2019 comes to a close for Roma on Friday when they face Fiorentina in their final game before the winter break.
Coming off the back of a 3-1 win over SPAL, Roma are looking to complete an unbeaten December, which would see them end the calendar year in the top four.
Standing in their way is an out of sorts Fiorentina side who haven’t won a league game since the end of October, but managed to draw with Inter Milan in their most recent match.
There will be emotional returns for people on either side, with there being no love lost between Roma midfielder Jordan Veretout and his former fans. The Frenchman has been in scintillating form for the Giallorossi this season, but will get a hostile reception upon his return to his former home.
Fiorentina, meanwhile, are managed by Roma legend Vincenzo Montella, who returned to the club in April, a week after the 2-2 draw in the last meeting between the two sides. The former striker has not managed against Roma since May 2017, when his Milan side were beaten 4-1 thanks in part to an Edin Dzeko brace.
Indeed, Dzeko is now closing down on Montella’s goalscoring tally for Roma, needing four more goals to bring up a century and six to catch up with L’Aeroplanino. Dzeko is without an away goal in Serie A since making the difference against Lecce at the end of September, so will be looking to put that right.
After Federico Fazio and Mert Cetin stood in against SPAL, Paulo Fonseca will be able to rely on his regular centre-back partnership of Chris Smalling and Gianluca Mancini again, with both back in the squad. Justin Kluivert, Antonio Mirante, Davide Santon and Javier Pastore remain out of the squad.
📋 | SQUAD LIST | 📋@ChrisSmalling is IN - here are the players available for our final game of 2019! ⚡️#ASRoma #FiorentinaRoma pic.twitter.com/4bXrafVS3g
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) December 19, 2019
In Kluivert’s absence, there will be a battle between Diego Perotti and Henrikh Mkhitaryan for a starting spot on the left wing, with the former arguably in pole position after a standout performance against SPAL.
As for the opponents, star winger Federico Chiesa is an injury doubt, but will be one to keep an eye on should he be passed fit. Fiorentina also have an adept goalkeeper in Bartlomiej Dragowski, who saved the game for them against Inter and will be doing everything he can to keep Roma out as well.
😱 An UNBELIEVABLE save from Drągowski keeps Fiorentina within touching distance of Inter at the break!
— Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) December 15, 2019
🙌 It's been a very eventful first half at the Artemio Franchi, and the visitors lead 1-0 pic.twitter.com/nZLrdNzZv9
Given the Viola’s lowly position of 14th, Roma will enter the game as favourites, but they will have to shake off any memories of their last trip to the Stadio Artemio Franchi, when they lost 7-1 in January. That game was one of the turning points in Eusebio Di Francesco’s time as manager – indeed, this will be the third clash between the two sides in 2019, with Roma having had a different coach in each of them.
Under Fonseca, Roma have been at their best, so will be looking to close out a rollercoaster of a calendar year on a high note with redemption in Florence.
The game kicks off at 7:45pm UK time on Friday and will be shown live on Free Sports.
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