Roberto Mancini said Inter’s trip to Fiorentina “won’t be a decisive match, but it is a decisive stage of the season.”

It kicks off at the Stadio Franchi on Sunday at 19.45 GMT and only one point separates them, click here for a match preview.

“This won’t be a decisive match, but it will be important and this is a decisive stage of the season,” said the Coach in his Press conference.

Roberto Mancini said Inter’s trip to Fiorentina “won’t be a decisive match, but it is a decisive stage of the season.”

It kicks off at the Stadio Franchi on Sunday at 19.45 GMT and only one point separates them, click here for a match preview.

“This won’t be a decisive match, but it will be important and this is a decisive stage of the season,” said the Coach in his Press conference.

“Over the last few weeks we threw away all the extraordinary work we’d done in the previous five months. The side has recovered well from the derby defeat and we absolutely deserved to win our 3-3 at Verona, conceding three goals from corners.

“Fiorentina play very well, but I am hopeful for this season and the future of Inter. What I see in training and in the recent games makes me confident. Sometimes you can fail to win a game because of situations that go against you, but I think overall the team has recovered.

“We started the campaign with an objective. The first half of the season was extraordinary, probably above our capabilities. We had a run of five or six games where we stuttered and some of them we deserved to lose, some we didn’t.

“I said for five months there were teams better equipped to win and would emerge in the long run, which proved to be the case. We are still up there. We might be a little sad because we lost points stupidly or had a few games below par, but the objective does not change.

“The draw at Verona was a fluke, as Verona would never have scored without the three corners. It’s bizarre to concede three from corners, especially if for five months we didn’t concede a single headed goal. It was a fluke.

“Fiorentina have very technical players who can cause you problems, so we have to be more alert. I have absolutely no doubts on my line-up tomorrow. I already know it. Who starts? Samir Handanovic…

“Fiorentina concede on counters because they attack in numbers, but they are a strong side.”

Adem Ljajic and Stevan Jovetic will be facing their former club at the Stadio Franchi.

“They are players who can always make the difference and I think it’ll be important for them to play in a venue where they were for many years.”

Roma notched up a fourth consecutive victory last night and temporarily leapfrogged into third place.

“For the moment third is between Roma, Fiorentina and Inter. Milan are five points behind and can certainly close up to challenge too.

“There’s a long way to the end of the season, so things could change. In the first five months it was an advantage that we weren’t in Europe, so hopefully it will get back to being that way.”

Fiorentina won 4-1 at San Siro earlier this term, but Mancini insisted at the time it was one of their best performances.

“It was a strange match, as in nine minutes we conceded two goals and had a man sent off. I hope tomorrow will be different, where Inter will play well, pay attention and have our say.

“We have to focus on ourselves. If we do what we can, then we’ve got a great chance of finishing third.”

Referees and Coaches this week agreed to no longer discuss contentious decisions in interviews, but Mancini warned it takes even more than two to tango.

“I tried for the first three months not to talk about referees, but it’s also your fault, because the first four questions in a post-match interview are all about the refereeing. It is part of our culture.

“Will I be at Inter next season? Yes. Unless they send me away, of course.”

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