Fiorentina will hope to make it to a second consecutive Conference League final when they take on Club Brugge in Belgium on Wednesday night.
Haven fallen short in both the Supercoppa Italiana and the Coppa Italia semi-finals, Fiorentina will hope to make it third time lucky when they travel to Belgium to take on Club Brugge in the second leg of heir UEFA Conference League semifinal.
The Viola have a slender one goal lead going into the match and will not have to worry about the away goal rule ruining their chances. Vincenzo Italiano will not just be keen to add a trophy to the club’s history books but will also be aware that winning the trophy is his side’s best chance of securing European football for the 2024/25 campaign.
Fiorentina made it to the final of the competition last season only to fall to West Ham United in the showpiece event. They already have one foot in the final this time around, and all they need to do is make their advantage count in the second leg.
The hosts, on the other hand, finished fourth in the regular season in the Jupiler Pro League but lead the standings when it comes to the Champions play-offs. Having fallen at the semi-final stage in the Belgian Cup, Club Brugge will count upon home support to overturn the deficit against Fiorentina on Wednesday night.
The Belgian giants have hit the right vein of form at the moment and will be formidable opponents on the night. As long as they can get the first goal, anything is possible. After all, they displayed heart in the first leg, battling on with a man down.
Brugge clawed back twice form a goal down in the first leg only to be hit in the heart by a M’Bala Nzola winner in stoppage time. While Fiorentina certainly dominated the proceedings in the first leg, Brugge’s clinical edge in front of goal is a key factor that can influence the final result.
With both teams eager to get the ball forward, the match-up promises goals if nothing else. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they could employ
Team News & Tactics
Club Brugge
After receiving a yellow card just three minutes into the first leg, Club Brugge midfielder Raphael Onyedika will be suspended for the second leg, leaving a vacancy in the midfield alongside Denis Odoi. Manager Nicky Hayen is likely to call upon Hugo Vetlesen to fill this role in the double pivot.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Nordin Jackers, aged 26, has recently secured a place in the starting lineup for the hosts. However, veteran Simon Mignolet filled in admirably for him last time out. Jackers is expected to return for Wednesday’s crucial encounter as his injury is not deemed serious.
On the defensive front, left-back Bjorn Meijer was forced off the pitch just before half-time with a knee injury of undisclosed severity. This opens up an opportunity for Maxim De Cuyper to potentially start unexpectedly in this vital fixture.
Club Brugge are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Fiorentina, with Nordin Jackers in goal. He should be protected by the back four of Maxim De Cuyper, Brandon Mechele, Jorne Spileers, and Kyriani Sabbe.
Denis Odoi and Hugo Vetlesen should form the double pivot with Andreas Skov Olsen, Hans Vanaken and Ferran Jutgla playing further forward. Igor Thiago should start upfront and will hope to score for the second time in a row.
Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Jackers; De Cuyper, Spileers, Mechele, Sabbe; Odoi, Veltesen; Skov Olsen, Vanaken, Jutgla; Thiago
Fiorentina
Fiorentina will be without attacker Riccardo Sottil for the upcoming fixture against Club Brugge, as he suffered a broken collarbone in the first leg, ruling him out for the remainder of the season. Despite his absence, Gaetano Castrovilli cannot be used given that he is not part of the UEFA Europa Conference League squad.
Vincenzo Italiano has an otherwise fully-fit squad and should opt for a 4-2-3-1 formation himself. Pietro Terracciano should start in goal behind the back four of Dodo, Nikola Milenkovic, Lucas Martinez Quarta and Cristiano Biraghi.
Giacomo Bonaventura and Arthur Melo should form the double pivot, freeing up Nicolas Gonzalez, Lucas Beltran and Christian Kouame to push forward. Andrea Belotti should once again get the nod to lead the line upfront for Fiorentina against Club Brugge as the focal point of the visitors’ attack.
Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Terracciano; Dodo, Martinez Quarta, Milenkovic, Biraghi; Bonaventura, Arthur; Gonzalez, Beltran, Kouame; Belotti
Key Stats
- Fiorentina could become the first side in Conference League history to make it to two consecutive finals.
- Fiorentina have won just two of their 12 away games in all competitions in 2024.
- Club Brugge have conceded just five goals in the tournament proper this season.
- Including qualifying, Fiorentina are currently unbeaten in 12 matches in European competitions.
- Club Brugge have only lost one home game across all competitions this season.
- Club Brugge have progressed through one of their last nine knockout ties in major European competitions after losing the first leg.
Player to Watch
Igor Thiago
Club Brugge need to score goals against Fiorentina, and their top scorer Igor Thiago will need to ensure he has his shooting boots on. The 22-year-old has 34 goal contributions in 53 games across all competitions, including five strikes in nine Conference League clashes.
As long as he can make a breakthrough early on, Club Brugge will have the momentum to take the game to their opponents. There is no better time than now for the Brazilian to shine, and it remains to be seen if he will grab the bull by the horns.
Prediction
Club Brugge 2-1 Fiorentina (Fiorentina to win on penalties)
While Brugge will have home support, they have not gotten to this stage in 46 years. Fiorentina have nothing but the competition to play for and should put all their eggs in one basket. The game is likely to be close, with penalties deciding the tie in favour of La Viola.
