I have terrible news, everyone. It’s Conference League time, so you have to watch Fiorentina twice this week. I apologize. Up this time is Dynamo Kyiv. This will be the 7th meeting between these two, with
the good guys holding a W3 D3 record. Last time we saw them was the 2014-2015 Europa League quarterfinals, when they eased by without too much difficulty. The good news is that the Blue and Whites haven’t been great this year, sitting 6th in the Premier League and just snapped a 4-game losing streak with a tough win at Kudrivka, the first for newly-appointed manager Igor Kostyuk.
The match will be played on Thursday, 11 December 2025, at 17:45 GMT/12:45 PM EST, at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in beautiful Firenze. The forecast calls for a crisp, surprisingly warm evening, although I wouldn’t expect a huge turnout in the stadium; Viola fans haven’t filled the stadium for Conference League games thus far and, given the abject state of the team, I’d expect a lot of empty seats.
Three things to watch for
1. What Vanoli changes
Paolo Vanoli spoke after Saturday’s implosion against Sassuolo about how tactical tweaks don’t make any difference for a team with a woeful mentality. He’s not wrong, of course, and there’s only so much he can do—the players are grown-ass professionals and need to take some pride—but the mister needs to do more to signal to these guys that the Stefano Pioli era is over. Running out the same lineups and playing the same style means there’s no real dividing line between him and his predecessor and that’s been a problem.
There were rumors about a move to a 4-man defense last week but Vanoli opted to stick with the 3. Depending on how Fiorentina prioritizes the Conference League, this could be the right time to do something different. If the plan is to give up on Serie A and try to win a trophy (unlikely but I guess vaguely plausible), the mister could opt for continuity over experimentation, although continuity with Fiorentina’s current approach would mean losing in the least inspiring way possible.
If instead the plan is to double down on the league (lol), the Conference League becomes a tactical sandbox. A 4-4-2 with fullbacks doubled up out wide? Jacopo Fazzini and Albert Guðmundsson as wingers? Some real minutes for Amir Richardson and the Primavera guys? I mean, why not? It’s not like the Viola have anything to lose by getting weird here, and maybe Vanoli stumbles on something workable. I’m grasping at straws here, obviously, but I’d rather see the club get relegated while flailing desperately to find something that works than slide into Serie B without even trying something new.
2. Shutting down a rightback
Dynamo Kyiv’s best player this year has been rightback Oleksandr Karavaev, who’s got 4 goals and 5 assists this year. At 33, he’s still got the legs to get up and down the line, but he’s also a really intelligent and experienced player (50 Ukraine caps) whose delivery from the wing has been excellent and who knows when to get into the box. It sounds weird, but especially with club captain and creative hub Vitaliy Buyalskyi (7 goals, 5 assists) injured, Karavaev may be the most dangerous player in the team.
Fiorentina could have trouble tracking him; a 3-5-2 up against a 4-3-3 (Dynamo’s preferred shape) often leaves the opposing fullbacks with a lot of freedom. Vanoli might opt to keep Luca Ranieri wide against Dynamo’s right winger and push the wingback (Robin Gosens or Fabiano Parisi) up to Karavaev; alternatively, the wingback could take Dynamo’s winger and the left central midfielder (Simon Sohm or Cher Ndour) will push wide to pick up the fullback. That battle is the one I’m watching more than anything else.
3. Transitions
Yeah, that’s very vague. I know. But this is where the game will be won and lost. Neither Fiorentina nor Dynamo is good at breaking down a deep block and both will prioritize hustling back into their respective rest defenses upon losing the ball rather than trying to win it back immediately. To my mind, whichever team is better at resetting itself after conceding possession will have create more chances.
The Blue and Whites aren’t particularly quick at the back and have struggled to track speedy attackers all year, although they’ve got a lot of size and aerial ability. That should set up nicely for Moise Kean or even Roberto Piccoli, who will both have a significant advantage in terms of pace. Getting the ball over the top quickly for them to attack will be Fiorentina’s priority, and in terms of personnel, the hosts have a big advantage.
That cuts both ways, though. The Ukrainians have looked very efficient on the break at times, attacking with good width and intelligent angles. Wingers Nazar Voloshyn and Vladyslav Kabaev are quick, direct players who can get in behind, while striker Eduardo Guerrero will drift around, looking to combine with his fellow attackers and create overloads. I’d expect Vanoli to prioritize controlling the game with a lot of deep possession to minimize Dynamo’s opportunities to break, but those opportunities will arise and how Fiorentina copes will be decisive.
Possible lineups
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Ted’s Memorial Blind Guess Department
Not enough people have bet against Fiorentina because the bookies still have them as massive favorites; any punter could’ve made a small fortune going the other way this year. Dynamo Kyiv hasn’t been good this year and Kostyuk has a couple significant absences but c’mon, man. Only one of these teams has actually won a game in the past month and it ain’t the one from Italy. Despite the respective rankings in the League Phase of the Conference League Real European TournamentTMSM®©℗—Fiorentina 17th, Dynamo 27th—there’s no way the visitors should be underdogs, much less underdogs of this magnitude.
And because I’m even dumber than the bookies, I’ll pick Fiorentina to give Paolo Vanoli his first win. I’m expecting a wacky game comprised of periods of unwatchable stodginess interspersed with lightning quick counterattacks. Give me the Viola in a 3-1 win with Piccoli scoring one by tripping over the ball and accidentally heading it in, Ndour popping up to slot home on the break, and Gosens heading home from a corner, with Guerrero netting at the other end from a set piece situation. I’m also expecting some very physical play, so don’t be surprised to see some cards and various shenanigans.
Forza Viola!
