Fiorentina vs. Atalanta – News and Probable Lineups

As the final round of the Serie A season for 2025-26 approaches, Fiorentina will host Atalanta BC at Stadio Franchi this Friday.

Both teams have accomplished their goals—though these may not have aligned with expectations set last August—leaving only pride to contend for.

Match overview

Fiorentina celebrated their survival in the top flight last week by securing a victory against old rivals Juventus, despite facing a red card and playing with ten men in Turin.

A stunning goal from former Juventus midfielder Rolando Mandragora solidified the Viola’s surprise 2-0 victory, shortly after Luca Ranieri had been shown a red card.

Since Paolo Vanoli’s arrival at a club that was struggling in the relegation zone last fall, Fiorentina has seen a turnaround, shifting their focus from European qualification to merely remaining in Serie A.

The Tuscan club made their survival official with two games left in the season, and they have recently lost just one of their last 10 league matches, a performance that would place them sixth in the standings.

Additionally, they have garnered 28 points in the second half of the season—15 more than in the opening half—and their record of five clean sheets in the last seven Serie A fixtures speaks volumes.

Despite this resurgence, Vanoli’s tenure is set to conclude, and he will be eager to leave his mark in Tuscany—historical precedents suggest he may just do that.

Currently, Fiorentina is unbeaten at home over their last seven matches and has won their final game in each of the past four seasons, including a 3-2 win against Atalanta in June 2024.

In contrast, Atalanta has experienced a tough run, losing five of their last six final-day matches in Serie A, and they have only managed two victories in their last 24 league appearances at Stadio Franchi.

However, after winning 2-0 in the earlier fixture this November, Atalanta aims to achieve a double over Fiorentina for just the second time this century.

While the Bergamo club has not reached the top four this season, they have mirrored the resurgence of Fiorentina after changing managers earlier this year.

At the time Raffaele Palladino took over, La Dea was situated in the lower mid-table, but they have progressively climbed the ranks and secured qualification for UEFA competition.

Though they faced a 1-0 defeat to Bologna last week, they remain in the Conference League for next season, having missed out on European qualification only once in the last decade.

Similar to Vanoli, Palladino’s future is uncertain; however, he returns to Florence a year after leading Fiorentina to a commendable sixth-place finish.

Atalanta is poised to finish seventh this year and has yet to experience consecutive losses under their current head coach, who will be eager to make a statement during his return to Franchi.

Team News

Fiorentina’s leading goal-scorer Moise Kean has been dealing with a shin injury since early April and may miss his ninth consecutive league match this weekend.

This means that Kean’s replacement, Roberto Piccoli, is expected to start in the attack, while winger Fabiano Parisi will be unavailable due to a knee injury sustained in the previous match.

With Ranieri serving his suspension following his red card against Juventus, either Daniele Rugani or Pietro Comuzzo is likely to take his place in the center of defense.

Although Piccoli hasn’t made a significant impact since his summer arrival, Mandragora has netted seven league goals from midfield, putting him just three behind Atalanta’s leading scorers.

Both Gianluca Scamacca and Nikola Krstovic have found the net 10 times, with Krstovic notably scoring eight of those on the road.

A thigh injury has prematurely ended Odilon Kossounou’s campaign, and Lorenzo Bernasconi is also expected to miss out, but Sweden’s defender Isak Hien returns after serving a one-match ban.

Mitchel Bakker was back on the bench against Bologna, leaving Palladino with several options to choose from; with little at stake, La Dea’s head coach might opt for some changes.

Fiorentina probable starting XI:

De Gea; Dodo, Comuzzo, Pongracic, Gosens; Ndour, Beans, Mandragora; Harrison, Piccoli, Solomon

Atalanta BC probable starting XI:

Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Hien, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, De Roon, Ederson, Zalewski; De Ketelaere, Raspadori; Krstovic

Wrapping up a less-than-stellar season in front of their frustrated supporters, Fiorentina faces a challenging matchup.

Having scored nine goals in their previous four away fixtures, Atalanta’s aggressive offense could prove too much for an improving Fiorentina defense.