Fiorentina will get an opportunity to snap a 3-game skid when it hosts Torino. The Granata snapped a 4-game skid of its personal final week with a close-fought win over Lecce earlier than washing out of the Coppa Italia on Wednesday. Meaning the Viola have a relaxation benefit over their guests, which in fact gained’t imply something in the event that they proceed soiling their shorts each weekend. Talking of which, ended scoreless after Moise Kean turned within the clubhouse chief for Serie A’s Miss of the Season and gave us our first indication that this 12 months could be cursed.
The match shall be performed on Saturday, 7 February 2026, at 19:45 GMT/2:45 PM EST on the Stadio Artemio Franchi in lovely Firenze. There’s at the moment a extreme rain watch on for Tuscany however the skies needs to be principally completed dumping their contents by Saturday, though there’ll probably be some intermittent drizzle to make sure the enjoying floor is totally soaked.
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Three issues to observe for1. Set piece struggles minimize each methods
I’ve written repeatedly about Fiorentina’s struggles to defend lifeless balls this 12 months. David de Gea stays glued to his line always and solely Robin Gosens is above-average within the air for his place; each different participant within the squad struggles to defend excessive balls. That shortcoming, mixed with a bodily small roster, implies that each opponent is licking its lips each time it wins a nook or a free kick within the Viola half.
Besides, maybe, for Torino. In a shocking show of set piece futility, il Toro has scored simply twice from lifeless balls (excluding penalties, clearly). That’s fewer than everybody in Serie A, even with Lazio (huh?) and Hellas Verona. It’s not only a statistical quirk, from what I can inform. Torino’s additionally obtained an aerially-unimpressive squad regardless of enjoying 3 on the again. Marco Baroni might look to get extra dimension in his XI to reap the benefits of Fiorentina’s apparent shortcomings right here however I’m anticipating a real battle of futility each time Andrea Colombo blows the whistle.
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2. Torino’s skeleton crew
Torino’s lacking one thing like 12 first crew gamers and is heading into its Third recreation in 7 days. Baroni’s obtained a fantastic head of hair however you worry for it a bit as he tries to determine tips on how to create a lineup. Given his tactical proclivities and the state of affairs, Torino will most likely deal with the defensive facet of their recreation at first, sitting deep and making an attempt to frustrate their hosts whereas relying extra on particular person ability from Duván Zapata and Sandro Kulenović up entrance.
That’s the easiest way to beat Fiorentina proper now, in fact. Regardless of scoring in 3 straight video games, the Viola have scored 2+ objectives simply twice in Serie A this 12 months. Designed (poorly) to hit on the break, they lack the on-ball creativity to resolve deep blocks. Albert Guðmundsson slithers in and principally out of video games, Nicolò Fagioli is shackled to a deeper position, and all people else is a blunt instrument reasonably than a flickering poniard.
Paolo Vanoli ought to have Moise Kean prepared to start out for the primary time in a month however the striker shall be rusty and is at his greatest attacking area excessive. My guess is that he’ll deploy his mezzale as field crashers and place the burden of really breaking Torino down on his huge gamers. If Torino can push all the things down the wings and switch Fiorentina right into a crossing crew, Baroni will really feel he’s obtained a tactical victory. It’s on Vanoli and his gamers to seek out an avenue by the center as properly.
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3. The fabled entrance 5
Now that Kean’s again, Vanoli can trot out an XI that includes his 5 most attacking gamers: Moise up entrance, Guðmundsson and Manor Solomon on the wings, and Marco Brescianini and Giovanni Fabbian because the mezzale getting ahead. In idea, that’s an fascinating method. Solomon can maintain the width on the appropriate and mix with Dodô as Kean, Brescianini, and Fabbian present 3 massive targets within the field. On the left, Guðmundsson can drift round and thread balls by to the midfield runners.
In observe, I doubt it’s so easy. For one factor, none of those gamers has been all that good of late, and the best-laid schemes collapse if the gamers aren’t good. For one more, Torino will, as talked about earlier, welcome a collection of crosses right into a packed penalty field if it means denying area in behind and between the traces. Lastly, these are all dribblers or off-ball runners reasonably than passers, possibly excepting Guðmundsson (and what he does greatest stays a thriller). I don’t suppose these items complement one another and anticipate a number of kludginess.
Doable lineups
Fiorentina (4-3-3): de Gea; Gosens, Pongračić, Comuzzo, Dodô; Brescianini, Fagioli, Mandragora; Guðmundsson, Kean, Solomon ||| Torino (3-5-2): Paleari; Coco, Maripán, Marianucci; Lazaro, Anjorin, Tameze, İlkhan, Pedersen; Zapata, Kulenović
Ted’s Memorial Blind Guess Division
The bookies favor Fiorentina fairly strongly, contemplating that that is the Third-worst crew in Serie A, has misplaced 3 straight, and has taken simply 1 extra recreation at dwelling than on the street. To that latter level, the Franchi’s lowered capability and the crew’s personal haplessness have squelched the match-day environment. Torino’s been pretty dangerous on the street too however the larger downside is all of the absences. Fairly frankly, although, this appears like a low-scoring draw to me. It’s two dangerous groups coping with all types of inner issues.
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Due to the curse, although, I’ll take Fiorentina to snap its skid and are available out with a 2-1 win behind a brace from Kean to exorcise his demons from that first assembly. Choosing a Torino scorer is trickier with each Cristiano Biraghi and Giovanni Simeone uncertain however I’ll say it’s Zapata bullying Marin Pongračić to show dwelling a cross. I’m additionally anticipating a sluggish, sloppy recreation, each because of the climate and the relative type of these golf equipment, with a number of disagreeable passages of play. Needs to be uh not enjoyable.
Forza Viola!
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