Seventh placed Fiorentina host fifth placed Roma in Florence this weekend, with the home side looking for the three points that would potentially put them into a European qualification spot. However, with Roma having won eight of their opening ten Serie A matches, it promises to be a tough encounter for the both teams.
Italian Serie A – Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence – Sunday 5th November – 14:00 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 11/4 at William Hill |
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AC Florenz
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Two of Italy’s most famous clubs meet this weekend, when Roma travel to take on Fiorentina in Serie A. The visitors have certainly started the season the better, with five defeats already for the hosts meaning that it is perhaps Roma who are the slight favourites for the three points come Sunday. However, with little to choose between the duo, a substantial number of bets are expected to be place on the match. For those still deciding which way to go, be sure to check out or top betting tip below. However, let’s first take a closer look at the two teams, starting with Fiorentina.
Fiorentina Team News & Form
A 2-1 away defeat at Crotone last time out was Fiorentina’s fifth loss of the season so far, meaning that Stefano Pioli’s men currently find themselves eight points behind Roma in the standings. Despite not having some of the star names of which they have in the past, the experience of players including Davide Astori and Milan Badelj makes Fiorentina a tough proposition for any team. Their playing squad also features the sons of two former footballers, in the form of Giovanni Simeone and Federico Chiesa. The duo could well feature against Roma, with both Astori and German Pezzella charged with keeping Romas’s attacking players quiet.
AS Roma Team News & Form
Their narrow victory over Bologna last time out means that Roma are still within touching distance of those ahead of them, with Eusebio Di Francesco’s men still with a game in hand over their rivals too. The goals of Edin Dzeko have helped the club to eight wins from ten to date, however it has been their defensive displays that have impressed the most. Roma have conceded just five goals in the same number of games, the best in the division. Meanwhile, midfielder Radja Nainggolan should return to the starting line-up having been rested over the weekend, alongside the hugely experienced Daniele De Rossi.
Head to Head
The two teams have met a total of 33 times in recent years, with Roma having won on 19 of those occasions, whilst drawing eight. However, with Lazio have defeated their rivals six times, showing that they can be more than a match for them on their day.
Betting Odds and Predictions
Despite their home advantage, Fiorentina are still the underdogs for victory with the majority of online bookmakers. The home side can be backed at best odds of 7/4 with Ladbrokes, Ladbrokes offering the visitors odds of 13/10. Elsewhere, betting on Roma keeping another clean sheet is worth considering, with Ladbrokes offering odds of 3/1 on this market.
Top Betting Tip
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on both teams scoring during the 90 minutes, which is available at odds of 1/2 with Ladbrokes.