Lazio vs Fiorentina

Stadio Olimpico is the venue as Lazio and Fiorentina lock horns in an exciting Serie A meeting.

Lazio cemented their place in the Europa League Round of 16 with a dominant 3-1 home win against Real Sociedad in midweek, bolstering their spirits amid a topsy-turvy seven-game form in all competitions (W3, D2, L2). Despite heading into proceedings in fourth, Lazio’s position is vulnerable after they won just three of their last eight matches in Serie A (D2, L3). However, Marco Baroni’s charges can win back-to-back league games for the first time in a while after easing past relegation-threatened Hellas Verona 3-0 on the road last weekend. Lazio must translate that momentum to the Stadio Olimpico, where they’re winless in three Serie A games in a row (D2, L1). Fiorentina’s visit could help them get back on track as they’ve not lost any of their last nine H2Hs in the capital (W7, D2).

As for Fiorentina, head coach Raffaele Palladino is walking a tightrope after a 1-1 home draw against 10-man Torino condemned his underperforming side to a sixth consecutive winless league game (D2, L4). Booed off the pitch by the home fans, ‘La Viola’ may appreciate leaving Florence this weekend, even though they’ve not won an away match since mid-November (D1, L3). That’s a far cry from five successive Serie A clean sheets on the road between late September and mid-December. But if they can rediscover their defensive solidity, Fiorentina may hope to pull off their first top-flight double over Lazio since 2012/13 after winning 2-1 in September’s reverse fixture.