Fiorentina – Sivasspor

The favourites will confidently prove their advantage in the first match

Fiorentina are considered one of the main favorites to start the Conference League 1/8 finals, behind only three clubs on the list of contenders: Villarreal, West Ham, and Lazio. Not only that, but the Vials are in fine form and produce consistent results. Most likely, the Italian team will not qualify for next season's European competitions via the Championship. In this respect, leaving the Conference League title to Italy is perhaps the only way they can play on European soil during the 2023/2024 season. In the group stage of the current tournament, Fiorentina finished second, allowing themselves to be beaten by Başakşehir on penalties. In the first leg of the playoffs, the Fiorentina side confidently dealt with one of the strongest representatives of the 1/16 finals, Braga. Fiorentina finished both games in their favour, scoring a total of seven goals. Sivasspor are on the edge of the relegation zone in the Turkish Super League, but in a rather weak group with CFR Cluj, Slavia Praha and FC Balkans, they are in first place. The bookmakers consider the home side to be the clear favourites for the first leg, offering odds of 1.34 to win. Apart from their success against Braga, Fiorentina have been quite convincing in Serie A in recent weeks. The team will definitely not reach the European Cup zone this season, but the last three rounds have brought them seven points from a possible nine. Moreover, last Saturday's win over Milan at the Artemio Franchi saw the side beaten by a 90+5 minute prestige goal. While Fiorentina were beating a Champions League play-off participant, Sivasspor lost 3-4 to Karagümrük in the Turkish league. The visitors are 14th in the table, only two points ahead of the relegation zone. Sivasspor have lost all their recent matches against more or less strong opponents, including Fenerbahce and Galatasaray. The only unexpected success for the team in 2023 was a 1-0 win over Besiktas, but it was achieved at their own stadium. There is no doubt about Fiorentina's serious attitude. Otherwise, the Italian team only need to play at their level to win.