Vincenzo Montella hinted he’ll drop Borja Valero again when Fiorentina” data-scaytid=”4″>Fiorentina host Lazio” data-scaytid=”5″>Lazio on Sunday. “We can think big.”
It kicks off at 11.30 UK time (10.30 GMT), click here for a match preview.
Vincenzo Montella hinted he’ll drop Borja Valero again when Fiorentina host Lazio on Sunday. “We can think big.”
It kicks off at 11.30 UK time (10.30 GMT), click here for a match preview.
Mario Gomez and Marko Marin are still out of action along with Giuseppe Rossi, but Micah Richards and Joaquin return.
“Gomez’s condition is progressing and we will soon have him at our disposal. Marko is not yet able to play and that’s a shame,” said the Coach in his Press conference.
“The most important and difficult game is always the next one. In Italian football every match is delicate and the fixture list will put us up against top level teams.
“Will I make changes from the side that beat Inter? They played very well, but every game is different. Lazio are a very dangerous team with midfielders who can push up effectively.
“They might not be expressing themselves to the full at the moment, but they will fight to the end. Filip Djordjevic is a great striker and Lazio got a real bargain there.”
Both Fiorentina and Lazio are targeting a place in Europe, so is this a play-off?
“Our performances will tell us where we can end up, aside from the results. If we play on a par with our opponents, then we can think big.
“We need to be more consistent in attack and try to speed up the tempo, but so much depends on how sharp our strikers are in the final shot. In defence we were fortunate on occasion or Neto came to the rescue, but we are more balanced now with midfield and attack lending support.”
Borja Valero used to be the beating heart of this Fiorentina side, but was dropped against Inter and Montella hinted he could be left out with Lazio too.
“It is not a tactical issue. I saw him below par compared to his standards, but I consider him an important player for this squad and I think it’ll do him good to take a breather. My view of him won’t change if he misses one or two games.”
Federico Bernardeschi was on target again this week for the Italy Under-21 side in their play-off victory over Slovakia, but he rarely gets a start in the Viola jersey.
“Federico has a great deal of quality and currently deserves space, even though his performances are often blown up out of proportion by the media.”
Montella famously scored four goals in Roma’s 5-1 victory over Lazio, but played down the Derby della Capitale aspect.
“I’ve been away from Roma and Rome for a long time now. Lotito? At times he’s amusing, but he certainly doesn’t blend into the background… He is a man of football who should be respected for what he does.”