Having successfully completed their European group-stage campaign, Fiorentina are back in domestic action on Sunday, when they host Hellas Verona at Stadio Franchi.
While the Viola have now secured their place in the Europa Conference League's last 16, they have been less consistent in Serie A, where their latest visitors languish inside the bottom three.
Match preview
© Reuters
Going through as Group F winners, last season's beaten finalists ensured they would avoid February's Conference League playoffs and qualify directly for the last 16 by holding Ferencvaros to a 1-1 draw on Thursday.
Finishing the first phase unbeaten, with three wins and three draws, Fiorentina did enough to avoid defeat in Budapest, where centre-back Luca Ranieri popped up with another valuable goal in continental competition, hauling the Viola level with fewer than 20 minutes to play.
Of seven Italian teams taking part in UEFA tournaments this term, they join Atalanta BC as the only sides to top their respective tables, and Vincenzo Italiano's men can now park their European campaign until March.
That leaves the path clear for an assault on Serie A's top five - as things stand, fifth place would earn Champions League qualification - and another long run in the Coppa Italia, which Fiorentina came within 90 minutes of lifting last season.
After scraping through to the Coppa quarter-finals by beating Parma on penalties, last week the Tuscan side restricted Roma to one point at Stadio Olimpico, as Lucas Martinez Quarta scored his fifth goal of the 2023-24 campaign, having recorded just three throughout three previous years in Florence.
Fiorentina were ultimately frustrated by nine-man opponents after the Giallorossi lost their heads late on, and they have accrued just seven points from their last seven Serie A matches. Only four teams have fared worse during that time - one being Sunday's opponents.
© Reuters
While the Viola's loss of form has not resulted in a significant slip down the standings, Verona are marooned inside the drop zone following a four-month win drought that threatens the position of coach Marco Baroni.
With the Hellas hierarchy in talks about selling the club, Baroni's side have faltered badly, and their most recent success in any competition remains a late-August upset of Roma at Stadio Bentegodi.
The Gialloblu - who lost both games to Fiorentina last term without scoring a goal (2-0 in Tuscany, 3-0 at home) - still sit within two points of several teams above them, but they would certainly cherish a long-awaited victory before the turn of the year.
Verona have drawn their last three matches following last week's 1-1 stalemate with Lazio, when Thomas Henry again scored after emerging from the bench, having previously done so at the death of a six-goal thriller against Udinese.
Now ending a 14-game wait for a win may be a tall order at Stadio Franchi, but kinder fixtures will see them conclude 2023 by meeting fellow strugglers Cagliari and Salernitana, so Baroni still has a chance to redeem himself.
Team News
© Reuters
Although they got the job done in Hungary on Thursday evening, Fiorentina returned home with serious concerns over star man Nico Gonzalez, who was stretchered off in tears after sustaining a thigh injury - the Argentina international may therefore be absent for several weeks.
Gaetano Gastrovilli and Dodo remain unavailable too, but captain Cristiano Biraghi returns to the fold after serving a UEFA suspension and should feature at left-back. Up front, M'Bala Nzola could replace another misfiring striker, Lucas Beltran.
Giacomo Bonaventura should also be brought back into the starting XI after being rested in midweek, most likely meaning a return to the bench for Antonin Barak, who excelled for Verona in 2021-22. The Czech's tally of 11 goals from 29 appearances that year earned him a move to the Viola - he has also scored four goals in five games against the Gialloblu to date.
The visitors must make at least one change to the side that held Lazio last time out, as Ondrej Duda was dismissed in the closing stages; Martin Hongla is set to deputise in central midfield.
Defensive duo Pawel Dawidowicz and Isak Hien are expected to recover from injuries, so Marco Baroni may also reshuffle his back four in search of a rare clean sheet.
French forward Thomas Henry has impressed as a substitute in recent weeks, but veteran striker Milan Djuric is still favourite to lead Verona's front line on Sunday. Hellas have scored 38% of their league goals via subs (five out of 13) - the third-highest proportion throughout Serie A.
Fiorentina possible starting lineup:
Terracciano; Kayode, Martinez Quarta, Ranieri, Biraghi; Arthur, Duncan; Ikone, Bonaventura, Sottil; Nzola
Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:
Montipo; Terracciano, Magnani, Hien, Tchatchoua; Hongla, Folorunsho; Ngonge, Suslov, Lazovic; Djuric
We say: Fiorentina 1-0 Hellas Verona
Neither side has a reliable striker to dig them out of trouble when most needed, with goals being gleaned from several different sources. An intense schedule may mean Fiorentina will lack a little intensity, but they should still have enough in hand to see off struggling Verona.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Jonathan O'Shea
