Serie A Preview: Roma vs Fiorentina – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

A place in next season’s Champions League is potentially on the line as Roma and Fiorentina renew hostilities in a high-stakes game at Stadio Olimpico. Though both sides sit outside the Serie A top four, they’re firmly in contention for the last qualifying berth.

Matias Soule was decisive again last weekend as Roma saw off defending Scudetto champions Inter 1-0 at Giuseppe Meazza. That hugely impressive victory extended Roma’s unbeaten league streak to an eye-catching 18 matches (W13, D5), accounting for their longest run without losing in a single season since 2009/10.

Interestingly, Claudio Ranieri was in charge of the Giallorossi that year. The 73-year-old veteran continues to write new chapters in Roma history and looks on course to steer the club back to Europe’s top table for the first time since 2018/19. His side must overturn a one-point gap to fourth-placed Juventus to accomplish that.

Standing in Roma’s way is fellow top-four hopefuls Fiorentina. Despite commencing this round in eight, Raffaele Palladino’s charges trail Juventus by only three points after back-to-back 2-1 wins against bottom-half outfits Empoli and Cagliari. However, tired legs could throw a spanner in the works.

Fiorentina fell to a 2-1 defeat to Real Betis on Thursday in the first leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final tie. Luca Ranieri’s goal left La Viola’s hope of securing a third consecutive appearance in the competition’s showpiece alive and kicking. Yet, fatigue could pose a genuine threat to the visitors’ lofty ambitions down the final stretch.

Match Preview

Roma

In addition to stringing together their longest unbeaten Serie A run in 15 years, Roma have set the bar high in 2025. Their 40-point haul since the turn of the calendar year is comfortably the best in Europe’s traditional top-five leagues, highlighting Ranieri’s outstanding work in the capital.

The former Premier League winner has based his success on a rock-solid defense. Indeed, Roma kept an impressive nine clean sheets during that sequence and only conceded eight goals. However, defensive resilience has recently taken its toll on Roma’s attacking output.

For perspective, their last four wins in Serie A have yielded an identical 1-0 scoreline. On top of that, you’d need to look back to the start of March for the last time Roma had scored more than one goal in competitive action. Since that 2-1 win against Athletic Bilbao, they’ve netted precisely once in eight consecutive matches across all competitions.

Fiorentina

After a scintillating 5-1 romping in October’s reverse fixture, Fiorentina can pull off only their second league double over Roma in 60 years. A fast start would be helpful. Delivering action from the get-go, Palladino’s men have bagged a pre-round league-high eight goals inside the opening ten minutes, underscoring the potential for an enthralling opening spell.

Further confidence comes from Fiorentina’s promising six-game unbeaten streak in Serie A (W4, D2). However, the Tuscan outfit would be naive to take anything for granted in Rome, especially considering their recent struggles on hostile turf. They have only won once in their last five away league games (D1, L3), courtesy of a hard-earned triumph at relegation-battling Cagliari.

Trips to Stadio Olimpico have traditionally tormented the team from Florence as their last league away victory against Roma dates back to April 2018 (D2, L4). If it’s any consolation, they held the Giallorossi to a 1-1 draw in this corresponding fixture in 2023/24, halting a four-game losing stretch on this ground.

Team News

With star forward Paulo Dybala ruled out for the rest of the season, Roma will rely on Artem Dovbyk and Soule to lead the line. The Argentine magician is the only high-profile absentee in the home camp after Saud Abdulhamid and Victor Nelsson returned to the squad.

On the other hand, Fiorentina will take the field without Dodo and Danilo Cataldi. Moreover, Ranieri is unavailable for selection after accumulating yellow cards. On the bright side, Moise Kean is back after being granted a two-week absence for personal reasons.

Roma vs Fiorentina Potential Starting Line-ups

Roma (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Ndicka; Saelemaekers, Cristante, Kone, Angelino; Soule, Pellegrini; Dovbyk.

Fiorentina (3-5-2): De Gea; Pongracic, Mari, Comuzzo; Folorunsho, Fagioli, Adli, Mandragora, Gosens; Gudmundsson, Kean.

Roma vs Fiorentina Prediction

Fiorentina’s indifferent form on the road, combined with Roma’s resurgence at their Stadio Olimpico stronghold, suggests the hosts are poised to narrowly come out on top.