Tuscan rivals Fiorentina and Pisa will do battle for the second time this season, as the clubs clash in a relegation six-pointer on Monday evening.
Ahead of a high-stakes derby at Stadio Franchi, the Viola are desperately fighting for Serie A survival, while their old foes already look doomed.
Match preview
When Fiorentina last met Pisa – for the clubs’ first top-flight contest since 1991 – the pair had accrued just three points between them, and neither has really recovered from such a slow start.
Since that meeting in late September, the Viola have spent most of the following months inside Serie A’s drop zone, and relegation remains a serious prospect.
Paolo Vanoli has overseen an improvement since his arrival earlier this season, but his team remain fragile, having kept just a single clean sheet in their last 20 league matches.
Sitting three points adrift of safety with 13 games remaining, they did beat high-flying Como last week, gaining swift revenge for being dumped out of the Coppa Italia.
Then, they put one foot into the Conference League’s last 16 with an impressive 3-0 playoff win away to Jagiellonia Bialystok, as second-half strikes from Luca Ranieri, Rolando Mandragora and Roberto Piccoli wrapped up victory in Thursday’s first leg.
In freezing conditions, and with a much-changed team, the Viola finally posted consecutive wins for the first time this season.
Ahead of hosting the Polish champions for the return leg, Vanoli’s side must pay full attention to a Monday night Tuscan derby, which is sure to be fiercely contested.
Locked in a battle with Lecce, Genoa, Torino and Cremonese to avoid the final relegation spot, Fiorentina may have claimed just two wins from 12 league games at the Franchi so far, but history will be firmly on their side.
Dating back several decades, the Florence club are undefeated in seven Serie A home matches against Pisa, only conceding three goals.
© Imago
Following a 0-0 draw in the reverse fixture, Pisa have won just one of 15 top-flight meetings with Fiorentina – a 2-1 home victory back in 1987.
More pertinently, the Nerazzurri have not won any of 14 league fixtures since posting their lone success of the season in early November.
So, defeat or a draw in this derby would see them set a new negative club record, while surely condemning them to relegation after just one year back in Serie A.
Nine points from safety, Pisa’s comeback campaign has proved a disappointment, and Alberto Gilardino was replaced by new coach Oscar Hiljemark earlier this month.
So far, the latter has overseen a grim goalless draw with Hellas Verona and last week’s spirited 2-1 defeat to AC Milan, in which they were only denied one point by a late Luka Modric strike.
Now, the Nerazzurri will resume their search for a first top-tier away win in 34 years, and Pisa fans would love to see that quest completed at Stadio Franchi.
Fiorentina Serie A form:
D W L L D W
Fiorentina form (all competitions):
L L L D W W
Pisa Serie A form:
D D L L D L
Team News
© Iconsport / LaPresse
After Vanoli rotated his resources in Poland, making eight changes to the team that beat Como, several regular starters should return.
Prioritising top-flight survival, key men including David de Gea, Dodo and Moise Kean were all left at home; Mandragora played, but he must serve a suspension on Monday.
Kean is Fiorentina’s main marksman with seven Serie A goals, having scored in both of his last two league appearances; the Italy striker’s output may be down compared to last season, but only Capocannoniere leader Lautaro Martinez has attempted more shots from inside the box.
Due to an ankle injury, Albert Gudmundsson could join long-term absentee Tariq Lamptey on the sidelines, while Pisa will be without Daniel Denoon, Isak Vural and Simone Scuffet.
The latter’s fellow goalkeeper Adrian Semper is also a doubt, so third-choice stopper Nicolas may continue to deputise, but central midfielder Marius Marin is now available after serving a one-match ban.
Set to feature alongside five-goal top scorer Stefano Moreo in the visitors’ attack, Matteo Tramoni has notched three goal involvements across his last three away games.
Fiorentina possible starting lineup:
De Gea; Dodo, Pongracic, Ranieri, Parisi; Fagioli, Ndour; Harrison, Brescianini, Solomon; Kean
Pisa possible starting lineup:
Nicolas; Canestrelli, Caracciolo, Bozhinov; Toure, Loyola, Aebischer, Angori; Tramoni, Moreo; Stojilkovic
We say: Fiorentina 2-1 Pisa
Fiorentina want to avoid another meeting with Pisa in Serie B next season, and they can improve their survival chances by extending the Nerazzurri’s away woes.
Both teams have dropped plenty of points from leading positions, but Pisa are yet to win on the road and have conceded the most away goals throughout Serie A, so the Viola should extend their revival.
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