Preview: Rakow Czestochowa vs Fiorentina – prediction, team news, lineups

With a one-objective deficit from final week’s first leg, Rakow Czestochowa will welcome Fiorentina to Poland when the pair’s Conference League tie is set on Thursday.

Vying for place within the quarter-finals – the place both Crystal Palace or AEK Larnaca will await – their final-16 conflict started with a house win for the Viola.

Match preview

After struggling by the league section and surviving a scare within the playoffs – the place they edged previous Jagiellonia Bialystok after additional time – Fiorentina hosted another Polish club in the first leg of their last-16 contest.

The Italian aspect slipped behind on the hour mark, however Cher Ndour swept in an virtually immediate equalizer, earlier than Roberto Piccoli clipped the crossbar and Albert Gudmundsson stayed cool to change into a late winner.

The latter’s stoppage-time penalty secured a comeback victory for the Viola, giving them a valuable result in defend for this week’s return recreation in southern Poland.

Fiorentina’s fiftieth Conference League fixture – essentially the most of any team because the competitors’s inception – will come amid an uptick for the 2-time runners-up.

Paolo Vanoli‘s aspect have been beneath par on the home entrance, and so they nonetheless face a combat for Series A survival, however beating fellow strugglers Cremonese on Monday moved them 4 factors away from the drop zone.

Lit up by an outstanding solo strike from dodo On his a hundred and fiftieth look – almost three years after his final objective – their 4-1 victory was capped by Gudmundsson selecting out the highest nook to complete a flowing team transfer.

With some respiration house secured, the Tuscan membership can now conclude their twelfth knockout tie within the Conference League.

After progressing from 10 of the earlier 11 – the only real exception being final 12 months’s semi-last defeat to Real Betis – historical past shall be firmly on Fiorentina’s aspect.

Thought Jonatan Braut Brunes put them in entrance final week, Rakow will replicate with remorse on virtually immediately conceding, earlier than Michael Ameyaw’s handball handed Fiorentina their late spot kick.

Having beforehand shipped simply two targets throughout six Conference League contests, the Czestochowa membership had the second-greatest defensive file on this season’s league section, and that noticed them cruise by to the spherical of 16.

However, following 4 wins and two attracts, they let a valuable lead slip into Florence and should now overturn a deficit to make the quarter-finals.

Lukasz Tomczyk’s aspect has posted a 100% file as hosts up to now, protecting a few clear sheets within the course of, so they’ll purpose to make residence benefit absolutely paid on Thursday.

Currently having fun with one of the best interval of their historical past, Rakow adopted again-to-again Polish cup triumphs in 2021 and 2022 with their first league title one 12 months later, earlier than ending second final time period.

By distinction with Fiorentina’s home woes, they’re once more flying excessive within the Ekstraklasa: regardless of shedding 3-1 to Gornik Zabrze on Sunday, they sit simply 4 factors adrift of prime spot.

Rakow Czestochowa Conference League type:

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Fiorentina Conference League type:

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Team News

© Imago / Nicolo Campo

Vanoli is about to rotate his squad, as he typically makes a number of adjustments for European fixtures and Fiorentina had been in motion on Monday; additionally they face a troublesome league recreation this weekend, at residence to Serie A leaders Inter Milan.

Star striker Moise Kean has simply returned from a shin downside that dominated him out of the primary leg, so Piccoli might proceed up entrance.

While Luca Lezzerini, Nicolo Fortini and Manor Solomon are nonetheless injured, Robin Gosens is anticipated to get better; Croatian centre-again Marin Pongracic shall be again after serving a UEFA ban final week.

Meanwhile, Rakow’s assault needs to be led by Brunes, who was rested on Sunday; a cousin of Erling Haaland, the Norwegian ahead has scored 12 Ekstraklasa targets this season.

Aston Villa loanee Oliwier Zych will begin in objective, whereas ACL sufferer Vladyslav Kocherhin is the hosts’ solely confirmed absentee.

Rakow Czestochowa doable beginning lineup:

Zych; Tudor, Racovitan, Svarnas; Ameyaw, Repka, Struski, Carlos; Ivi, Makuch; Brunes

Fiorentina doable beginning lineup:

Christensen; Dodo, Comuzzo, Ranieri, Parisi; Ndour, Mandragora, Fabbian; Harrison, Piccoli, Fazzini

We say: Rakow Czestochowa 2-2 Fiorentina (Fiorentina win 4-3 on mixture)

Distracted by home jobs, Fiorentina have been inconsistent all through this Conference League marketing campaign, making them fairly unpredictable.

Still, after posting uncommon again-to-again wins, the Viola can scrape previous one other Polish opponent and into the quarter-finals for a fourth straight season.

For information evaluation of the almost certainly outcomes, scorelines and extra for this match please click here.