Following contrasting European results, Fiorentina and AC Milan will face off at Stadio Artemio Franchi in Sunday’s Serie A encounter. While Fiorentina struggled to overcome Conference League opponents The New Saints, Milan suffered their second Champions League defeat in two games.

Fiorentina, Conference League finalists in the past two years, were heavy favorites against Welsh outsiders TNS. However, it took Yacine Adli’s 65th-minute goal and Moise Kean’s subsequent strike to secure a narrow victory. This followed a penalty shootout win over Puskas Academy in the playoffs. Under Rafaelle Palladino, Fiorentina’s league form has been inconsistent. They failed to win their first four Serie A fixtures before beating Lazio in September and drew with Empoli last weekend. A goalless stalemate left Fiorentina 11th in the standings, averaging just over one point per game.Despite this, Fiorentina remain tough to beat at home, losing only one of their last 11 league games in Florence – against Milan in March. Milan have won six of their last eight Serie A matches against Fiorentina, including that 2-1 victory.

Milan comes into the weekend unbeaten in four league outings, notably ending Inter Milan’s dominance in the derby. However, they have struggled against top-class European opponents, losing to Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen. Milan have won only nine of their last 33 Champions League games. In Serie A, Milan sit third after six matches, following a 3-0 win over Lecce. Strikes from Alvaro Morata, Theo Hernandez, and Christian Pulisic took them top of the goal rankings with 14. Fiorentina will be back at full strength on Sunday, with defensive trio Luca Ranieri, Pietro Comuzzo, and Lucas Martinez Quarta returning from UEFA suspensions. Marin Pongracic remains sidelined due to a thigh injury. Milan named a strong side against Leverkusen and few changes are expected. Tammy Abraham and Alvaro Morata will compete for a starting spot, while Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic will feature in attack. Leao has scored in his last three league matches against Fiorentina. Marco Sportiello, Ismael Bennacer, and Alessandro Florenzi are sidelined, but Davide Calabria has recovered from a muscular injury.While Milan’s domestic form is improving, Fiorentina’s home advantage makes them a formidable opponent. The Tuscan side should resist their visitors’ challenge.

To sum up, Fiorentina can exploit Milan’s defensive weaknesses and come away with a positive result.

Best score: 12

Correct score: 2-2