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Fiorentina logo
Conference League | Round of 16 | 1st Leg
Mar 9, 2023 at 8pm UK
Stadio Artemio Franchi

Fiorentina
1 - 0
Sivasspor

Barak (69')
Amrabat (58'), Jovic (62'), Cabral (83'), Biraghi (90+1'), Dodo (90+5')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Saiz (42'), Cofie (90+3')

Preview: Fiorentina vs. Sivasspor - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Thursday's Europa Conference League clash between Fiorentina and Sivasspor, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Serie A's Fiorentina host Turkish strugglers Sivasspor in the first leg of their Europa Conference League round of 16 tie on Thursday night.

La Viola scored seven goals across a two-legged victory against Braga to set up a knockout tie with a Sivasspor side that finished top of their Conference League group to automatically qualify for this stage of the competition.


Match preview

Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Italiano reacts on February 16, 2023© Reuters

Last Friday, Fiorentina marked the fifth anniversary of the sudden passing of the club's former captain Davide Astori by beating a Milan side managed by Stefano Pioli, the coach that was in charge of La Viola when his skipper tragically died on the eve of a game against Udinese in 2018.

Nicolas Gonzalez's penalty and Luka Jovic's diving header against Milan extended Fiorentina's unbeaten streak to five matches across all competitions, plundering 13 goals in that prolific window.

Vincenzo Italiano's side remain locked in the purgatory of mid-table despite this lossless spell, as the club are still recovering from a sluggish start to the season which brought two wins from the first 11 league games of the campaign.

Fiorentina were also forced to play catch-up in the Conference League after dropping points at home to Latvian side RFS and losing to Sivasspor's Turkish rivals Basaksehir in their opening two group games.

La Viola recovered to win their remaining matches in the competition and canter into the round of 16 on a run of six consecutive European victories - the joint-longest winning sequence in the Conference League this season.

Sivasspor boss Riza Calimbay on November 3, 2022© Reuters

Sivasspor coach Riza Calimbay warned that Turkey's top flight would be a "chaotic" and "sad league" after the devastating earthquakes in the region at the start of February, and his side's first competitive game after the tragedy lived up to his prediction.

Jordy Caicedo gave Calimbay's side a 1-0 lead to take into first-half stoppage time against Fatih Karagumruk on Saturday before Sivasspor shipped four goals, including a Mbaye Diagne hat-trick, in the space of 35 minutes - a brace from Leke James was not enough to earn any points but provided a fitting conclusion to a bonkers 4-3 loss.

Much like Fiorentina, Sivasspor began the campaign slowly, failing to win their opening eight Super Lig games after a strong end to the previous season earned the club a top-half finish.

Calimbay, now into the fourth year of his second spell at the club, only managed to steer Sivasspor out of the relegation zone just before the league was forced into a mid-season hiatus, with his side sitting just two places and points above the dreaded dotted line.

This is the first time Sivasspor have ever made it to the round of 16 of any UEFA competition while Fiorentina went as far as the semi-finals of the Europa League in 2015, losing to eventual winners Sevilla.

Fiorentina Europa Conference League form:


Fiorentina form (all competitions):


Sivasspor Europa Conference League form:


Sivasspor form (all competitions):
  • W
  • W
  • L
  • W
  • W
  • L


Team News

Fiorentina boss Vincenzo Italiano on October 2, 2022© Reuters

Without any suspension concerns to cloud his selection process, the only fitness doubt lingering over Italiano revolves around Aleksa Terzic after the left-back missed the 2-1 victory over Milan with a torn abductor muscle.

Italiano turned to experience between the sticks for Fiorentina's last European tie, giving the 36-year-old Salvatore Sirigu his debut against Braga after a January move from Napoli - however, La Viola were already 4-0 up from the first leg, and first-choice goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano is expected to return against Sivasspor.

Jovic came off the bench to find the net against Milan on Friday night, but Italiano may be tempted to return the striker to the starting XI given his status as the Conference League's top scorer this season with six goals.

Mustapha Yatabare is the Sivasspor's joint-top scorer in the Conference League this season - bagging three goals in five games - but may not be able to add to that tally after damaging the ligaments in his knee against Alanyaspor in January.

The veteran centre-back Caner Osmanpasa and the versatile Robin Yalcin are also struggling with knee injuries which seem to have plagued Calimbay's squad.

Fiorentina possible starting lineup:
Terracciano; Dodo, Milenkovic, Igor, Biraghi; Mandragora, Amrabat, Bonaventura; Ikone, Jovic, Gonzalez

Sivasspor possible starting lineup:
Vural; Yesilyurt, Goutas, Appindangoye, Ciftci; Cofie; Saiz, Arslan, Charisis, Gradel; Caicedo


SM words green background

We say: Fiorentina 3-0 Sivasspor

Fiorentina are one of the favourites to win the entire tournament let alone a home tie against a struggling Turkish team still piecing itself back together after the natural disasters in the area.


For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.


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Written by
Grey Whitebloom

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Game History

How you voted: Fiorentina vs Sivasspor

Fiorentina
86.6%
Draw
9.8%
Sivasspor
3.7%
82
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League Phase

TeamPWDLPTS
1Chelsea550015
2Guimaraes541013
3Lugano540112
4Fiorentina540112
5Legia540112
6Shamrock532011
7Cercle Brugge531110
8Jagiellonia531110
9APOEL531110
10Rapid Vienna531110
11Djurgarden531110
12Heidenheim53029
13Pafos53029
14Gent53029
15Ljubljana53029
16Copenhagen52218
17Vikingur 52127
18Panathinaikos52127
19Borac Banja Luka52127
20Betis52127
21Hearts52036
22Omonia52036
23Mlada Boleslav52036
24Istanbul51225
25Astana51134
26Molde51134
27Backa Topola51134
28HJK Helsinki51134
29St Gallen51134
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31Noah51134
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35Petrocub50141
36Larne50050


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