Fiorentina: Viola Face Tricky Test at Allianz Arena Against Bayern Munich

When Fiorentina was drawn in Group E alongside Liverpool, Lyon and Debrecen, few expected the Viola to progress to the knockout stages of the Champions League—let alone as group winners as they relegated Lyon to second place and sent Liverpool packing.

The mighty Juventus crashed out in the group stages while cousins AC Milan and Inter Milan secured their places in the final 16 with labored performances, it was minnows Fiorentina that exceeded all expectations as they went on to collect an impressive 15 points in six games—with only Bordeaux boasting better numbers.

The last time Fiorentina was in the final 16 was back 1999. Since then the club has been to hell and back, clawing their way up from Italy’s fourth tier to once again grace the continental stage.

Their opening game away to Lyon—who incidentally knocked the Italians out of the group stages last season—was, however, anything but encouraging as Alberto Gilardino was not only dismissed, but also banned for the upcoming game against Liverpool at the Artemio Franchi. In a stroke of genius, Viola tactician Cesare Prandelli invented teenager Stevan Jovetic as a striker. The starlet didn’t disappoint and with his brace against the Merseyside team, he officially introduced himself to the rest of the world.

Viola went on to collect back-to-back victories against Debrecen before they once again dismantled Rafael Benitez’s side—this time at Anfield. Prandelli’s men then rounded up their impressive run in the group stages by securing their fifth consecutive victory in the tournament against Lyon—thus securing their spot in the final 16.

However, despite their impressive showings in the group stages were Cesare Prandelli’s men simply thrived in the underdog position, the knock-out stages couldn’t have come at a worst time. The Viola is officially in crisis after having picked up a single victory in five outings and currently resides in mid-table.

This season’s revelation, Juan Manuel Vargas has been struggling lately; Gilardino is a shady of his former self and with the team as a whole displaying a clear lack of energy and confidence, things doesn’t look very positive for the Tuscan side.

To add insult to injury, disgraced forward Adrian Mutu has been slapped with a ban for testing positive for the banned substance Sibutramine—leaving Gilardino and Jovetic to score the goals.

If that wasn’t enough, Bayern Munich has found their stride in the Bundesliga and is currently on an unbeaten run of 14 games. Players such as Daniel van Buyten, Ivica Olic and Arjen Robben are in scintillating form and let’s not forget that Franck Ribery has returned from his long-term injury layoff.

It seems like the Germans might be a bridge too far, however, Viola has been one of the surprise packages in Europe’s elite competition thus far. The self-belief Prandelli’s side has showcased this season is not to be underestimated considering their performances in the face of adversity.

Can Fiorentina surprise us yet again?