Fresh off their first win since October, Fiorentina are heading for a 6-point drop to 19th-place Hellas Verona, who overtook them after ambushing Atalanta last week for their first win of the season. La Viola, of course, still have an ignominious streak of 14 games without a win in Serie A. This matchup, followed by the games against Udinese and Parma, requires 3 points. Otherwise, we’ll all figure out how to stream Serie B next year.
The match will be played on Sunday, December 14, 2025in 14:00 GMT/9:00 am ESTat the Stadio Artemio Franchi in beautiful Florence. The forecast calls for a clear, crisp December day, perfect for huddling in the stands and shouting loudly to support your team, and fans will do just that; If the Viola stumble here, they risk losing the Curve entirely.
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Three things to keep in mind
1. Fighting a mirror
None of these teams should be as bad as they are; By most metrics, both Fiorentina and Verona should be in the middle of the table rather than propping it up. The Viola have spent much more than the Gialloblù, but in many ways these teams are very similar: some notable departures in the summer, a reorganization up front that has not been successful, forwards constantly erring on offsides (both teams are tied for the second most offsides), many mistakes at the back.
And both are coming off a rare victory and hope to build on that result. It’s a long climb to safety from the bottom of the pile and the journey is unlikely, but both clubs will hope to hold on. Fiorentina may have a slight talent advantage, but that is negated by a midweek game. You can dive into stats and strategy as much as you want, but none of it will have as big an impact as confidence, desire, and execution. I hate the “he wants it more” cliché because it’s often reductive to the point of idiocy, but it could apply here.
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2. How midfielders get to the ball
All of Viola’s departments have been terrible this year, but for my money, the midfield has been the worst. Everyone in it seemed afraid to go after the ball, taking a couple of half-hearted steps toward the defender who had it and then giving up when an opponent followed them. That forced defenders to play long, making low-percentage passes to forwards who aren’t ready for them. Repairing the engine room remains Paolo Vanoli’s biggest task.
That’s why Amir Richardson was a breath of fresh air against Dynamo kyiv. He is always moving and always moving towards the ball, offering a wall to bounce off of. He played more one-twos than the rest of the midfield all season, and his ability to change both the speed of his movements and the pace of his passing was remarkable. It’s probably too much to expect Hans Nicolussi Caviglia to develop into a similar player, but hopefully Richardson reminded his teammates that yes, sometimes you have to work to get the ball. And moving quickly is always better.
3. Corrective chemistry from the beginning
Moise Kean and Albert Guðmundsson have been teammates for a year and a half. While they’ve both missed a significant amount of games in that time, it’s surprising that they still have no idea how to play together. It shouldn’t be that difficult: Kean lurks on the last shoulder and Guðmundsson plays with him, or Kean delays the game and Guðmundsson runs into his takedowns.
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Neither of them has shown anything resembling the ability to connect with the other. It’s easy for me to write about what they should do, but harder to implement in the field. Still, these guys are professionals and they have to figure something out. Kean can’t keep hanging his head and running into triple teams; Guðmundsson cannot continue dropping into midfield and leaving his fellow striker without support. If these two can’t pass this basic chemistry exam, they won’t graduate and will spend the summer taking remedial classes.
Possible alignments
Ted’s Memorial Blind Guessing Department
The bookmakers are quite supportive of Fiorentina, but that line doesn’t convince me. If you’re on this website, you know that the Viola fully deserve to be in last place, and the Conference League’s quick turnaround will likely balance out any advantage Franchi confers. There is also the psychological hurdle of achieving a first victory in Serie A. The visitors overcame this last week, but the hosts have left a trail of obstacles behind them. With the schedule set up as it is, the pressure to win here is enormous, and Vanoli will have to guide the glass ship through it.
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I think it will. Fiorentina is desperate and seems to be solving some things. Kean will be the best player on the field and should get opportunities against a leaky defense. I’ll call it a 2-1 win for the good guys, with the Moose letting loose again for the opener and Roberto Piccoli taking one off the bench, while one of Verona’s defenders gets one back on a set-piece because Fiorentina likes nothing more than conceding a goal to an opposing centre-back on a set-piece. I also expect an ugly match that descends into chaos, with Pongračić, Mandragora and Kean in the middle.
Viola Force!