Roma v Fiorentina is a Serie A Week 18 match played on Sunday at 20:45: odds, predictions, TV and streaming
Sunday Serie A concludes with the very interesting post-match at the Olimpico between Roma and Fiorentina, two teams currently chasing different Europe. The Giallorossi have eight points more than the Viola and a week ago they gave a great demonstration of character by coming back from two goals down against AC Milan in the last minutes of the big match at the San Siro, first with Ibanez and then Abraham.
A match that José Mourinho’s team – on the bench actually sat deputy Foti, curiously always unbeaten whenever he replaced the Portuguese coach – seemed to have lost after Pobega’s double with a quarter of an hour to go. That is why the final 2-2 almost sounds like a victory: a point which, among other things, allowed the Capitolini to keep the gap from fourth-placed Inter unchanged, who remain +3, and to join their cousins Lazio and Atalanta in fourth place. The euphoria from the positive result on home soil did not end in the Coppa Italia round of 16 against Genoa: Roma struggled against a cadet side but managed, albeit with minimal effort (1-0), to beat the red and blues thanks to a goal from their best player, Paulo Dybala, who was again publicly praised by Mourinho.
Two teams not shining in attack
The Argentine, with his class, has pulled the chestnuts out of the fire for a team that continues to score little in relation to what they build, as demonstrated by the fact that they have the second worst attack in the top ten: 21 goals, just like Fiorentina.
Fourth and Barak
The Viola were also busy in the cup this week: Vincenzo Italiano’s men recorded the same score as Roma, but against another Genoese side, Sampdoria, wasting, as usual, a large number of chances that would have allowed them to close it out much sooner. The lily-livered team had not enchanted even against Sassuolo in the last round of the championship, despite having won in the Caesarini zone (2-1) with a (dubious) penalty transformed by the Argentine Gonzalez. For Fiorentina, the one against the Emiliani was the third consecutive useful result after the knockout against Milan in November, but more continuity is needed if the goal is to return to fight for Europe.
The Prediction
The Olimpico has often proved a taboo in recent years for Fiorentina, who have lost eight of their last ten matches against the Giallorossi in the capital’s stadium. A statistic that certainly bodes well for Roma, who have emerged regenerated from their victories against Bologna and Genoa and from the draw against AC Milan at the San Siro. Mourinho’s side will avoid defeat in a match with fewer than four goals in total, given the goalscoring problems the two sides have in common.
Roma v Fiorentina likely line-ups
- ROMA (3-4-2-1): Rui Patricio; Mancini, Smalling, Kumbulla; Celik, Cristante, Pellegrini, Zalewski; Dybala, Zaniolo Bove; Abraham.
- FIORENTINA (4-2-3-1): Terracciano; Dodò, Milenkovic, Igor, Biraghi; Duncan, Amrabat; Ikoné, Bonaventura, Kouamé; Jovic.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1
