Both in the hunt for a precious top-six finish, Torino and Fiorentina meet in Serie A's Saturday night contest.
While Toro have lost back-to-back games and slipped slightly off the pace, their visitors beat Lazio last time out to sit seventh in the standings.
Match preview
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Having previously moved into contention for European football next season, Torino have now won just one of their last five league matches after successive defeats to Serie A's capital clubs, Lazio and Roma.
Following their two-goal home loss to the Biancocelesti, Ivan Juric's men were beaten 3-2 by a Paulo Dybala-inspired Giallorossi on Monday evening, and they are in some danger of dropping down to the bottom half of the table.
Toro claimed a creditable 10th-placed finish last season, and they occupy the same position with around a third of the current campaign remaining, situated just behind ailing champions Napoli but now five points adrift of Saturday's opponents.
Securing 23 points from a possible 39 on home soil has been the foundation of their drive for a top-half spot, so Juric will hope returning to Turin can help inspire his increasingly inconsistent side.
In December's reverse fixture at Stadio Franchi, Torino were beaten 1-0 by Fiorentina, who had Luca Ranieri to thank for producing a late winner; however, the Granata have not lost a top-flight home match to the Viola for almost six years.
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Badly needing a boost after posting just a single league victory in 2024 - which has seen their pursuit of Champions League qualification falter - Fiorentina had won only once in seven Serie A matches before tackling fellow European contenders Lazio on Monday.
Though they hit the goal-frame three times and also missed a penalty, the Tuscan club still managed to prevail in front of their own fans, which took them above their capital-city counterparts into seventh place.
Much-admired Michael Kayode fittingly scored Fiorentina's equaliser via the underside of the crossbar, then after Nico Gonzalez fluffed his spot kick, Giacomo Bonaventura made it 2-1 midway through the second half.
However, recent results mean Vincenzo Italiano's men remain three points behind sixth-placed Roma and some seven behind Bologna, who occupy the final guaranteed Champions League spot - depending on how events unfold in this term's UEFA competitions, Italy may receive a fifth.
On a four-match winless streak away from home, including three losses, the Viola's last success on the road came back in December, against Monza.
Such form will surely have to improve if they are to make up ground lost in Serie A and to progress further in Europe: next week they travel to Budapest for a meeting with Maccabi Haifa in the Europa Conference League's last 16.
Team News
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Torino's Italy centre-back Alessandro Buongiorno could be back in the starting lineup on Saturday night, having returned to full training after overcoming a shoulder injury; Ricardo Rodriguez may also feature, bolstering a back line that shipped three goals against Roma.
Three other defenders are unavailable, though, as long-term absentee Perr Schuurs is joined by Adrien Tameze and Matteo Lovato on the sidelines. The latter suffered a calf injury early in Monday's defeat and may not be back in action until after the international break.
Meanwhile, at the other end of Ivan Juric's familiar 3-4-1-2 formation, nine-goal top scorer Duvan Zapata should be supported by Nikola Vlasic and Antonio Sanabria.
Lucas Martinez Quarta, Oliver Christensen and Gaetano Castrovilli are on the treatment table for Fiorentina, while winger Christian Kouame was recently hospitalised by malaria following Ivory Coast's successful Africa Cup of Nations campaign.
After Giacomo Bonaventura dropped back to partner Arthur in central midfield against Lazio, it remains to be seen whether Vincenzo Italiano persists with such a switch. If so, Lucas Beltran would most likely start behind ex-Toro striker Andrea Belotti up front.
Torino possible starting lineup:
Milinkovic-Savic; Djidji, Buongiorno, Rodriguez; Bellanova, Ricci, Linetty, Lazaro; Vlasic; Sanabria, Zapata
Fiorentina possible starting lineup:
Terracciano; Kayode, Milenkovic, Ranieri, Biraghi; Bonaventura, Arthur; Gonzalez, Beltran, Sottil; Belotti
We say: Torino 1-1 Fiorentina
Tough to beat on home turf, Torino will pose plenty of problems for Fiorentina, who do not travel particularly well. Although capable of threatening Italy's top six, the visitors are frustratingly inconsistent, so a draw in Turin would represent a decent result.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
