By Petar Todorovski
The midweek clash against Fiorentina is an excellent opportunity for Roma to keep growing. This is their first game after the victory in Derby della Capitale, in which they can gain another three points that could launch them in active Scudetto fight.
Roma received huge help from referee Morganti to beat Lazio with two penalties scored. Boriello early and Vucinic lately in the second half respectively were the penalty takers. Coach Ranieri gave credits to the players, refusing to comment anything about referee decisions.
Roma is taking momentum to get close to league leaders and promote themselves as genuine title contenders. Enjoying growing form, they currently are in seventh place, deserved with the bad form in the very beginning of the campaign. Club icon Francesco Totti is getting back in action after the suspension. They are going to miss suspended Cassetti and injured Okaka, Taddei, Pizzaro and Juan.
Their opponents are in shaky form, struggling to score in every single game. Under-fire boss Sinisa Mihajlovic stated bravely that they are not afraid of Roma, although he should be concerned. Viola players have won only three games so far, none of them away from Artemio Franchi. Despite that, they are going to have to cope without many first team players. Goalkeeper Frey will miss until March, rising star Jovetic is out for next few months, Zanetti, Filipe and Montolivo are also injured.
If for the previous game it was most important Mirko Vucinic to perform well annulling the absence of Francesco Totti, this is the time for the Prince of Rome to step up and lead the team with mature behavior, as he certainly knows. He is very influential player who can add a spark to the growing form of the Lupi. Fiorentina is a great opportunity to do that. They are in bad form, unable to win away, having scored miserable two goals in four games.
If they manage to beat Viola they could wait for the Saturday clash against rival Juventus with high lifted spirit. With extending their unbeaten run with these two games Roma will be back on track to Scudetto fight. In that situation nervy Claudio Ranieri might smile in face of those who are “firing” him every week. On the last provocation that Chelsea’s boss Carlo Ancelotti could replace him in future, he sarcastically fired back that he will be the one who will pick him up at the airport if he wants to coach Roma. At this moment it seems he doesn’t have to do it in foreseeable future.
