Preview: Fiorentina – Bayern Munich

CelticKing · Nov 5, 2008

Preview: Fiorentina – Bayern Munich

VS.

What: Champions League Group F, Matchday 4
Who: Fiorentina vs. Bayern Munich
When: Wednesday, 5th November 2008, 20:45 (CET)
Where: Artemio Franchi, Florence

Matchday 4 in Group F sees the return match between Fiorentina and Bayern Munich at the Artemio Franchi with the Viola looking to make up for their 3-0 defeat at the Allianz Arena and boost their chances of making it to the knock-out stage.

All Or Nothing

Fiorentina will be aware that only a win will do on Wednesday if they are to have any chance of making it to the illustrious knock-out stage. The Italian side currently sit third in Group F with just two points from three games, which puts them three behind Olympique Lyonnais and five behind leaders Bayern.

And with Lyon at home to Steau on Matchday 4, coach Cesare Prandelli will have to inspire his troops to a win at home against Bayern if he is to avoid having to settle for the Uefa Cup for the remainder of the season.

Recent form has been good, but the Viola did come unstuck at the weekend to end a run of five unbeaten in the league. They lost the Tuscan derby on Sunday away to rivals Siena thanks to a solitary late goal from Houssine Kharja.

“I think we played really well for about an hour,” said Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli. “Then Siena suddenly went close to scoring on the counterattack and we lost our balance as Siena grew in confidence in the latter stages.

“All we lacked was a goal when we were dominating in the first half. However, I believe our defenders and midfielders have to start scoring because we cannot always count on goals from our attackers.”

Fiorentina are definitely up against it after two draws and a loss in their first three games in the Champions League, but the Viola are certainly not looking on it that way and feel they have what it takes to turn things around and make it through. The Viola could end up facing a make-or-break match with Lyon on Matchday 5. But a win over Bayern will be required first.

“We are not afraid,” Serbian midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanović explained to uefa.com. “They are, of course, great clubs, so we will have to play well. However, we've shown we're able to match them, and we played very well away at Lyon. Now we have two home matches and we want to win both, so that we're still in the game.”

French goalkeeper Sebastian Frey echoed those sentiments believing that Fiorentina could turn things around. “We still believe. We know it will be really difficult. We will give everything, but we still have three games to play, and we will give our best in these three games” he told uefa.com.

“If we go through, it will be a dream come true. If we don't, we will have to admit the other teams were better than us.”

Time For Experience To Show

The much publicised crisis at Bayern Munich seems to have abated and trainer Jürgen Klinsmann looks to be finally getting things right on the pitch. After the Bavarian’s worst start to a Bundesliga campaign in over 30 years, the club have now won five in a row in all competitions and find themselves well placed in both the domestic league and the Champions League.

Their 3-0 home win over Fiorentina last time out sent them top of Group F, and puts them in the driving seat to finish in pole position and make it through to the knock-out stage. Bayern know what is expected of them at the Artemio Franchi and taking a point away will not be the end of the world for them (as it could for Fiorentina).

The seemingly comprehensive win over their Italian counterparts on Matchday 3 wasn’t however quite as one-sided as the final score might suggest. ‘La Viola’ created a number of chances and were very unfortunate not to have found the back of the net at the Allianz Arena.

“It was a great result, but we were lucky they didn't score” captain Mark van Bommel said after the first match in Munich. “Of course I was happy with the three points and the three goals, but the match was difficult.

“They had a few chances, and normally they would have scored one of them. We're lucky we won the game” he added.

Knowing that a point is sufficient for them could however be a slight hindrance for Bayern if they think they can sit back and soak up the Fiorentina pressure which is sure to flow towards their goal.

The Bayern party however know deep down that a point would see them through to the knock-out stage. “A point wouldn’t be a bad result” explained chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. “It would be a step in the right direction towards the quarter-final. Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger echoed those sentiments adding: “A point would be enough, but we want to win.”

FORM GUIDE

Fiorentina

02/11/08 v Siena LOST 1-0 (Serie A)

29/10/08 v Inter (h) DREW 0-0 (Serie A)

26/10/08 v Palermo (a) WON 1-3 (Serie A)

21/10/08 v Bayern Munich (a) LOST 3-0 (Champions League)

18/10/08 v Reggina (h) WON 3-0 (Serie A)

05/10/08 v Chievo Verona (a) WON 0-2 (Serie A)

Bayern Munich

01/11/08 v Arminia Bielefeld (h) WON 3-1 (Bundesliga)

29/10/08 v Eintracht Frankfurt (a) WON 1-2 (Bundesliga)

25/10/08 v VfL Wolfsburg (h) WON 4-2 (Bundesliga)

21/10/08 v Fiorentina (h) WON 3-0 (Champions League)

18/10/08 v Karlsruhe (a) WON 0-1 (Bundesliga)

04/10/08 v Bochum (h) DREW 3-3 (Bundesliga)

TEAM NEWS

Fiorentina

Despite Mutu’s reported knee injury, he started against Siena on Sunday, but was substituted after 66 minutes. Kuzmanovic was only used in the final 15 minutes, while Montolivio was rested completely. There was however an injury during the Siena game to full back Comotto, who had to be replaced after just 15 minutes.

Juan Manuel Vargas suffered a thigh injury in training last week and remains a doubt for the Bayern match. Gilardino should come back into the team to partner Mutu, meaning that Pazzini will have to drop down to the subs’ bench.

Probable Starting XI: Frey, Zauri, Gamberini, Dainelli, Pasqual, Kuzmanovic, Felipe Melo, Montolivio, Santana, Mutu, Gilardino

Bayern Munich

The big absentee for Bayern is Luca Toni, who is forced to sit out the return to his former club. The former Viola idol hit 47 goals in 67 games during his time at the Artemio Franchi and he would dearly have loved to play. As it is, his rib injury is taking longer to heal that first expected.

Jürgen Klinsmann will also be without other long-term absentees Philipp Lahm, Willy Sagnol and Hamit Altintop, but other than that will have a full squad to choose from.

The only question mark is with regards his formation. On Saturday he opted to play Miroslav Klose as a lone striker with three attacking midfielder supporting. Zé Roberto may return to his usual midfield role after filling in at full back.

Probable Starting XI: Rensing, Oddo, Lucio, Demichelis, Zé Roberto, van Bommel, Ottl, Schweinsteiger, Borowski, Ribéry, Klose

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Fiorentina- Alberto Gilardino

The Italian marksman will be fresher than most after sitting out the past two league games because of his suspension for his handball goal against Palermo. The Viola have been a little profligate in front of goal of late and will need Gilardino to tuck away his chances if they are to have a hope of taking all three points. With Adrian Mutu reportedly far from full fitness, much of the attacking onus will fall on the former Milan striker.

Bayern Munich- Franck Ribéry

The Bundesliga Player of the Year last season has had a slow start to the current season after returning from injury, but in the past few games his form has returned and that has coincided with a return to winning ways for Bayern.
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Colonel Ronan · Nov 5, 2008

Good game. No prediction possible.

CelticKing · Nov 5, 2008

Fiorentina 1-2 Bayern Munich

Being that I'm a fan of Bayern, I gotta go with them, plus I think they're much better than Fiorentina.

GO MUNICH!!!

Claud · Nov 6, 2008

1-1 final score

CelticKing · Nov 6, 2008

Yeah it sucks.

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Preview: Fiorentina – Bayern Munich

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