Match Overview: Fiorentina vs Polissya

The crucial return leg of the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League qualification play-offs will feature ACF Fiorentina (Italy) against FC Polissya Zhytomyr (Ukraine). This highly anticipated match is scheduled for August 28th at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia. Fiorentina established a formidable 3-0 advantage in the first leg. This comprehensive preview delves into the Fiorentina vs Polissya encounter, offering detailed analysis, betting predictions, competitive odds, and vital statistics.

Fiorentina’s Current Form and Tournament Trajectory

In the initial encounter, the Italian club demonstrated a commanding performance, securing a dominant 3-0 victory, remarkably playing with a man down for more than half the match. This triumph marks their second consecutive win in the Conference League, and notably, it represents their first clean sheet in their last eight European appearances within this competition. To secure progression to the main stage of the tournament, Fiorentina simply needs to avoid a defeat by more than two goals over the 90 minutes. It is important to note that Fiorentina has been a consistent presence in the Conference League group stage for the past three seasons, advancing to at least the semi-finals in each campaign.

Key Fiorentina Statistics:

• The team has claimed victories in regular time in 6 of their last 8 home matches in the Conference League.
• Fiorentina players have netted at least two goals within 90 minutes in 8 of their previous home fixtures in this European competition.
• The Italian side has conceded exactly 1 or 2 goals in regular time in 4 out of their last 5 home encounters in the Conference League.

Fiorentina’s Provisional Lineup (3-5-2)*

David De Gea – Pietro Comuzzo, Marin Pongracic, Luca Ranieri – Dodô, Nicolo Fagioli, Albert Gudmundsson, Simon Zom, Robin Gosens – Scher Ndour, Moise Kean.

Team News:

Striker Moise Kean will be unavailable for selection due to suspension.

Polissya’s Uphill Battle

Having lost the first leg, Polissya has now endured their fifth defeat in seven Conference League matches. Additionally, this is the first time Polissya has conceded more than two goals in this European competition, and only the second occasion in their entire Conference League history where the club failed to register a goal. To progress to the main stage of the tournament, the Ukrainian side must achieve a victory by a margin of at least four goals in regulation time; a three-goal victory would necessitate extra time. It is noteworthy that Polissya has never previously participated in the main draw of any major European club competition.

Key Polissya Statistics:

• At least three goals have been scored in regulation time in 6 of the team’s last Conference League matches.
• The club has conceded within 90 minutes in 6 out of their 7 previous European fixtures.
• The Ukrainian team has found the net in the second half in 3 of their last 4 Conference League matches.

Polissya’s Provisional Lineup (4-3-3)*

Oleh Kudryk – Mykyta Kravchenko, Serhiy Chobotenko, Eduard Sarapii, Serhiy Korniichuk – Bohdan Lednev, Ruslan Babenko, Oleksandr Andrievskyi – Oleksiy Hutsulyak, Oleksandr Filippov, Oleksandr Nazarenko.

Referee Profile

Ricardo de Burgos (Spain)

Matches officiated – 9 (International matches, 2024/25–2025/26);

Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 23;

Average yellow cards per match – 2.6;

Red cards shown – 2;

Average fouls per match – 20;

Penalties awarded – 44%.

Match Prediction: Fiorentina vs Polissya

On their home ground, the Italian squad typically displays immense confidence in European competitions, consistently entertaining their supporters with an aggressive attacking style. In their last eight home matches in the Conference League, Fiorentina has never failed to score at least twice, and on five occasions during this period, they managed to put at least three goals past their opponents. However, the club frequently prioritizes offensive creativity to such an extent that it sometimes compromises defensive solidity: in their preceding eight home fixtures in the Conference League, the team registered a clean sheet only twice.

Polissya, similarly, is not known for a cautious, defensive approach and endeavors to play an active, forward-thinking game. In their last six Conference League outings, the club managed to score in all but one match, and in the current edition of this tournament, the Ukrainians have already scored nine goals against various opponents. Nevertheless, their defensive performance leaves considerable room for improvement: in 5 out of their last 7 matches in this European competition, the team conceded at least two goals.

Our Final Prediction

* The starting lineup listed for each team is based on their previous match in this tournament.