Fiorentina vs AEK Athens: Preview, Prediction, Lineups | UEFA Conference League 2025/26

On: November 25, 2025 12:42 PM

---Advertisement---

Fiorentina vs AEK Athens — Match Preview

Thursday night football returns to Florence as Fiorentina host Greek giants AEK Athens at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.¹ This UEFA Conference League League Phase clash is a pivotal moment for both sides. The Viola, currently 8th in the standings, are in a slump domestically and in Europe, having lost three of their last five games, including a painful 0-3 defeat to Inter. Manager Paolo Vanoli needs a reaction to stop the rot and secure a top-8 automatic qualification spot.

On the other hand, Marko Nikolić’s AEK Athens arrive in Italy full of confidence. Sitting 15th but just two points behind Fiorentina, they have been rock solid, conceding only one goal in their last five matches. With former Fiorentina striker Luka Jović leading the line for the visitors, the narrative is written for a dramatic return. Can the Greeks pull off an upset, or will the Viola rediscover their rhythm at home?

Fiorentina vs AEK Athens — Quick Match Info

Fixture: Fiorentina vs AEK Athens
Competition: UEFA Conference League (League Phase – Matchday 4)
Venue: Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence (Capacity: 43,147)²
Date: Thursday, 27 November 2025
Kickoff Time: 21:00 CET / 20:00 GMT / 01:30 IST (Friday)
Referee: Robert Jones (England)
TV Channel (UK): TNT Sports³
TV Channel (USA): Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo
TV Channel (India): Sony Sports Network, SonyLIV
Live Stream: Discovery+ (UK), Paramount+ (USA), SonyLIV / JioTV (India)

Fiorentina vs AEK Athens — Match Context (2025/26 Season)

Fiorentina:

Position: 8th in Conference League (6 Points).⁴
Form: Worrying. They are winless in their last 3 games across all competitions, including a 1-2 loss to Mainz in Europe and a 0-1 loss to Lecce at home.
Current Challenge: Finding offensive sparks. They rely heavily on Moise Kean, but service has been poor with key wing-backs like Dodô and Gosens injured.

AEK Athens:

Position: 15th in Conference League (4 Points).⁵
Form: Solid. They have kept 4 clean sheets in their last 5 games. A 1-0 win over Aris this weekend kept their momentum high.
Current Challenge: Scoring away from home against elite opposition. While defensively sound, they often lack creativity in the final third.

Fiorentina vs AEK Athens — What’s at Stake

For Fiorentina:

Top 8 Security: A win takes them to 9 points, stabilizing their position in the automatic knockout spots. A loss could drag them into the playoff scrap and pile pressure on Vanoli.

For AEK Athens:

Climbing the Table: A win would see them leapfrog Fiorentina in the table and put them firmly in contention for a top-8 finish. A draw would be a respectable result to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Fiorentina vs AEK Athens — Team Form

Fiorentina (Last 5 Matches):

D vs Juventus (1-1)⁶
D vs Genoa (2-2)⁷
L vs Mainz (1-2 – UECL)⁸
L vs Lecce (0-1)⁹
L vs Inter (0-3)¹⁰

AEK Athens (Last 5 Matches):

W vs Aris (1-0)
W vs OFI Crete (1-0)¹¹
D vs Shamrock Rovers (1-1 – UECL)¹²
W vs Panetolikos (1-0)¹³
W vs Ilioupoli (1-0)¹⁴

Fiorentina vs AEK Athens — Team News

Fiorentina:

Dodô: Out (Thigh Injury – Late Dec return).
Robin Gosens: Out (Thigh Injury – Early Dec return).
Christian Kouamé: Doubtful (Cruciate Ligament recovery).
Tariq Lamptey: Doubtful (Knee Injury).
Moise Kean: Starts up top as the main goal threat.
David de Gea: The veteran goalkeeper starts, bringing crucial experience to a shaky backline.

AEK Athens:

Alexander Callens: Out (Heart Problems – Long-term absence).
Niclas Eliasson: Out (Muscle Injury).
Frantzdy Pierrot: Out (Muscle Injury).
Dereck Kutesa: Out (Muscle Injury – Mid-Dec return).
Luka Jović: The former Viola man starts against his old club, looking to prove a point.
Erik Lamela & Anthony Martial: Listed on the bench/squad, offering massive experience if called upon.

Fiorentina vs AEK Athens — Head to Head

30 Nov 2007: AEK Athens 1–1 Fiorentina (UEFA Cup)
History: These two sides haven’t met in nearly 18 years. That night in Athens ended in a stalemate; Fiorentina will hope for better at the Franchi.

Fiorentina vs AEK Athens — Predicted Lineups

Fiorentina (3-5-2):

Vanoli is forced to rotate his wing-backs due to injuries. Parisi gets a chance on the left.

GK: David de Gea
CB: Marin Pongračić
CB: Pietro Comuzzo (replacing the listed Mari if fit, otherwise Mari starts) — Correction: User listed Mari in XI -> CB: Pablo Marí
CB: Luca Ranieri
RWB: Dodô (Listed in XI but marked injured in text – Kayode likely replaces him if Dodô is truly out, but adhering to user prediction: Dodô)
CM: Rolando Mandragora (C)
CM: Nicolò Fagioli
CM: Simon Sohm
LWB: Fabiano Parisi
ST: Roberto Piccoli
ST: Moise Kean

AEK Athens (4-2-2-2):

Nikolić plays a narrow, compact system. Jović pairs with Zini up top.

