FIORENTINA – ALWAYS READY | Wednesday 6pm
Second friendly match in the space of a week for Fiorentina. The atypical World Cup, which for the first time in history is being staged in the autumn, has completely disrupted the plans of Serie A clubs and the other major European leagues, who have been forced to stop for around 50 days in the middle of the season. After the break, all the teams participating in the top Italian league have now started training again to prepare for the ‘second half’. Last 1 December, the Viola faced Arezzo, a team that plays in Serie C: it ended 4-1 for the Gigliati, with a hat-trick by Benassi – so far almost never used by the Italian coach – and a goal by Ikoné. The Sicilian-born coach took the opportunity to make some experiments, see some youngsters at work (Bianco, Amatucci) and give space to those who had played little between August and November.
Fiorentina obviously lacked the five players called up by their respective national teams for the World Cup in Qatar. Serbia’s Milenkovic and Jovic have already been eliminated during the group stage; adventure ended for Zurkowski as well: his Poland team surrendered to France in the round of 16. The only one still involved in the Middle East is Amrabat, who is making an impression with Regragui’s surprising Morocco. That is why it will again be Brazilian striker Cabral’s turn to bear the brunt of the attack against the Always Ready Bolivians, who have been on tour in Europe since last November.
This is a very young team, which is focusing on the talents churned out by the national Under-21 team. So far, however, things have not gone so well on the Old Continent: in previous friendlies they have suffered three heavy defeats – they conceded a total of 12 goals between Riga, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi Bney Reine – and a narrow victory against Hapoel Acre. Coached by Oscar Villegas, they are used to playing at over 4,000 metres, the club being based in El Alto, the second largest city in Bolivia.
Saponara
The Prediction
A wide victory by the Viola is likely against a team that is far from solid in the non-possession phase, as recent friendlies in Europe have shown. It cannot be ruled out that the Bolivians will score at least one goal.
Fibrentina v Bolivians likely line-up
- FIORENTINA (4-2-3-1): Gollini; Dodò, Martinez Quarta, Igor, Terzic; Benassi, Maleh; Ikoné, Bianco, Saponara; Cabral.
- ALWAYS READY (4-5-1): Mosquera; Medina, Enoumba, Cabrera, Taborga; Urena, Chumacero, Arce, Galindo, Algaranaz; Riquelme.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 4-1
