The third match in group play against Čukarički shouldn’t be a must-win, but that’s where Fiorentina is. With the club still looking for its first win in Europe this season, it feels like there’s more pressure here than you might otherwise expect. Čukarički will sit very deep and defend with 2 banks of 4 (and maybe more than that), forcing Fiorentina to break down a deep block. Matić isn’t the slightest bit fussed about possession, having averaged under 35% of the ball in Europe this season. With a few injuries and some heavy legs from the Empoli game, this could be trickier, especially if Čukarički picks at the usual weaknesses.

Source: The Nation October 26, 2023 05:04 UTC