Twente vs Fiorentina

The Viola take their first European road trip in half a decade. If they win, they'll get to take more. It's that simple.

As the Tukkers pile forward in the second half, Sottil should run rampant and take the lead, leading to a frantic finish that sees the Viola sit deep and absorb wave after wave of attack before countering at the other end, only to see the hosts grab a consolation deep into stoppage time. Don’t be surprised if the hosts try to turn this into an up-and-down track meet, constantly trying to lift the tempo and create chaos to prevent Fiorentina from slowing things down and getting a handle on proceedings. The forecast calls for an alarmingly warm day (aren’t the Netherlands supposed to be chilly?) with some clouds, but it will likely feel very much like Tuscany for the 2500ish away supporters who are expected to show up. He has no shortage of experience in Europe, though, so he should be able to keep a handle on things. The Viola produced a dominant first half display in [the home leg](https://www.violanation.com/2022/8/19/23313168/fiorentina-twente-conference-league-highlights-analysis-goals-grades-ratings) but still came away with just a 2-1 win, setting up what should be a tense 90 minutes between two sides that will be desperate to reach the group stage of the Conference League. In 7 appearances this year, he’s handed out 34 yellow cards, 1 red card, and 2 penalties; a look at his statistics indicates that he usually takes a hands-off approach, so don’t be surprised if there’s some pretty physical play, especially as the hosts try to set the tone early.

The stakes are as high as they can be as Fiorentina take a trip to the Netherlands to meet Twente in the second leg of their Europa Conference League tie.

But they are now on the cusp of making it to the Europa Conference League group stages. On top of that, they went unbeaten in both previous European meetings with Eredivisie adversaries. Years of financial struggle combined with sub-standard results on the domestic front have turned the 2009/10 Eredivisie champions into a mediocre side. However, Twente are still slight outsiders to turn this tie on its head despite boasting home comforts in this potentially season-defining fixture for the former Eredivisie champions. It’s been six years since Fiorentina last plied their trade in Europe. With a single-goal deficit, Ron Jans’ men have all to play for in this ultimate showdown at De Grolsch Veste.

Twente host Fiorentina at De Grolsch Veste in the second leg of UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying on Thursday. The first leg in Italy last week ended in ...

With Fiorentina ahead in the tie, they could look to avoid defeat on the night, resulting in a slow affair ending in a low-scoring stalemate. However, Twente haven’t lost a game at home and will be counting on their chances to overcome their one-goal deficit. Twente will now look to return the favor at home.