Conference League final PREVIEW | Olympiacos V Fiorentina | OneFootball

This Wednesday night in Athens, Olympiacos of Greece and Fiorentina of Serie A will fight against each other for the UEFA Conference League trophy.

For the Italian side it is a second Conference League final in as many years. Last year the team from Tuscany lost 2-1 to West Ham in Prague. This year they would probably be favourites, but their rivals Olympiacos do have the advantage of playing the final in their home city. It’s a hard one to call.

The Greek side also stunned Premier League opponents Aston Villa in the semifinals so they are not to be taken lightly. Fiorentina will be confident that they can go one better than last year though. They have the experience of playing in a European final so recently, and they haven’t lost a game in the Conference League this year; home or away.

Olympiacos’ Morocco forward Ayoub El Kaabi is the top scorer in the entire Conference League with 10 goals so far this season, including a hat-trick at Villa Park. The Greek outfit have underwhelmed domestically this season but have defeated the likes of Fenerbahçe and Genk to reach this final.

Fiorentina have had a similar season. They have still got one Serie A game to play against Atalanta but they will finish eighth in the table no matter the outcome of that encounter. They finished the season in mixed form but managed to overcome Club Brugge in the Conference League last four.

The likes of Dodô, Luca Ranieri and Cristiano Biraghi have been key at the back for Fiorentina in this European campaign. Whilst up top some Argentinian flair has been able to shine through. Nicolás González has been key, as he was last season, and the arrival of Lucas Beltrán from River Plate has been a nice addition to the squad.

Arthur has been an important component in the middle, even if he couldn’t find his feet at Liverpool or FC Barcelona, and veteran Giacomo Bonaventura is still the main man at 34 years of age. Only González has more goal contributions than he does.

Fiorentina can end this long season in delight or despair. A defeat would mean a painful sense of déjà vu but victory against the Greek giants in Athens would make two years of hard work and back-to-back finals worth every inch of sweat. Fiorentina boss Vincenzo Italiano may well be leaving the club this summer, so this team have one last shot at glory together before things get shaken up.

Fiorentina won the 1961 Cup Winners’ Cup but have not won a major European trophy since then, losing three consecutive finals. Is it time for La Viola to take a second European crown in their history or will Olympiacos claim their own title for the first time in theirs? Tune in to find out on Wednesday night.

Joseph O’Sullivan | GIFN