GK: Thomas Strakosha
RB: Lazaros Rota
CB: Harold Moukoudi
CB: Tomás Ribeiro (User listed Relvas? Assuming Relvas is the CB option here)
LB: James Penrice
CDM: Petros Mantalos (C)
CDM: Orbelín Pineda
RAM: Theodosis Kaloskamis
LAM: João Mário
ST: Luka Jović
ST: Zini

Fiorentina vs AEK Athens — Impact Bench Options

Fiorentina:

Albert Guðmundsson: The creative spark Fiorentina desperately needs. If the game is tied at 60 minutes, expect him to come on and dictate play.
Amir Richardson: Adds height and physicality to the midfield if AEK starts dominating aerial duels.

AEK Athens:

Domagoj Vida: The veteran defender can lock down the game if AEK are leading.
Roberto Pereyra: Experienced playmaker who can exploit tired legs late in the game.

Fiorentina vs AEK Athens — Tactical Outlook

Fiorentina:

Playing Style: Wing-Back Dependence. Vanoli’s 3-5-2 relies on width. With Gosens out and Dodô struggling for fitness, Fiorentina might lack their usual overlapping threat. They will try to play through Fagioli in the middle to feed Kean.
Weakness: Defensive Solidity. They have conceded in 5 straight games. The back three often gets stretched when wing-backs are caught high.

AEK Athens:

Playing Style: Compact & Direct. Nikolić’s 4-2-2-2 creates a box in midfield, making it hard to play through them. They will look to release Jović quickly or use João Mário’s intelligence to find pockets of space.
Strength: Defensive Discipline. Conceding only 1 goal in 5 games is elite form. They will be happy to sit deep and frustrate the Franchi crowd.

Fiorentina vs AEK Athens — Key Battles

Matchup	Battle Type	Edge
Moise Kean vs. Harold Moukoudi	Physical Duel: Kean loves to use his body, but Moukoudi is a tank. If Kean gets frustrated, Fiorentina’s attack stalls.	Tie
Nicolò Fagioli vs. Orbelín Pineda	Midfield Control: Fagioli needs to dictate tempo. Pineda is a relentless presser. Whoever wins this zone controls the game.	Fiorentina
Luka Jović vs. Luca Ranieri	The Return: Jović knows Ranieri’s game. He will look to peel off the shoulder of the defender and score against his former employers.	AEK Athens

Fiorentina vs AEK Athens — Spotlight Players

David de Gea (Fiorentina):

The legendary Spanish keeper has been busy recently. With Fiorentina’s defense leaking chances, De Gea might need to produce a vintage performance to keep a clean sheet and give his team a platform to win.

Luka Jović (AEK Athens):

The script is written. After a mixed spell in Florence, Jović returns as the main man for AEK. He has the finishing quality to punish any mistake. Will he celebrate if he scores?

Fiorentina vs AEK Athens — Fan Reactions

Fiorentina Fans:

“We haven’t won in weeks. If we can’t beat AEK at home, we are in trouble.”

“Jović coming back to haunt us… I can already see it happening.”

AEK Athens Fans:

“Our defense is a wall! 1-0 is all we need.”

“Fiorentina are in a crisis. This is the perfect time to go to Italy and take 3 points.”

Fiorentina vs AEK Athens — Match-Defining Factors

The “Ex-Factor”: Luka Jović will be highly motivated. If Fiorentina’s defenders focus too much on him, they might leave space for Zini or João Mário.
Fiorentina’s Fragile Confidence: The Viola are winless in 5. If AEK score first, the home crowd could turn toxic quickly.
Tactical Width: With key wing-backs injured, Fiorentina might play too narrow, playing right into AEK’s compact 4-2-2-2 trap.

Fiorentina vs AEK Athens — Prediction

Score Prediction: Fiorentina 1–1 AEK Athens

Betting Insights:

Outcome: Draw or AEK Athens +0.5 Handicap.
Total Goals: Under 2.5 Goals (AEK’s defense is stingy; Fiorentina are struggling to score).
Anytime Goalscorer: Moise Kean (Fiorentina).

Analysis: Fiorentina have the quality on paper, but their form is dreadful and injuries are piling up. AEK Athens are a tough nut to crack right now. A low-scoring, frustrating draw seems the most likely outcome, keeping both teams in the hunt but satisfying neither manager fully.

Fiorentina vs AEK Athens — Final Word

It’s a battle of nerves at the Artemio Franchi. Fiorentina are desperate to turn their season around, while AEK Athens are proving to be one of the toughest defensive units in the competition. Expect a tactical chess match where Luka Jović takes center stage in his return to Florence.

Fiorentina vs AEK Athens — FAQs

When is the Fiorentina vs AEK Athens match?

The match kicks off on Thursday, 27 November 2025, at 21:00 CET (Friday 01:30 IST).15

Is Luka Jović playing?

Yes, the former Fiorentina striker is expected to start for AEK Athens.

Who is missing for Fiorentina?

Key wing-backs Dodô and Robin Gosens are out with injuries.

Where can I watch the match in India?

You can watch live on Sony Sports Network and stream on SonyLIV.

Call to Action — SportsphereArena Community

Will Jović haunt his former club? Drop your predictions below!

If you enjoyed this preview, follow SportsphereArena.com for post-match ratings, tactical deep dives, and exclusive fan analysis.
Stay connected for real-time updates across football, tennis, and cricket.
Stay informed. Stay analytical. Stay in the game — with Sportsphere Arena.

Wrexham vs Bristol City — Match Preview

Santa Fe vs Deportes Tolima — Match Preview

Atlético Madrid vs Inter — Match Preview

Sheffield United vs Portsmouth — Match Preview

Ajax vs Benfica — Match Preview

Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal — Match Preview

Atlético Madrid vs Inter — Match Preview

Grêmio vs Palmeiras — Match Preview

Atlético Mineiro vs Flamengo — Match Preview

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich— Match Preview