Frosinone will host Fiorentina on Thursday with just two points separating the two teams. Both clubs will be looking to build on their strong starts as they enter Italy’s midweek round in the top half of the standings.
Preview (Frosinone vs. Fiorentina)
Fiorentina had little time to rest and recover after last Thursday’s dramatic Europa Conference League draw in Genk before they had to hit the road once more, this time heading up north to Udine for Sunday’s Serie A match. Lucas Martinez Quarta and Giacomo Bonaventura scored Viola’s only two efforts on goal. It secured back-to-back league victories over the unlucky hosts Udinese. The latter goal, which came in stoppage time of the second half, clinched the victory. With their most recent triumph, Fiorentina moved onto 10 points. It is the Tuscan club’s best total after five games since 2015. The team had visibly recovered from a 4-0 thrashing by league leaders Inter just before the international break.
In the coming days, Vincenzo Italiano will want his team to keep pushing forward since two games against newly promoted opposition appear to offer the best chance to stay among Serie A’s early pace-setters. Fiorentina travels to Frosinone’s Stadio Stirpe where they have failed to win a top-flight game. They drew on both of their previous visits, before taking on Cagliari on Monday.
Eusebio Di Francesco’s team scored six goals in wins at home over Atalanta and Sassuolo after an understandable opening-day loss to Scudetto holders Napoli. They have also managed to hold Udinese and Salernitana to draw on the road. The later encounter included an early goal from Simone Romagnoli. He was Frosinone’s sixth different Serie A goal scorer this season. They gave up an equalizer in the second half eventually preventing them from earning all three points.
However, the Canarini might now win three straight home games, something they have only done once before in Italy’s top division (in 2015), which would further strengthen their case for being mid-table contenders rather than relegation scrappers. The Gialloblu have every opportunity to succeed throughout their comeback campaign if Walid Cheddira, who is on loan from Napoli and scored 22 goals for Bari last season, can start scoring consistently. However, facing Fiorentina and Roma in the upcoming week will undoubtedly put them to the test.
Team News
Fiorentina full-back Dodo was brought off in tears during last week’s victory over Udinese. He is now expected to spend several months on the sidelines due to an ACL injury. He will join Gaetano Castrovilli on the difficult road to recovery. Michael Kayode scored the game-winning goal for Italy in this year’s UEFA European Under-19 Championship. He could therefore start on the right side of Viola’s back four. While Colombian center-back Yerry Mina is still on the treatment table and offensive talisman Nicolas Gonzalez may be declared fit in time to play at Stadio Stirpe, Vincenzo Italiano has no other significant absences to worry about.
Giacomo Bonaventura has contributed to at least five goals for each of the previous five Serie A seasons. Maxime Lopez may start in midfield for the visitors after the latter made his suspension-delayed debut on Sunday. The latter has three goals and two assists so far this season. Abdou Harroui and Francesco Gelli, a midfield combo for Frosinone, will be absent in midweek. Pol Lirola’s participation is uncertain because of a muscular issue. The only Serie A team with three defenders who have played every minute of the first five matchdays is Frosinone, and Eusebio Di Francesco has retained a consistent defensive line in front of goalie Stefano Turati thus far this season. These defenders are Riccardo Marchizza and Anthony Oyono.
The Viola may falter at Stadio Stirpe, where their hosts have so far shown excellent, during a stretch of six games in 17 days.
Frosinone 2 – 2 Fiorentina
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