League One Bolton Wanderers take on Serie A opposition at the University of Bolton Stadium on Friday when they face up against Fiorentina in a pre-season friendly.
The hosts have won two and lost one in their pre-season schedule so far, while the visitors have won both of their friendly fixtures with emphatic scorelines.
Match preview
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After two consecutive years of League One playoff heartbreak, including a 2-0 playoff final loss to Oxford United last season, Bolton will head into the 2024-25 campaign aiming to go one step further and secure promotion.
Ian Evatt's side occupied an automatic promotion place for large periods of the 2023-24 season, but a slight drop in form towards the end of the term allowed Derby County to take their place and achieve promotion to the Championship, confining Bolton to the playoffs.
The Wanderers narrowly defeated Barnsley, who they had lost to in the semi-final of the 2022-23 League One playoffs, 5-4 on aggregate to move into the final against Oxford United at Wembley, where they were defeated 2-0 with both goals from Josh Murphy.
Ahead of the new campaign, where Bolton will aim to finally achieve promotion back to the Championship for the first time since 2018-19, Evatt's men have undergone a week-long warm weather training camp before facing up against West Bromwich Albion, Middlesbrough and Chorley.
The Trotters have shown strong form in those initial friendlies, defeating West Brom 2-1 and Chorley 4-0 while losing 3-0 to Middlesbrough, and are scheduled to face Fiorentina, Stoke City, Port Vale and Atherton Collieries before their League One opener against Leyton Orient.
Fiorentina come into this friendly on the back of securing their place in the Europa Conference League for the third successive season thanks to their eighth-placed finish last year.
Although it is a significant achievement for a club that had failed to qualify for European competition in the previous five seasons, the Violets will be disappointed not to be competing in the Europa League after losing back-to-back Europa Conference League finals in the past two years.
In preparation for the new season, where Raffaele Palladino's side will aim to finally lift the Europa Conference League trophy and climb higher up the table, Fiorentina have already played two friendlies, defeating their under-19s team 5-2 and Serie B side Reggiana 4-0.
The Violets will go on to play against Preston North End, Hull City, Montpellier and Freiburg ahead as part of their pre-season preparations before taking on newly-promoted Parma in their Serie A opener.
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Team News
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The hosts are expected to remain without Gethin Jones and new signing Chris Forino with the pair both yet to feature in pre-season due to injury concerns.
Victor Adeboyejo scored 10 times in the league last season, only fewer than Aaron Collins and Dion Charles, and the Nigerian is likely to start up front in this one.
The visitors fielded a strong side in their last friendly outing against Serie B side Reggiana, and Palladino is expected to do the same against Bolton on Friday.
Last season's top scorer, Nicolas Gonzalez, has been linked with a move away from the Stadio Artemio Franchi and is set to be absent from this match as he has yet to return from his nation's Copa America triumph.
Bolton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Baxter; Forrester, Santos, Toal; Dacres-Cogley, Lolos, Sheehan, Morley, Conway; Adeboyejo, Collins
Fiorentina possible starting lineup:
Terracciano; Kayode, Biraghi, Ranieri; Dodo, Bianco, Mandragora, Dodo; Brekalo, Sottil; Kean
We say: Bolton Wanderers 0-3 Fiorentina
Bolton may have performed well in their opening friendlies but Friday's opposition will be a much tougher challenge than they have so far encountered, and we expect Fiorentina to win this one comfortably.
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Ellis Stevens
