Recent off spanking Jagiellonia Białystok within the Convention League on Thursday, Fiorentina returns house for a stiffer check within the Tuscan derby towards Pisa. This fixture ended scoreless final time round, albeit within the Stefano Pioli days. The Nerazzurri have simply 15 factors and seem like a misplaced trigger. A defeat right here would all however consign them to Serie B. Fiorentina, in distinction, may but keep up however want 3 factors to maintain tempo with Lecce, which is a sentence that no one ought to ever have to put in writing.
The match will likely be performed at 17:30 GMT/12:30 PM EST on Monday, 23 February 2026, on the Stadio Artemio Franchi in lovely Firenze. The forecast requires a fairly heat night, particularly compared to the arctic situations the Viola simply endured in Białystok. As a reminder, Paolo Vanoli’s suspended after his purple card towards Como so Daniele Cavalletto will run the present for the nice guys. For the report, the crew’s undefeated in matches the mister’s been despatched off or suspended this 12 months, beating Como and Bologna and drawing Milan.
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Three issues to observe for1. Further sizzle within the derby
Fiorentina must win with the intention to keep away from this fixture subsequent 12 months. Lose and so they’ll be that a lot nearer to relegation, seemingly alongside Pisa. 3 factors will pull the Viola degree with Lecce, who have been pasted 0-2 by Inter Milan in the present day. Past that, although, Fiorentina’s gained consecutive video games for the primary time this season. The gamers are demonstrating the grinta {that a} crew on this place wants. Which means the followers might be feeling a bit of friskier than ordinary, too, including a little bit of spice to this already spicy burgoo.
For Pisa, this one’s a must-win if there’s any hope to shuffle off the trapdoor. A defeat would go away it 9 factors adrift of Fiorentina with a dozen video games left, an insurmountable hole for a crew that’s gained a single recreation all 12 months and simply slumped to a scoreless draw at similarly-doomed Hellas Verona. No, the Nerazzurri are taking place, barring a miracle, and now want to seek out some motive to maintain enjoying. Claiming the membership’s first-ever win on the Franchi would give the followers a candy reminiscence to savor, mitigating the bitterness of one other season in Serie B.
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Throw in these circumstances with the firmly-established rivalry between these two cities and fan bases and also you’ve acquired a recipe for fireworks. Referee Maurizio Mariani’s ordinary laissez faire method won’t be sufficient as a result of each side will need to set up their bodily dominance early on and both get the gang into it or take away it from the equation. As at all times with Fiorentina, you’ll be able to throw out any expertise benefit or latest kind as main elements in a derby. It’s all about coronary heart and we’ll see who has extra on Monday.
2. Welcome again, outdated buddies
David de Gea, Dodô, Manor Solomon, and Moise Kean didn’t even make the journey to Poland as they handled minor well being points however they’ve all recovered in time for this one. Albert Guðmundsson’s most likely out however that’s not precisely a unfavourable, given the Icelandic ahead’s performances over the course of the season. With a little bit of constructive momentum and an almost whole squad, you’d need to suppose that the Viola are in good condition, proper? Proper?
The reply to this clearly rhetorical query is, “Uh, possibly?” The grit we’ve seen from the gamers over the previous couple outings has been a reversal from the unearned entitlement they’ve displayed all 12 months, beginning with Pioli’s declaration that this was a Champions League-level facet. The latest enchancment is about perspective and I’m undecided the celebrities can summon that very same cornered rat depth proper off the bat. If they will, Fiorentina needs to be nice. In the event that they don’t play like a scrappy bunch of underdogs, although, it may flip ugly.
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3. Beans aren’t at all times a essential course
Nicolò Fagioli’s aim towards Como was a bit fortunate but in addition confirmed his class on the ball. He’s been the crew’s essential (solely?) inventive drive all 12 months. I’m nonetheless not satisfied he’s a regista and wish to see him deployed farther up the pitch so he can unlock opposing defenses moderately than deal with progressing the ball from the defensive third. Sadly, there’s no constant development from anybody else again there other than the occasional Marin Pongračić burst and none of us need to see that too usually.
If Nicky Beans has to play deep, his fellow midfielders want to select up the slack within the last third. Marco Brescianini’s runs excessive drive opposing midfields again, giving his colleagues extra space even when he isn’t immediately impacting the sport. With Rolando Mandragora suspended, then, the impetus is to seek out one other midfielder who can play deeper. I feel Cher Ndour’s most likely earned it as a result of his physicality and defensive work. Giovanni Fabbian and Jacopo Fazzini are too attack-minded to pair with Brescianini and neither’s a lot of a passer. Cher isn’t both however this might be a chance to indicate some progress.
Doable lineups
Fiorentina (4-3-3): de Gea; Gosens, Ranieri, Pongračić, Dodô; Brescianini, Fagioli, Ndour; Solomon, Kean, Parisi ||| Pisa (3-4-2-1): Nícolas; Canestrelli, Caracciolo, Bozhinov; Angori, Aebischer, Loyola, Touré; Tramoni, Moreo; Stojilković
Ted’s Memorial Blind Guess Division
The bookies lean very closely in the direction of Fiorentina and, for the primary time in months, I agree with them. It’s exceedingly uncommon for the Viola to be in higher kind than an opponent however Pisa hasn’t gained in 14 straight and appears like what the standings say it’s: one of many worst groups in Serie A. The one hazard right here is that, as I stated earlier, the derby usually interrupts kind and expertise, rendering any makes an attempt at prognostication futile.
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Even so, I’ll take the hosts to take it 2-1 behind targets from Kean and Brescianini, with Moreo grabbing a comfort. I’d additionally take the over on fouls and playing cards as a result of that is most likely going to be a really bodily match. Each side will come into it with plenty of depth and plenty of animus and, spurred on by a stadium that may whip everybody right into a frenzy, I wouldn’t be shocked if we noticed somebody despatched off.
Forza Viola!