Maccabi Haifa-Fiorentina is a match valid for the first leg of the Conference League round of 16 and is played Thursday at 9 p.m.: live TV, probable formations, predictions.
Fiorentina dives back into the Conference League, a competition the Viola have never taken lightly, to the point of making it all the way to the final in Prague last year and to cherish the idea of winning a European title that has been missing for more than 60 years. The goal now is to make it to Athens, site of this edition’s final act. And to forget the excruciating disappointment of the defeat to West Ham in the Czech capital, when a Bowen goal a few minutes into extra time broke the dreams of the lily fans.
Vincenzo Italiano’s team this time managed to avoid the play-offs with the Europa League relegationists thanks to their first place in Group F, ahead of Ferencvaros, Genk and Cukaricki. Three wins and three draws for a Fiorentina side that yes remained unbeaten but was not always convincing. Discontinuity that is also characterizing the violets in the league: after finishing the first half of the season in fourth place, Biraghi and his teammates have abruptly slowed down and since January they have had the better of only Frosinone and Lazio, slipping to eighth place. Europe could therefore become a sort of “lifesaver,” not to mention that Fiorentina is still in the running in the Coppa Italia as well, where it will play in the semifinals.
Viola, the danger is Pierrot
In the Conference League, the draw for the round of 16 extended a hand to the Viola: Maccabi Haifa is a respectable team but there were far worse pitfalls in the urn.
The Israelis, who made Juventus cry in the Champions League a year ago and were partly responsible for their elimination in the group stage, dream of tripping another Italian. The game is being played on a neutral field (Budapest, Hungary) because of the complicated situation in Israel today, but Messay Dago’s green-and-whites have already shown that they do not suffer from being away from home in the play-off with Belgium’s Gent (1-0 in the first leg and 1-1 in the return). Since February, Maccabi has also been unbeaten in the league, where it is currently neck-and-neck with Maccabi Tel Aviv, ahead but by only one point.
Without the disqualified Sundgren, Dago will rely on the killer instinct of Haitian striker Pierrot, already on 22 goals this season. He will rotate several players instead Italian compared to last Saturday’s match with Torino, which ended 0-0. In attack chance for Nzola, preferred to Belotti, while in midfield and defense Faraoni, Parisi, Mandragora and Duncan will be back from 1′.
The Prediction
Florentin overall is superior to Maccabi Haifa and starts with the favor of prediction. However, the Viola is a moody team, which has struggled this year especially against so-called “small” teams and with those opponents who clog the penalty area by restarting quickly, a strategy that the Israelis will also use: there is a good chance they will score both.
The probable lineups of Maccabi Haifa-Fiorentina
MACCABI HAIFA (3-4-2-1): Kaiuf; Feingold, Goldberg, Seck; Khalaili, Kasa, Show, Cornud; Kinda, Refaelov; Pierrot.
FIORENTINA (4-2-3-1): Terracciano; Faraoni, Milenkovic, Ranieri, Parisi; Mandragora, Duncan; Gonzalez, Beltran, Ikoné; Nzola.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-2
