Fiorentina is constructing momentum and, with 5 video games left within the Serie A season, must maintain it rolling within the ever-tricky Derby dell’Arno towards noisy neighbors Empoli; the reverse fixture led to in a deathly boring scoreless draw all the best way again in September. The match might be performed on Sunday, 27 April 2025, at 1:00 PM GMT/9:00 AM EST, on the Stadio Artemio Franchi in lovely Firenze.
Three issues to observe for
1. Fiorentina’s squad rotation. Raffaele Palladino had a hideously advanced job to handle this end-of-season run earlier than the journey to Cagliari acquired prolonged, and now it’s much more sophisticated. Somewhat than getting 6 days of relaxation earlier than the ultimate dash, he’s acquired to get an XI able to go for Sunday whereas making an allowance for the Convention League semifinal journey to Seville to face Actual Betis on Thursday.
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He’s going to need to rotate the squad. The query is to what extent: does he trot out all of the backups to maintain the important thing legs contemporary for Europe, or will he ask them to intestine it out right here? Including one other wrinkle is that 3 days after the Betis sport, the Viola play at AS Roma in a sport that might determine the form of the desk at season’s finish. Meting out minutes whereas stopping exhaustion is all the time tough, and now it’s even tougher.
Palladino’s typically most popular making wholesale modifications to the XI somewhat than swapping out just a few gamers. At Celje, for instance, he chopped and altered fairly a bit. With each sport taking up better that means, although, he’ll have to decide on his priorities fastidiously, and thus give us a look at how the membership values its Serie A place in comparison with (one other) probability at Convention League redemption. Dodô’s sudden prognosis of appendicitis solely muddies the waters additional.
2. Life with out Moise Kean. The striker unexpectedly left the squad for Paris on account of a private emergency and doesn’t have a timetable for return; hopefully every little thing resolves itself positively for him. The remainder of the group, nevertheless, must cope together with his absence for the period, and Palladino might want to type out how one can change him.
With solely Albert Guðmundsson, Lucas Beltrán, and Nicolò Zaniolo as choices up entrance, that’s notably tough with the glut of video games looming. The previous pair seemed nice collectively towards Cagliari however most likely gained’t begin collectively right here; Guðmundsson’s lasted the complete 90 minutes simply 4 instances this yr and possibly can’t flip in back-to-back full video games, so the cellular, often strikerless system from Wednesday might be out of the query.
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Which means Zaniolo’s prone to begin, which is nice for Empoli given how unhealthy he’s been; his 0.21 xG/90 is 4th-best within the aspect however he’s but to attain regardless of his 2.75 pictures per 90. Possibly it’s simply small pattern measurement and he’ll snap out of it, however Palladino may additionally attempt a 3-4-2-1 to get an additional attacker on the market, mitigating the loss in high quality up prime by rising amount, particularly with Andrea Colpani lastly wholesome once more.
3. The sheer chaos of the derby. The Derby dell’Arno isn’t the Derby della Lanterna/Madonnina/whichever fiery native conflict will get all of the headlines, however it’s as unpredictable and passionate as any of them. Empoli’s had Fiorentina’s variety of late, too, successful twice and drawing 4 of their previous six conferences. That the nice guys haven’t overwhelmed them since 2022 demonstrates simply how severely the noisy neighbors take this fixture, and the way badly Fiorentina’s didn’t match their depth of late.
Empoli’s ultras gained’t make the 34 km/21 mi journey as a result of they’re protesting the variety of tickets made accessible to them, so the environment must be as pro-Viola because it presumably may. That ought to favor the hosts, however it’s the precise type of factor that may spur a visiting group onto better depth in response for a one-off sport. Between Kean and Dodô being absent and Fiorentina’s tendency to redistribute Serie A’s foreign money (factors), this one is, at greatest, a coin flip, even with the host of accidents Roberto D’Aversa has to deal with, together with all the fellows with robust Viola connections.
Potential lineups
OUT: Bove, Dodô, Kean; Ismajli, Sazonov, Cacace, Maleh, Żurkowski, Haas, Kouamé, Pellegri
Ted’s Memorial Blind Guess Division
Fiorentina is favored closely for apparent causes: an even bigger identify, a dearer group, 31 extra factors within the desk, fewer absences. What the bookies don’t know, although, is that the Viola are on shorter relaxation, lacking their 2 most essential gamers, looking forward to a midweek European semifinal, and going through a group combating for survival (once more, see the Robin Hood piece). Provided that 5 of the previous 6 conferences between these two have ended even after 90 minutes, I’d take the draw if I have been a betting man. Which I’m not. So do with that what you’ll.
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The center desires what the guts desires, although, and my coronary heart desires a win. Let’s name it a gritty, bodily, barely watchable 2-1 win for the nice guys, with a assured Beltrán notching for the second sport in a row earlier than Colombo equalizes for the bag guys, setting the stage for one in every of Fiorentina’s defenders to win it; the Viola are second in Serie A in set piece objectives, so let’s say that it’s Pablo Marí’s flip.
Forza Viola!
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