Preview: Lausanne Sport vs Fiorentina - prediction, team news, lineups

Fighting for a place in the Conference League's knockout stage, Fiorentina and Lausanne Sport will lock horns on Thursday evening.

The Italian side enter this week's league-phase finale one point ahead of their Swiss hosts, with both occupying a playoff spot.

Match preview

In contrast to their recent Conference League campaigns - which all ended in the semis or final - crisis club Fiorentina have limped through this term's competition so far.

Stuck to the foot of Serie A, the Viola started well enough in Europe, but consecutive defeats - to Mainz and AEK Athens - left them in some trouble ahead of last week's game against Dynamo Kyiv.

Having failed to fire this term, strike pair Moise Kean and Albert Gudmundsson both gained some redemption by finding the net at Stadio Franchi, and Fiorentina hung on for a 2-1 win.

Ahead of the sixth and final matchday, that leaves the Tuscan club tucked inside the playoff places, trailing the all-important top eight by just one point.

So, depending on results elsewhere, victory on Thursday could see Paolo Vanoli's struggling side go straight through to the last 16.

Still without a Serie A win after 15 matches, the Viola's disastrous domestic campaign hit a new low last week, when they were beaten 2-1 at home by relegation rivals Hellas Verona.

Only appointed last month, Vanoli is already facing calls for his head, so losing in Lausanne is not an option.

Yet to meet Fiorentina in a competitive fixture, Lausanne will look to break new ground on Thursday, having gone winless through six previous European games against Italian clubs.

More pertinently, the Swiss side are one point worse off than their visitors, so defeat at Stade de la Tuiliere could even cost them a playoff place.

After starting with back-to-back wins, Lausanne have since taken just two points from their next three fixtures, failing to even score in the last two.

Held to a 0-0 draw by Finnish outsiders KuPS last week, Les Bleu et Blanc can still make the top eight; however, it would take several other results to go their way, with 18 games playing out simultaneously.

Sitting eighth in the 12-club Swiss Super League, Peter Zeidler's team recently followed up a domestic cup exit with three goalless draws, so they are barely faring better than Fiorentina.

Lausanne Sport Conference League form:

W W D L D

Lausanne Sport form (all competitions):

L W L D D D

Fiorentina Conference League form:

W W L L W

Fiorentina form (all competitions):

D L L L W L

Team News

With Sunday's league game against Udinese being mooted as 'D-day' for Vanoli, it remains to be seen whether Fiorentina field a relatively strong side in Switzerland.

Given the circumstances, fringe players such as Amir Richardson and veteran striker Edin Dzeko may be called into the visitors' starting XI.

Vanoli has most of his squad available, but Cher Ndour is suspended; Robin Gosens has suffered a setback in his recovery from a thigh injury, while Jacopo Fazzini (ankle) and Tariq Lamptey (knee) are also ruled out.

Meanwhile, Lausanne had two men sent off in last week's league draw with Basel, but Brandon Soppy and Beyatt Lekoueiry will both be eligible for this Conference League contest.

Ex-Arsenal youngster Nathan Butler-Oyedeji is set to feature in the final third, supplying Canadian striker Theo Bair, who has scored twice in the league phase so far. Fellow forward Gaoussou Diakite is heading to AFCON with Mali.

Lausanne Sport possible starting lineup:

Castella; Soppy, Mouanga, Sow, Fofana; Sigua, Roche; Butler-Oyedeji, Al Saad, Lekoueiry; Bair

Fiorentina possible starting lineup:

De Gea; Comuzzo, Mari, Viti; Dodo, Richardson, Nicolussi Caviglia, Sohm, Parisi; Dzeko, Kean

We say: Lausanne Sport 1-1 Fiorentina

Both teams have been guilty of missing chances throughout this season's league phase, so it could be a low-scoring encounter.

A draw would probably suit either side, surely booking their place in the playoffs - albeit Fiorentina will be more frustrated to miss out on the top eight.

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