Looking to record their first victory following a much-needed change of management, Fiorentina welcome AEK Athens to Stadio Artemio Franchi for a Conference League clash on Thursday night.
La Viola’s serious struggles in Serie A continued on the weekend, whilst Dikefalos picked up another success in their quest for Greek Super League supremacy.
Match preview
After finishing sixth in the 2024-25 Serie A campaign – their highest placement since 2016 – Fiorentina have experienced a severe fall from grace, with Thursday night’s hosts winless across their first 12 matches of the top-flight term.
Staring an unthinkable relegation to Serie B in terms of face, La Viola made a managerial switch earlier in the month as Paolo Vanoli arrived at the helm, with the 53-year-old going unbeaten in his first two games, picking up draws against Genoa and most recently Juventus on Saturday afternoon.
Following a six-game winless run across Serie A and the Conference League, Fiorentina are currently occupying 19th spot in the top-flight standings, but they are faring much better on the continental stage, where they have won two of their three league phase matches to date.
La Viola suffered their maiden defeat of the Conference League campaign during gameweek three, when a 95th-minute effort from Lee Jae-sung secured maximum points for Bundesliga outfit Mainz 05 in a 2-1 triumph.
Yet to find the net in the Conference League this term despite being one of the pre-season favourites for the competition’s Golden Boot, Moise Kean’s form has dipped in tandem with Fiorentina, with the Italy international scoring just twice this term after bagging 25 strikes during 2024-25.
On the contrary to Thursday night’s hosts, AEK Athens are enjoying a great spell of form ahead of their return to Conference League action, with the Greek outfit now five games unbeaten (W4 D1) across all competitions following a 1-0 success over Aris Thessaloniki in the Greek Super League on Sunday.
Finding the net to ensure that his side won their third straight match in the top flight, Zini is back from a loan spell at a smaller club in the country and set to be a star at the top of the division, with the 23-year-old scoring two goals in just three league appearances to date.
The only blot on the notebook of Dikefalos during the last five matches, Shamrock Rovers of Ireland were able to visit OPAP Arena in the Conference League on November 6 and escape with a shock share of the spoils, with an added-time penalty from ex-Real Madrid man Luka Jovic required to save the hosts from defeat.
At the halfway point of the league phase, AEK Athens are sitting 15th in the 36-team rankings, one points above Legia Warsaw in 25th and just two points back from eighth-placed Fiorentina, who are the hosts in Firenze on Thursday night.
Despite operating in a lesser-watched league in Europe, Dikefalos have a number of standout stars in their ranks for the 2025-26 campaign, including ex-Portugal international Joao Mario and the aforementioned Jovic, who is set to feature for the club he played 50 times for during the 2022-23 term.
Fiorentina Conference League form: W W L
Fiorentina form (all competitions): D L L L D D
AEK Athens Conference League form: L W D
AEK Athens form (all competitions): L W W D W W
Team News
Making the brave leap from Brighton & Hove Albion to an Italian job over the summer, Fiorentina’s Tariq Lamptey is currently sidelined because of a knee injury sustained in September.
La Viola’s options in the full-back positions are reduced further by the absence of German Robin Gosens, who is expected back at some point in December from a thigh strain.
After picking up a serious knee injury during a loan spell at Empoli in the second half of 2024-25, Christian Kouame is yet to kick a competitive ball for the Serie A side this season.
Following the high of booking a spot at next summer’s World Cup with CONCACAF minnows Haiti, Frantzdy Pierrot is now set for a couple of weeks on the sidelines owing to a muscular problem.
Scoring in the six-goal October thrashing of Aberdeen in the Conference League, Dereck Kutesa (muscle) is likely to be out of action until the middle of December.
Fiorentina possible starting lineup:
De Gea; Pongracic, Mari, Ranieri; Dodo, Sohm, Caviglia, Ndour, Fortini; Kean, Piccoli
AEK Athens possible starting lineup:
Strakosha; Rota, Moukoudi, Relvas, Pilios; Gacinovic, Pineda, Koita, Pereyra; Zini, Jovic
We say: Fiorentina 2-1 AEK Athens
Aiming to avoid a seventh game without victory, Fiorentina picked up a solid point against Juventus last time out and will target Thursday night as a real opportunity to collect three points in the Conference League.
AEK Athens have been flawless on the domestic scene recently, but could stumble to a first defeat since October at Stadio Artemio Franchi this week.
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