Rapid Vienna-Fiorentina is a match valid for the first leg of the Conference League qualifying playoffs and is played Thursday at 7 p.m.: predictions.
Bowen’s mocking goal when overtime seemed inevitable prevented Fiorentina from crowning with a success a season that, despite everything, will remain in the club’s history, as the Viola don’t often get to play two close finals.
The bitter night in Prague against West Ham is part of those negative memories that must be erased as soon as possible.Vincenzo Italiano’s team immediately has the opportunity to do so in the 2023-24 Conference League, to which it gained access thanks to the “repechage” decreed by Uefa after the disqualification that affected Juventus. By virtue of their seventh-place finish last year, in fact, it was to be the Bianconeri who were to take part in the third continental event. Instead, they were succeeded by the Tuscans, who last season – however full of ups and downs – had finished in eighth place and thus out of Europe. Fiorentina again seems to have what it takes to make it all the way, even if the overall level appears slightly higher than a year ago. On paper it gives the impression of being stronger as well the Viola itself, by far among the most active on the market in Serie A. Italiano can count on a brand new attack – out of Cabral, in the interesting Nzola and Beltran – but the novelties are also in the midfield, with former Juventus player Arthur, who in the first day of the championship against Genoa has already shown that he can fulfill very well the tasks required of him by the coach originally from Ribera.
Rapid has been serious for a month already
Last Saturday in Marassi it was Fiorentina-show: the lily-men dominated the game from the first minutes of the game and at the end of the first half they were already ahead by three goals.
Burgstaller
The showdown with the red-blacks ended in a roaring 4-1 win for the Viola, who now aim to repeat in the Conference League. To enter the group stage, Fiorentina will have to overcome the playoff hurdle. Last year it ran a few too many risks with the Dutch Twente, but this time round passage seems more within reach. It has been drawn with the Austrians from Rapid Vienna, a team that played its first official match already a month ago. Zoran Barisic’s green-and-whites have played four league matches so far, collecting two wins, a draw and a loss. They also started ahead of the violets in the conference. In the third qualifying round they had to overcome the Hungarians of Debreceni, defeated 5-0 in the return leg after drawing 0-0 in the first leg. Italiano is expected to make a turnover, sending several players – one among them Beltran – who remained on the bench or subbed in during the game against Genoa.
The prediction
Florentin debuted as best they could in the league: they dominated the game and even the new faces returned good vibes. Rapid Vienna should not be underestimated but it is an opponent within the Viola’s reach, more mature than last year. You can stay with Italiano’s men, who may not, however, keep their goal unbroken.
The probable lineups of Rapid Vienna-Fiorentina
- RAPID VIENNA (4-2-3-1): Hedl; Schick, Querfeld, Hofmann, Auer; Kerschbaum, Sattlberger; Kühn, Seidl, Grüll; Burgstaller.
- FIORENTINA (4-2-3-1): Terracciano; Dodô, Milenkovic, Ranieri, Parisi; Mandragora, Duncan; Gonzalez, Bonaventura, Brekalo; Beltran.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-2
