Milan and Bologna. Dis na purple patch for di capital club wey don have disappointing season overall.
As match dey approach, all eyes dey on Stadio Franchi. Fiorentina survival fight continue, while Lazio dey look build momentum for Coppa Italia semi-final. Di atmosphere go tense, di stakes high, and di outcome fit shape di rest of Serie A season for both clubs.
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor @ nnn.ng
