Fiorentina host Atalanta BC at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Wednesday night in the first of a two-legged Coppa Italia semi-final, just over two weeks after their league meeting was postponed due to the death of Fiorentina director Joe Barone.
The hosts fell to defeat in last year's Coppa Italia final, losing 2-1 to Inter Milan, while the visitors will be looking to make their first appearance in the final since a 2-1 loss to Juventus in 2021.
Match preview
© Reuters
Fiorentina have had an extremely inconsistent time under Vincenzo Italiano this season, currently residing 10th in Serie A and seven points behind Wednesday's opponents in sixth place.
However, the Coppa Italia has been the one competition in which they have shown a level of consistency over recent years, making at least the semi-finals in all three of Italiano's seasons in charge of the club.
Last year saw them make it to the final, eventually losing to Inter Milan 2-1, and they will now be looking to go one step further this time around by claiming their first Coppa Italia triumph since 2000-01.
The hosts come into this game on the back of three matches without a victory, drawing with Roma and Maccabi Haifa before losing to AC Milan 2-1 over the weekend, leaving them in poor form ahead of this one.
In comparison, Atalanta are unbeaten in their previous four games with draws against Sporting Lisbon and Juventus before recording back-to-back victories against Sporting, in the second leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie, and Napoli.
© Reuters
The visitors have historically been rather unfortunate in this competition with their only victory coming in 1963, while they have lost four times in the final with two of those happening in recent seasons.
The 2018-19 final saw Atalanta lose 2-0 at the hands of Lazio, and just two years later they lost once again, that time a 2-1 defeat to Juventus.
Gian Piero Gasperini, who was in charge for both of those defeats, will be hoping this is finally the season that he will guide his side to the trophy, and in doing so win the club's first major competition since that Coppa Italia win 61 years ago.
They must first overcome a Fiorentina side that they have split results with over the past campaigns, winning four and losing five over the last 10 meetings.
Team News
© Reuters
Italiano could have a full squad to choose from on Wednesday evening, with his side avoiding any fresh injury concerns in their past matches.
Oliver Christensen, who has started all of Fiorentina's Coppa Italia matches this campaign, has been the only absentee for the Viola in recent weeks and, while he is back in training, the keeper is unlikely to feature in this one.
As for Atalanta, Charles De Ketelaere was the only player missing from their impressive 3-0 victory over Napoli over the weekend, and the forward is not expected to return until later this month.
The visitors did pick up two further injuries in that match though with Giorgio Scalvini and Davide Zappacosta both being forced off the pitch, leaving them as doubts for this one.
Fiorentina possible starting lineup:
Terracciano; Dodo, Milenkovic, Martinez Quarta, Biraghi; Mandragora, Duncan; Ikone, Beltran, Kouame; Belotti
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Carnesecchi; Toloi, Hien, Kolasinac; Hateboer, De Roon, Ederson, Ruggeri; Pasalic; Miranchuk, Scamacca
We say: Fiorentina 1-1 Atalanta BC
These two sides have shared the results of this meeting in recent years and while Atalanta enter the game in superior form than the hosts, Fiorentina have not lost at home to Gasperini's side since April 2021, leading us to believe this one will end all square.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
