Overview
Thanks to the Udinese goalkeeper being sent off in the 7th minute, Fiorentina partly relieved the pressure by "bombing" 5 goals into the opponent's net last weekend.
Taking advantage of playing with more players, Fiorentina scored 3 goals in a row in the first half, before key striker Moise Kean ended the decline with a double after halftime.
However, the joy of ending the 15-match unbeaten streak in Serie A is still not enough to soothe the unstable atmosphere surrounding the Tuscany team in 2025. Fiorentina has replaced 3 coaches since the end of last season, and Paolo Vanoli is still under great pressure.
Vanoli's team is currently ranked 20th with 9 points, 5 points behind the safe zone, while they have also just struggled to win a ticket to the Conference League play-offs.
Therefore, the goal of winning away from home for the first time in Serie A since May - when they also defeated Udinese - is of particular importance. If they leave Tardini's field with 3 points, Fiorentina can also shorten the gap with Parma to 2 points, thereby rekindling hope in the relegation race.
In the opposite direction, after two matches last season ended in a draw, Parma has not beaten Fiorentina in the last six encounters in the national championship since 2019.
Standing right in the relegation zone, Carlos Cuesta's team understands that they need to end this waiting streak as soon as possible. Especially when this is a 6-point match with a direct competitor.
Parma's recent form shows signs of improvement. They have won 2 of their last 4 matches in Serie A, equal to the total number of wins in the previous 16 matches. However, in the past round, Gialloblu broke his recovery streak when he unexpectedly lost 0-1 at home to Lazio with only 9 men left, thereby prolonging the 6-match unbeaten streak at Tardini.
Having just had a home win since the beginning of the season, Parma is forced to improve their performance in Emilia if they want to stay in Serie A. After two weeks of rest because the opponent is busy attending the Italian Super Cup, Cuesta and his students will definitely have more time to prepare for this match. This is an important opportunity for them to correct mistakes right at the Tardini stadium.
Personnel situation
Fiorentina may continue to face the personnel problem as Robin Gosens, Pablo Mari and Jacopo Fazzini are likely still uncertain about their ability to play in the away match to Parma. Tariq Lamptey has also not been able to return as he is still recovering from his anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Notably, Luca Ranieri will be absent due to suspension, making Paolo Vanoli even less likely to have a choice in the central defender position.
In a context where the team is not really stable, Rolando Mandragora emerged as a rare bright spot when he is currently Fiorentina's best scorer in Serie A this season with 5 goals.
On Parma's side, Mateo Pellegrino is the most notable explosive player with 4 goals, and is rumored to be able to leave the club in January.
The two-week break helped Parma welcome Alessandro Circati back after an ankle injury, but his partner in the defense, Abdoulaye Ndiaye, has not yet recovered.
Parma also has two long-term injuries, Matija Frigan and Zion Suzuki. Both are expected to reappear in February next year.
Expected lineup:
Corvi, Britschgi, Delprato, Valenti, Valeri, Bernabe, Estevez, Keita, Benedyczak, Ondrejka, Pellegrino.
De Gea, Pongracic, Comuzzo, Viti, Dodo, Mandragora, Fagioli, Ndour, Parisi, Gudmundsson, Kean.
The match between Parma and Fiorentina takes place at 6:30 PM on December 27th (Vietnam time).
