On Sunday evening Mourinho's team hosts a team to be taken with a grain of salt
The Champions League will be played on Sunday evening at the Olimpico (kick-off at 20pm) where Mourinho's Roma will host a Fiorentina team that should be taken with a pinch of salt because it is capable of any technical performance and proof of pride. Last Wednesday's victory in the Italian Cup with an incredible comeback against Parma, decided by penalties and which allowed the Viola to access the quarter-finals, is a good last example. After conceding two goals in the first half, also risking a third, Viola righted the game in the final with Nzola in the 45rd and Sottil in the 83th on a penalty, then extra time and the lottery of spot kicks .
In the championship the two teams have won two victories: Roma 2 to 1 at Sassuolo; Fiorentina, on the other hand, beat Salernitana 3-0 at the Franchi. Only one point separates them in the standings with the Giallorossi fourth with twenty-four and in the Champions League zone and a Viola team now chasing after the three defeats suffered in the last five matches of championship.
It will be the 194th match between the two teams, with an overall balance in favor of Roma, winning on 68 occasions, against the Viola's 59 successes. The data relating only to championship matches is more balanced, with 58 victories for the Giallorossi and 50 for the Viola. THELast January 13th at the Olimpico it was Dybala who decided the fate of the match with a brace. And furthermore, the Giallorossi have won their last five home games while the Viola have lost their recent two away games.
Mourinho will propose his usual defense with Mancini, Llorente and N'dicka ahead of Rui Patricio who will take his place between the posts. On the external lanes there is room for Kristensen on the right and Spinazzola on the left. In midfield there remains doubt about Lorenzo's availability Pellegrini, whose physical conditions are not yet optimal and it is not certain that he will start, the alternative Bove or Aouar. The Dybala – Lukaku tandem has been confirmed in attack.
On the other hand, the Viola coach Vincenzo Italiano will propose Terracciano in goal behind a defense with the centre-backs Milenkovic and Martinez Quarta and the full-backs Kayode or Parisi and Biraghi. Gonzalez could be recovered in the attacking midfield but Arthur and Duncan will certainly be there. Beltran should be the team's reference point in attack supported by Bonaventura and Sottil.
BetFlag analysts are favored to bet on blackboard the Giallorossi team but with odds of 1 not low at 2,12, far from the 3,30 of the X and the 3,50 of the 2 Viola. Lukaku once again excels in the special ranking of the first or last scorer of the match at 5,75, far behind the others starting with Dybala at 7,25, Belotti and Abraham at 7,75. Azmoun is instead offered at 8,50, Gonzalez at 8,75, El Shaarawy at 9,00, Pellegrini at 10,00, followed by all the others.
