Montella out to sink old rivals

Posted Saturday, October 05, 2013 by PA

Two sides coming off the back of morale-boosting European results will lock horns in Serie A on Sunday evening as Lazio host Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico.

Vincenzo Montella's Fiorentina claimed their second Europa League group E triumph with Thursday's 2-1 win at Dnipro.

The result lifted the Viola to top spot in the pool, and they will now seek to resume winning ways in the domestic front when they take on Vladimir Petkovic's men.

Montella was delighted with what he saw.

"This team hardly ever lets you down," he said. "In a difficult pitch against a tough team, I liked how my side played.

"I am so proud of those players that usually don't get much playing time but when they do, they deliver.

"What I like most is the fact that the team does not hide when missing several key players. Against Dnipro, my team showed a great defensive work."

Montella, a former Roma player and coach, would like nothing more than to go into the international break with victory over Lazio.

Fiorentina will be hoping to recover Giuseppe Rossi, who was injured during last week's 2-2 draw against Parma and missed Thursday's game with a a calf injury.

Rossi is Serie A's joint-top scorer alongside Torino's Alessio Cerci.

With Rossi doubtful, and strikers Mario Gomez, Ante Rebic and Oleksandr Iakovenko, all out injured, Matos Ryder is set to lead Fiorentina's attack alongside Josip Ilicic.

Sergio Floccari's late double at Trabzonspor in Thursday's Europa League game handed Lazio a point in Turkey.

The 3-3 outcome has left the Romans and Trabzonspor level on four points at the top of Group J.

"We made a lot of mistakes but we never stopped believing until the end," Petkovic said. "This is the third straight in which we don't lose and this gives us some continuity.

"I was pleasantly surprised by how my team reacted and played. They proved the quality that they have."

Lazio have won all of their games at home this season and are sixth in the table, one place and point adrift of Fiorentina.