A challenge to the antipodes. The second advance of this strange 17th day is played in Florence, where Montella's Viola will try to stop Fonseca's Roma (20.45 pm). It goes without saying that ambitions are different, perhaps a little too much compared to what was thought at the beginning of the season, when many exalted Fiorentina and doubted the Giallorossi: today, a few months later, Fonseca is fourth in the standings while Montella is floundering at fourteenth place, with only 4 points ahead of third last Brescia.
With these premises, there would not seem to be a story, but we all know that football is not an exact science, as indeed Fiorentina demonstrated a few days ago, stopping Conte's very fast Inter. That point probably lengthened Montella's life, who otherwise would have risked being exonerated: an eventuality, however, by no means averted, as admitted by the person concerned.
“I don't know if I'll get to eat panettone – he explained bluntly in yesterday's press conference. – I just know that I'm one of those responsible, or perhaps the real responsible one, for the team's performance and that I like this: being the scapegoat gasses me, it makes me perform even more”.
It will be, yet the team does not seem to suffer the same effect, as evidenced by the tally of the last five games (four defeats and one draw). Precisely that point, however, must make Fonseca stand up: if Inter suffered, moreover, the same can also happen to Roma.
“They come from a good game, they have a good team and strong players – confirmed the Giallorossi coach. – It will be a difficult race, we will need an important performance and a lot of concentration".
However, his team travels at a much higher average than their opponents, so much so that they have stabilized in the Champions League area and have detached important competitors (Naples above all, but also Milan). After the fluctuating performance of the first five days, Fonseca found the right path by locking down the defense first of all, conceding only seven goals in the remaining eleven: numbers in contrast with his image as an offensiveist, yet tremendously effective.
The idea is to close the calendar year in the best possible way with another victory, without any kind of gratitude towards our friend Montella. To do this, the Giallorossi coach will rely on the usual 4-2-3-1 with Pau Lopez in goal, Spinazzola, Mancini, Smalling and Kolarov in defense, Diawara and Veretout in midfield, Zaniolo, Pellegrini and Perotti behind the lone striker Dzeko .
Fiorentina, forced to do without Chiesa, will respond with a 3-5-2 formation that will see Dragowski between the posts, Milenkovic, Pezzella and Caceres in the back, Lirola, Pulgar, Badelj, Castrovilli and Dalbert in the midfield, Boateng and Vlahovic in attack.
