Fiorentina vs. Jagiellonia – News and Probable Lineups

With one foot already in the next stage, Fiorentina will host Jagiellonia Bialystok at Stadio Franchi on Thursday, as the two teams finalize their Conference League playoff.

The Viola’s 3-0 triumph in Poland last week makes them strong contenders to potentially face either Strasbourg or another Polish side, Rakow Czestochowa, in the Round of 16.

Match overview

A remarkable second-half display in Bialystok has placed Fiorentina in a commanding position in what initially appeared to be a challenging fixture, with their three-goal advantage being the highest among any team in this year’s knockout-phase playoffs.

The highlight of a perfect evening was Rolando Mandragora’s exceptional free kick that curved into the top corner, giving the Italian side an excellent chance to advance following this week’s second leg.

Fiorentina has been runners-up in the Conference League twice over the last three years, and they are the only team to net over 100 goals in UEFA’s third-tier tournament.

However, contrasting their recent journeys – which all concluded in either the semi-finals or final – the Viola faced challenges in this season’s league phase, finishing 15th and entering the playoffs.

Paolo Vanoli’s squad is also experiencing a tough spell in the domestic league, where they are struggling to avoid relegation.

Since his arrival in November, Vanoli has made some progress, and his players have begun to show signs that they can evade the drop.

Currently unbeaten in four matches across all competitions, they managed a 1-0 victory over Tuscan opponents Pisa on Monday evening, with Moise Kean’s vital goal finally taking them out of the relegation zone.

Though this was only their third victory in 13 league matches at home this season, history favors them as they have progressed from all six Conference League knockout ties where they secured a first-leg win.

Furthermore, Polish teams historically have only managed two victories in 32 European away encounters against Serie A sides, having suffered 25 defeats; despite Fiorentina being the only Italian team to lose to both Lech Poznan in 2015 and 2023.

This implies that Jagiellonia faces an uphill battle to overturn this deficit or replicate last year’s journey to the Conference League quarter-finals.

Prior to their second-half breakdown last week, the Bialystok club had proven resilient: including qualifiers, a home defeat to Rayo Vallecano was their only loss in twelve European matches.

Heading into Stadio Franchi, they remain unbeaten in six continental away fixtures, having drawn their last three encounters.

However, the Ekstraklasa leaders – who finally secured their inaugural league title in 2024 – must win by at least three goals to avoid elimination in the first knockout round.

Currently at the top of Poland’s premier division, Jaga’s 1-1 draw against Radomiak Radom on Sunday has left them two points ahead of a tightly packed chasing group – with one match in hand – but they have not achieved victory in their last three outings.

Team News

Vanoli rotated his squad for the first leg, implementing eight changes to the Fiorentina lineup that had recently triumphed over Como, and a similar approach is expected this Thursday.

His priority is to ensure top-flight survival, so key players like David De Gea, Dodo, Manor Solomon, and Kean might be rested again.

Albert Gudmundsson made a return to the substitute bench on Monday evening, leaving long-term absentee Tariq Lamptey as the only player still unavailable due to injury.

Following a suspension in the match against Pisa, Mandragora is anticipated to start in midfield; he has featured the most (44 appearances), scored the most goals (nine), and recorded the highest number of goal contributions (13) throughout the Viola’s Conference League campaigns.

On the other side, Jagiellonia’s head coach Adrian Siemieniec will be pleased to reinstate key players Afimico Pululu and Taras Romanczuk after their bans.

Last season’s top scorer in the Conference League and Jaga’s long-serving captain, both are likely to be included in the visitors’ starting lineup, with Jesus Imaz expected to assist Pululu in attack.

Additionally, injured duo Sergio Lozano and Dusan Stojinovic are likely to be sidelined.

Fiorentina probable starting XI:

Lezzerini; Fortini, Comuzzo, Ranieri, Gosens; Mandragora, Ndour; Harrison, Fabbian, Fazzini; Small

Jagiellonia Bialystok probable starting XI:

Abramovich; Wojtuszek, Vital, Pelmard, Wdowik; Romanczuk, Mazurek; Pozo, Imaz, Jozwiak; Pululu

Both teams could have other concerns on their minds, with Fiorentina battling for survival in Serie A and Jagiellonia competing for the Polish title.

Considering their significant lack of scoring in this season’s Conference League campaign, it’s hard to envision Jaga mounting a significant comeback – even if their hosts remain vulnerable.