Fiorentina vs Benevento – News and Probable Lineups

Fiorentina will kick off their Coppa Italia journey this Friday as they welcome Benevento at the Stadio Artemio Franchi for the round of 64.

The Viola will aim to begin their cup campaign with a solid performance and advance to the subsequent round, whereas the visitors hope to surprise their Serie A rivals.

Match overview

Fabio Grosso will have his first official match as Fiorentina’s head coach on Friday when La Viola face Benevento in the opening round of the Coppa Italia at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

Last season was a tough one for Fiorentina, ending in 15th place in Serie A after the dismissal of Stefano Pioli on November 4 following ten consecutive league matches without a win. Daniele Galloppa held the interim position for just three days before Paolo Vanoli was appointed, but he could not prevent the Viola from being eliminated in the Round of 16 of the Coppa Italia. The season concluded amidst the passing of president Rocco Commisso in January and his son Giuseppe taking over the club.

Grosso joined the club in June, signing a contract until 2028, tasked with restoring the identity that Fiorentina has lacked since Vincenzo Italiano’s departure in 2023. He arrives with a record of leading Sassuolo from promotion in Serie B to an 11th-place finish in Serie A.

Fiorentina are seen as clear favorites given the division gap, although Grosso’s position could be undermined by a squad still getting acclimated during preseason, with recent addition Franco Mastantuono just starting to participate fully in training after individual sessions. Benevento, on the other hand, can count on the experience of Cristiano Dalle Mura and Eduardo Pierozzi, both former Fiorentina academy graduates.

Aside from the match result, this fixture opens Fiorentina’s centenary season, a significant milestone the fans would prefer to commemorate with a smooth progression into the next round rather than facing early complications against newly promoted opponents.

Historically, Fiorentina has triumphed in three of their five encounters with Benevento, who secured a single victory, while their latest meeting resulted in a Coppa Italia win for the Viola with a score of 2-1 in December 2021.

Antonio Floro Flores will lead Benevento into their Coppa Italia opener against Fiorentina, marking the newly promoted Sanniti’s first real challenge of the season.

Benevento concluded last season on a high note, topping Serie C Group C after Floro Flores replaced Gaetano Auteri in early November, and went on to achieve 17 consecutive positive outcomes, solidifying their return to Serie B after a three-year absence.

This successful run culminated in winning the Supercoppa di Serie C, the club’s first, providing momentum into the preseason as president Oreste Vigorito and technical director Carli worked to bolster the squad for the higher level.

Benevento’s preparedness was evident in the preliminary round of the Coppa Italia, where they turned around a two-goal deficit against Ravenna to win 5-3, a game that revealed defensive vulnerabilities alongside Floro Flores’s attacking strengths.

Several familiar faces will add extra intrigue to this fixture, with defenders Dalle Mura and Pierozzi both having come through Fiorentina’s academy before making their way to Benevento, which provides them with a personal motivation, even as they face a significant challenge.

Team News

Grosso has no new injury concerns or suspensions to address for his competitive debut with Fiorentina, sticking with a 4-3-2-1 formation and giving Christ Oulai a start in midfield following his recovery from an illness, likely pushing Nicolo Fagioli to the bench.

Franco Mastantuono, the club’s high-profile signing from Real Madrid, just returned to full training this week and turns 19 on match day, so Grosso is expected to utilize him as a substitute instead of starting against Benevento.

Floro Flores heads to Florence with an extensive injury list, as Romano, Schimmenti, Simonetti, Ricci, Donatiello, and Del Gaudio are all expected to be unavailable, while Marco Tumminello continues to serve the final match of a suspension handed out before the victory against Ravenna.

The Stregoni are still anticipated to feature a similar lineup to their 5-3 victory, likely employing the 4-2-3-1 formation with Francãsco Salvemini spearheading the attack, Eduardo Pierozzi and Cristiano Dalle Mura contributing their Fiorentina connections in defense, while new signings Pietro Beruatto and Leonardo Sernicola continue to integrate into Floro Flores’s back line.

Fiorentina probable starting XI:

De Gea; Mario, Dragusin, Ranieri, Valdepenas; Oulai, Brescianini, Ndour; Atta, Gudmundsson; Keane

Benevento probable starting XI:

Vannucchi; Pierozzi, Scognamillo, Caldirola, Beruatto; Maita, Prisco; Lamesta, Talia, Guigliano; Salvemini

After a disappointing previous season, Fiorentina is eager to start positively under the new leadership of Grosso.

Benevento had a strong campaign that led to their Serie B promotion, but a series of injuries have left them with limited options at the beginning of this fresh season. Fiorentina is likely to have enough quality to secure a win on Saturday.