Fiorentina – Celje

The Florentine club are coming off a solid win at their home stadium

Fiorentina have the richest history not only among the clubs currently competing in the Conference League, but also among the participants who started the season here from the very qualification. To qualify for the tournament from Serie A two years in a row is already a filigree of precision as only one club from the Italian league qualifies to play in the Conference League. To produce an identical result, however, seems something incredible. Fiorentina reached the final two years in a row, where they lost to more fortunate opponents. Now the Florentine club stands two steps away from a third consecutive final and has picked up good playing form. Celje have won the right to represent Slovenia in the European Cup for the sixth time in their history. The club has made previous attempts since 2012/2013, but has never qualified. This year, Celje as champions of their country have jumped above their heads, having already made it to the quarter-finals. Bookmakers have identified the home team as favourites for the upcoming encounter, offering odds of 1.39 on their victory. The first match between the rivals in Slovenia showed the diligence of Celje's players. However, the home team lacked class. In the 27th minute, Fiorentina defender Ranieri dragged the ball through two of Celje's players and managed to score into the near corner of the goalkeeper's net. In the middle of the second half, the teams exchanged goals from the penalty spot and the score remained unchanged - 1:2. In general, the first match was an even contest, which is not to be expected in Florence. "Violets" have gained a decent momentum. Since mid-March, they have played six official matches, of which two ended in a draw and four won. Most importantly, Fiorentina defeated Juventus and Atalanta with a total score of 4:0 on their home ground during this period, and could beat Milan away, who were allowed to come back from 0:2 down. Given that the Florentines will face Cagliari in the next round of Serie A, they have no serious reason to save their energy and opportunities in the game with the Slovenians. Celje are in fourth position in the Slovenian league with seventeen points behind the leader. The team is neighboured by such clubs as Bravo and Koper. It is unlikely that the guests at the "Artemio Franchi" can offer their opponents something more than diligence.