FIORENTINA vs. Universitario: Lineups and Match Thread

A good runaround for Fiorentina squad in big stadiums against quality opposition comes to a close tonight in the home country of longtime Viola stalwart Juan Manuel Vargas. Vincenzo Montella has rotated the squad over the course of the week and a half long series of games, but tonight brings out the big guns as expected. Giuseppe Rossi and Mario Gomez start together for the first time since last September, to our collective HUGE excitement. Literally could write for paragraphs about that alone, but I'll leave that to you folks below the line.

The system looks like a 3-5-2, with Vargas on the left (captaining the side) and Matias Vecino again out of position on the right, although it more be slightly more like a lopsided 4-3-3. Joshua Brillante and David Pizarro play together in a midfield 3 alongside Borja Valero, and it will be intriguing to see how they work together and who takes a more advanced position as we continue to watch the young Italo-Australian who is having himself a very good preseason campaign. Tatarusanu returns as the starting goalkeeper as Montella continues to alternate; neither he nor Neto have had positive recent outings, and the onus will be on the Romanian to bounce back from an uncertain match in Argentina. The return of Gonzalo Rodriguez in the center of the back three will certainly help ease the defensive nerves demonstrated at times against Palmeiras.

Here's the lineup in full:

FIORENTINA (3-5-2): Tatarusanu; Roncaglia, Gonzalo, Savic; Vecino, Brillante, Pizarro, Borja Valero, Vargas (c); Rossi, Gomez

Forza Viola!