Polissya vs. Fiorentina: Pioli's European Championship hopes are on the line.

Alberto Dalla Palma

Within a week, Pioli's new Fiorentina will compete for a spot in the Conference League's main draw. They'll face the Ukrainians, hoping to secure a spot, as they have done for the past three seasons. Here's the prediction and odds for Polissya vs. Fiorentina, scheduled for Thursday, August 21st, at 8:00 PM in Presov, Slovenia (neutral venue).

Stefano Pioli's team, in his second spell as Fiorentina coach, had a mixed preseason, during which they played their best match against Manchester United. A 1-1 draw turned into a penalty shootout defeat, but on that occasion Fiorentina demonstrated good game organization and a strong personality. These qualities didn't emerge in the next and final match against Japan University: the 2-1 defeat left Pioli with many doubts about his European squad.

The Viola team will play for a place in the main Conference draw against Polissya Zhytomyr: mistakes or moments of distraction will not be allowed from the first leg. The return leg is scheduled for August 28th in Florence, between the first and second matchdays of the Serie A championship. Over 2.5 should be considered for the first match, offered on the board at 1.72 by Bet365 , 1.70 by William Hill and Netwin and 1.68 by Vincitu .

Polissya have already faced four Conference preliminary round matches, with obvious ups and downs. They eliminated Paksi (a 3-0 home win, also on neutral ground in Slovenia, followed by a 2-1 away defeat), and Santa Coloma, losing 2-1 at home in the first leg and then reversing their away win with a resounding 4-1 victory. They're a team that gives a lot away, and Fiorentina will need to capitalize on this, especially with Kean, Pioli's star striker, who has decided to stay in Italy and reject offers from Saudi Arabia in particular. The Viola have already reached two Conference finals, with Italiano on the bench, losing to West Ham and Olympiacos. Last season, the semifinal against Spanish side Betis proved decisive.

Considering the value of Polissya, one can think of the 2 sign already at the end of the first half: Fiorentina winning at half time is on the board at 1.85 on Snai , at 1.82 on Eurobet and Bwin and at 1.80 on Eurobet .

Read this week's other soccer predictions , with detailed statistics and exclusive analysis from Gazzetta Scommesse.