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Serie A: Fiorentina vs. Genoa: On Monday night, misfiring Fiorentina will host mid-table Genoa at Stadio Franchi after failing to score in their previous two games.
The Viola were held goalless in Europe after losing in Serie A the previous week; in the meantime, their opponents are determined to pass them in order to finish in the top half.
Juventus defeated Fiorentina 1-0 in Turin, and the team’s coach Vincenzo Italiano had a familiar story of frustration as they controlled the ball but were unable to break through their resilient defence.
Italiano, who is scheduled to leave in the summer, is hoping for a spectacular farewell, but it will depend on what happens in two cup competitions. The Viola are currently more akin to the bottom half of Serie A than the European spots.
After defeating Atalanta BC 1-0 in the first leg of their semifinal match, the Tuscan club may play Juve in the Coppa Italia final next month.
Additionally, the Europa Conference League finalists from the previous season are still in the running to make it to the championship game this year.
Fiorentina has been scoring goals in Europe’s third division for the previous two years, in contrast to their current performance in Serie A.
However, after a dull 0-0 draw with Viktoria Plzen on Thursday, they will need to improve in their second leg of the quarterfinal match.
Prior to hosting the Czech team in Florence, Italiano’s team needs to win just their third league game of 2024 in order to maintain their modest chances of qualifying for the continental tournament.
This season, the only teams with fewer victories in the Italian first division are Frosinone and Salernitana.
Fiorentina won six of their first nine home games this season, but they have only won two of the last six, so playing against one of their favourite opponents should give the Stadio a much-needed lift.
Since the three-points-for-a-win policy was implemented in the mid-1990s, Genoa has not won a single Serie A match in Florence.
Of their last 16 league games in the Tuscan capital, nine have ended in defeat and seven in draws.
The Grifone have only defeated Fiorentina once in their previous 12 top-tier encounters, both at home and away. However, after last week’s victory at Stadio Bentegodi, they currently trail their hosts by just five points.
Following a 2-1 loss to Hellas Verona, Alberto Gilardino’s team recovered to continue their remarkable comeback to life in the big time: the runners-up in Serie B last year are currently in 12th place in the top flight.
Albert Gudmundsson, who is back on target in Verona, has scored 12 league goals so far, almost guaranteeing Genoa’s survival with seven rounds to go.
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The Ligurian team has shown to be difficult to beat on the road in 2024, going undefeated in seven of their previous eight away games. However, their last road victory in Serie A dates back around three years.
Fiorentina Serie A form:
D W D D L L
Fiorentina form (all competitions):
D D L W L D
Genoa Serie A form:
W L L D D W
There will undoubtedly be alterations to Vincenzo Italiano’s starting lineup on Monday ahead of the Conference League match on Thursday, as the Fiorentina manager has the uncommon luxury of having a fully available team.
Giacomo Bonaventura missed the game in Plzen due to a slight injury after serving a suspension for the team’s loss to Juventus last week, but he should now be involved in the midfield for the home team.
The players lining up for promotion from the bench include Christian Kouame, Michael Kayode, and Luca Ranieri.
However, captain Cristiano Biraghi will be anxious to avoid resting because he has directly contributed to six Serie A goals against Genoa so far, including his first goal in the rematch in August.
Ruslan Malinovskyi is still sidelined for Genoa due to injury, while Italian striker Mateo Retegui has returned to action following a one-match suspension and an ankle injury; Vitinha’s availability is still uncertain because of a muscular ailment.
Retegui will likely start in an almost exact same lineup when he returns to Stadio Franchi, barring the departure of Caleb Ekuban up front.
Retegui scored 48 goals for Fiorentina while he was a player, and he has been linked to a return when Italiano leaves at the end of this season.
Fiorentina possible starting lineup:
Terracciano; Kayode, Martinez Quarta, Ranieri, Biraghi; Duncan, Bonaventura; Ikone, Beltran, Kouame; Belotti
Genoa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; De Winter, Bani, Vasquez; Sabelli, Frendrup, Badelj, Messias, Spence; Gudmundsson, Retegui
Our prediction for this match 0-0 or 1-1 draw
