Rome (AFP)
AS Rome will spend the holidays with a light heart: victorious 4-1 Friday on the field of Fiorentina, the team of the capital has consolidated its 4th place and confirmed the qualities that could allow it to find the Champions League.
Cut into small pieces because of the Italian Super Cup, which will pit Juventus and Lazio Rome on Sunday in Saudi Arabia, the 17th day has already delivered two lessons.
By defeating Sampdoria on Wednesday (2-1), Juventus, the leader, put pressure on Inter and will end the worst 2019 year on equal points with the Milanese, who will host Genoa Saturday.
And with this success on Friday, Roma, for its part, widened their gap over their pursuers and competitors, who see the Top 4 from a distance.
The Romans thus have six margin lengths on Cagliari (5th) and seven on Atalanta (6th), who have yet to play their match of the 17th day.
In Florence, Paulo Fonseca's men played with confidence and made the difference with their attacking skills, center forward Dzeko and playmaker Pellegrini at the head.
The first goal was thus scored by the Bosnian (19th) after an action superbly initiated by Pellegrini. The second goal of Roma was scored on a direct free kick by Kolarov (22nd), then Fiorentina returned to 2-1 thanks to a happy goal signed Badelj (34th).
In the second period, the attackers of Roma concretized the superiority of their team, first by Pellegrini (73rd), well served by Dzeko, then via Zaniolo, also on a decisive pass from Dzeko (88th).
If this victory reinforces the Roman ambitions, it weakens on the contrary a little more the Fiorentina and its trainer Vincenzo Montella.
Without Ribéry, injured until February, the "Viola" finds no solutions. La Fiorentina is 14th and could slip further over the matches that remain to be played this weekend.
© 2019 AFP