In the curtain closer of Serie A round 32, Fiorentina will host Lazio at the Artemio Franchi on Monday in a meeting between two clubs who started their campaigns on a woeful note, but have recently enjoyed a noticeable improvement.
The Viola have managed to elevate themselves from the relegation abyss, and they’re now on the right path to secure their stay in the top flight. Despite their recent revival, the Tuscans remain 12 points behind the Aquile in the Serie A table.
Fiorentina vs Lazio | Where to Watch, Insights, Lineups & Prediction
However, Lazio’s advantage doesn’t necessarily stem from a superior squad. In fact, a role-by-role rundown might even suggest that Paolo Vanoli has slightly more quality among his ranks than Maurizio Sarri.
Fiorentina & Lazio Combined XI (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: David De Gea (Fiorentina)
This was certainly a close call, given that Ivan Provedel had collected 12 clean sheets from 27 Serie A appearances prior to his injury. Nevertheless, David De Gea has been absolutely crucial for Fiorentina, as his heroics kept the Tuscans afloat at their most desperate hour.
Edoardo Motta has been enjoying a solid run, but he needs more time before breaking into the conversation.
Right-Back: Dodo (Fiorentina)
This one was perhaps the easiest choice on the list, as Dodo is considered one of the most reliable right-backs in Serie A, while Lazio’s first choice for the role, Adam Marusic, can be frustrating with his lack of attacking contributions.
Right Centre-Back: Mario Gila (Lazio)
The Spaniard is one of the most sought-after central defenders in Europe. On the other hand, Fiorentina’s Pietro Comuzzo and Marin Pongracic are considered decent options, but not quite at Gila’s level.
Left Centre-Back: Alessio Romagnoli (Lazio)
Fiorentina captain Luca Ranieri can be a solid option at the back, but he’s not as consistent and reliable as Alessio Romagnoli.
Left-Back: Fabiano Parisi (Fiorentina)
Perhaps a debatable choice given that the Parisi has often been used as an inverted right winger. Nevertheless, the former Empoli man is originally a left-back, and he would probably outperform Robin Gosens and Nuno Tavares, who have been largely inconsistent this term.
Right Central Midfielder: Nicolo Fagioli (Fiorentina)
While he’s been mostly operating as Regista these days, Nicolo Fagioli is more than capable of featuring in a more advanced role on the pitch. The 25-year-old has yet to fulfil his early promise, but he boasts the technical touch that only a few Italian midfielders of his generation possess.
Deep-Lying Playmaker: Nicolo Rovella (Lazio)
Like his namesake, Nicolo Rovella is blessed with the sort of skills that elevate him above the likes of Danilo Cataldi and Rolando Mandragora. Unfortunately for Lazio, they haven’t been sorely missing his distribution in the middle of the park due to his injury ordeal, and this could be one of the main reasons behind the club’s lacklustre goal tally (32 goals from 31 Serie A rounds).
Left Central Midfielder: Kenneth Taylor (Lazio)
Fiorentina are brewing a young and exciting box-to-box midfielder in Che Ndour, while Giovanni Fabbian and Jacobo Fazzini are all solid options. Nevertheless, Kenneth Taylor only needed a couple of months in Italian football to prove his calibre. The Dutchman offers both quality and substance, and has already become a fan favorite at Lazio.
Right Winger: Albert Gudmundsson (Fiorentina)
Perhaps this isn’t his most natural position, and he isn’t enjoying his best campaign, but on his day, Albert Gudmundsson is simply unstoppable. The Icelandic forward is blessed with elusive technical skills, including neat dribbling and a clinical finish, marking him as a deadly threat for opposition defences.
Striker: Moise Kean (Fiorentina)
Moise Kean is almost uncontested in this role, as Lazio have been fielding Daniel Maldini as a false 9, a choice that yielded limited success, while Boulaye Dia and Petar Ratkov are struggling for playing time. It remains to be seen if Kean will be fit enough to play on Monday.
Left Winger: Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio)
Mattia Zaccagni has also been hampered by injuries, but he remains a notch above the ageing Pedro and the inconsistent Tijjani Noslin, while Fiorentina’s January signings, Jack Harrison and Manor Solomon, still haven’t produced enough to be considered superior to the Lazio skipper.
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