Fiorentina play host to Hellas Verona at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Monday night, needing a win to remain in Champions League contention for next season.
The Viola will need to bounce back from a disappointing 3-0 away loss to Napoli the previous week which ended its three match undefeated streak in Serie A.
The setback sees Vincenzo Montella’s side slide back into fifth place in the standings on 49 points with 13 wins, 10 draws and seven defeats.
Meanwhile, the visitors are desperate for a first win in three games for completely different reasons.
Verona are hanging relatively safely above the relegation zone as they continue to rely on veteran striker Luca Toni to guide them away from the drop. The 37-year-old has netted an impressive 15 goals in 30 matches, another healthy return for the striker that seems to get better with age.
A crushing 3-0 loss at home to Inter did little to ease their fan’s anxieties as they lie in 16th place on 33 points, but the fact that they are 11 points clear from the bottom three will come as a welcome relief for boss Andrea Mandorlini.
In the corresponding encounter this campaign Fiorentina scored two goals either side of a Nicolas Lopez strike to secure a 2-1 win back in November.
Indeed that result coincides with a number of other victories to La Viola, who are yet to yield any points to the Gialloblu since they returned to the Serie A in 2013. However, the pair have met on 11 occasions in the top flight with Montella’s men boasting seven wins to Verona’s three, leaving a solitary stalemate.
For the match, coach Vincenzo Montella will be without injury-ravaged striker Giuseppe Rossi who is still recovering from a knee injury, while fellow forward Khouma Babacar’s fitness will be evaluated. Mario Gomez, Jasmin Kurtic and Jose Basanta are among several players who are walking a yellow card tight-rope as they are one match away from a suspension.
Andrea Mandorlini has virtually a full squad to choose from with the exception of midfielder Artur Ionita who is under a fitness cloud and will be assessed in the coming days. Nicolas Lopez, Ivan Martic, Mattia Valoti, Emil Hallfredsson and Panagiotis Tachtsidis are also among a number of other players facing a one match ban should they be brandished a caution in the clash.
Form Guide: Fiorentina (W-L-W-D-W-L) Hellas Verona: (W-D-W-L-D-L)
Expected Starting XIs
Fiorentina: Neto; Richards, Savic, Basanta, Pasqual; Badelj, Mati Fernandez, Kurtic; Ilicic, Diamanti; Gomez
Hellas Verona: Benussi; Sala, Moras, Marquez, Obbadi, Tachtsidis, Hallfredsson; Jankovic, Toni, Juanito Gomez
