Roma vs Fiorentina preview - Enrique calls for response

Posted Wednesday, April 25, 2012 by PA

Roma coach Luis Enrique has told his players they must move on quickly from the disappointment of last weekend's 4-0 humiliation at Juventus if they are to retain their European ambitions.

The Eternal City giants host Fiorentina with a five-point gap between them and the last Champions League place, and know time is running out to bridge that margin with five games left to play.

Their hopes of doing that were, however, dealt a blow last weekend as they suffered their 13th loss of the campaign in Turin, which saw them drop to sixth place.

"We cannot look back," Luis Enrique said. "We must now turn the page, and think of the match against Fiorentina.

"We have to try to win our remaining games and I'm optimistic my team will respond."

The Romans suffered a blow ahead of the match with Argentina striker Erik Lamela slapped with a three-match ban by the Italian league for spitting at Juventus' Stephan Lichtsteiner.

To complicate matters for Luis Enrique, striker Bojan and goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg must serve one-match bans.

Roma captain Francesco Totti will return to the starting XI having rested on Sunday while Gianluca Curci will be in goal.

Rivals Fiorentina expect a battle at the Stadio Olimpico but are upbeat about their chances.

"Roma will be desperate to bounce back following their heavy loss at Juventus," Fiorentina midfielder Lazzari said. "But we have done well in recent games."

The Viola held Inter Milan to a goalless draw last time out to climb to 15th place, three points clear of the drop zone.

Fiorentina have kept clean sheets in their last two league games and travel to the Italian capital looking for only their third win on the road this season.

The visitors will be without suspended defender Manuel Pasqual but coach Delio Rossi expects the club's top scorer Stevan Jovetic to have recovered from a muscular problem.