Table toppers Fiorentina travel to Sampdoria's Stadio Luigi Ferraris looking for their third straight domestic win following a small blip.
Sampdoria needing to tighten up defence
Sampdoria started the season flying and found themselves atop the table a few weeks in. Fast forward to present day and they find themselves in mid-table. This isn't due to a lack of goals however, with them being the league's third highest scorers but because they're conceding far too many.
La Samp have just won win to their name in the last five fixtures and have drawn 1-1 three times having opened the scoring on two of those occassions against Inter and Chievo.
While Eder and Luis Muriel continue to come up with the goods up the opposite end of the pack, the defence is really letting the side down.
Fiorentina back in business
La Viola have succumbed to defeat just three times domestically this season but have blew everyone else in their path away.
Following on from what now seems a shock defeat to Torino on matchday 2, Paulo Sousa's men went on a fantastic six match win streak before Gonzalo Higuain killed the run all together with a winner for Napoli just minutes after talisman Nikola Kalinic drew them level. It was after this that they went through their rough patch, losing their next calcio encounter to Roma off the back of a disappointing defeat to Lech Poznan. Nevertheless, Fiorentina bounced back in fine form with a victory over Verona in the next game and thumped Frosinone 4-1 the weekend after. They come into the match having set the record straight with Lech Poznan after a comfortable win in Europe on Thursday.
Samp have no new injuries
The hosts are nursing three longer term injuries coming into the game wih all the players having been out for over a month. Andrea Coda is joined by central midfield pair Lazaros Christodoulopoulos and Nenad Krsticic in the treatment room.
Sampdoria Predicted Starting XI: Viviano - Cassani, Silvestre, Moisander, Mesbah - Fernando, Baretto, Roberto Soriano - Eder, Luis Muriel, Carbonero.
Fiorentina have just the one injury doubt in Marko Bakic but theres every chance that Bakic could make the bench and return after a few months on the sidelines.
Fiorentina Predicted Starting XI: Tatarusanu - Marcos Alonso, Rodriguez, Astori, Tomovic - Borja Valero, Vecino - Mati Fernandez, Blaszczcykowski - Nikola Kalinic, Josip Ilicic.
Battle of the strikers
Sampdoria Key Player - Eder - The naturalised Italian striker has certainly delivered this season netting no fewer than nine times in 11 Serie A games so far and assisting a further three goals. Himself and partner in crime Luis Muriel have been a joy to watch this season and the Samp faithful will be hoping for more terrorisation of defenders on Sunday night.
Fiorentina Key Player - Nikola Kalinic - Kalinic has been Fiorentina's go to man for goals this term. Although he has scored 3 less than Eder, his general play has him held highly amongst the Fiorentina fans who are dreaming of the Scudetto.