Fiorentina coach Stefano Pioli seems unconcerned about La Viola’s poor away form; his men are yet to register a victory away from the friendly confines of the Artemio Franchi. “We’ve played well against some strong teams. We have to work on consistency and our ability to stay in matches for 95 minutes,” he reasoned ahead of his team’s clash with Lazio at the Olimpico.
He also brushed off the controversy caused by Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri’s sideline quip during a midweek Champions’ League match. After a glaring Fernardo Bernardeschi miss and the player shooting more than passing, the Juventus coach reminded the former Fiorentina winger that he “wasn’t playing at Fiorentina any longer”.
Heading into the match against Lazio, Pioli warned that “Lazio is a strong team that will be motivated after recent results.” Pioli should know Lazio well, having coached the Rome side between 2014 and 2016: “My Lazio was full of experienced players; it’s a totally different situation from the current Fiorentina squad. We have the quality, but the progress will be much more gradual.”
Pioli also had some words for Stefano Inzaghi whom he described as a “very smart guy who is proving to be a very good coach. I know how much it hurts to lose the derby in Rome, and then there was also a midweek loss in Europe. We’ll be faced with a tough opponent”.
Pioli is likely to keep the same lineup that beat Atalanta last week. His 4-3-3 will likely feature Lafont in goal; Biraghi, Hugo, Pezzella, and Milenkovic in the back line; Gerson, Veretout and Benassi in the midfield; and Chiesa, Simeone, and Pjaca in attack.
