Preview: Fiorentina vs. Sampdoria – prediction, team news, lineups

Fiorentina meet Sampdoria at Stadio Artemio Franchi on Thursday evening for a place in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals.

These two clubs have won Italy’s domestic cup competition 10 times between them in their histories, with Fiorentina’s last triumph coming in 2001, and Sampdoria’s in 1994.

Match preview

Indeed, that famous 2-1 aggregate victory against Parma in the 2000-01 season remains the last time that the Violets tasted success in a major competition, having lost 3-1 to Napoli in the 2013-14 final.

Only four teams have won more Coppa Italia’s than Fiorentina, suggesting that it could be a good competition for head coach Vincenzo Italiano to prioritise this season, although the 45-year-old may also have his eyes set on following in Roma’s footsteps by winning the Europa Conference League with a double header against Braga awaiting them next month.

Either way, Italiano’s side appear to be on the up after enduring a difficult start to the season, with a 2-1 win against Sassuolo on Saturday moving them up to ninth in the table. However, replicating or bettering last season’s impressive seventh-placed finish looks a tall order, with Atalanta currently six points ahead of them in that position.

As such, the cup competitions have become more significant in terms of defining Fiorentina’s season this time around, and they will certainly expect to beat a Sampdoria side languishing in the relegation places in Serie A.

Having flirted with relegation throughout last season, ultimately surviving with a small buffer of six points, Sampdoria look in real danger of dropping out of Serie A for the first time in more than a decade.

After earning only their second victory of the season with an impressive 2-1 win away to Sassuolo in their first game following the recent World Cup in Qatar, Dejan Stankovic‘s side fell to an expected defeat at the hands of runaway leaders Napoli on Sunday.

Their already difficult task was made doubly difficult by Tomas Rincon being given his marching orders before half time, with strikes from Victor Osimhen and Elif Elmas either side of the break leaving their opponents six points adrift of safety.

Whether mounting a cup run presents itself as an appealing prospect to Stankovic and his players is certainly up for question, then, with his time and energy surely best spent on rescuing what could end up being an extremely depressing campaign.

However, winning can never be considered an undesirable habit in football, so the 44-year-old will expect which ever players he picks in Florence on Thursday to give their all and potentially set up a quarter-final tie against AC Milan in the next round.

Team News

Fiorentina welcomed Nicolas Gonzalez back from a long-term injury during the second half of their win against Sassuolo at the weekend, and Italiano may look to provide the mercurial forward with necessary match fitness from the start on Thursday.

Likewise, Sofyan Amrabat could return to the starting XI having been predominantly rested since his heroics with Morocco at the World Cup, while Dodo and Lucas Martinez Quarta could return to the back line.

However, Luka Jovic, Rolando Mandragora and Riccardo Sottil are all expected to remain sidelined until later in January with muscle issues.

Sampdoria, meanwhile, will travel without Fabio Quagliarella, Ignacio Pussetto and Manuel De Luca due to knee injuries, while Omar Colley (flu) and Andrea Conti (tendonitis) are also doubts.

Rincon is likely to start in the engine room despite his dismissal against Napoli at the weekend, with his suspension only applicable to the league, but it would be a surprise if Stankovic does not make several changes elsewhere ahead of visiting Empoli in Serie A on Monday.

Fiorentina possible starting lineup:
Cerofolini; Dodo, Martinez, Igor, Ranieri; Castrovilli, Amrabat; Gonzalez, Barak, Saponara; Kouame

Sampdoria possible starting lineup:
Contini; Amione, Rocha, Murru; Zanoli, Rincon, Winks, Augello; Sabiri, Djuricic; Lammers