Glasner: ‘Fiorentina more attacking than’ Crystal Palace expected

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner admits Fiorentina have a ‘more attacking side than we expected’ in the Conference League quarter-final. ‘We know how they’re going to play and what we want to do.’

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It kicks off at the Stadio Artemio Franchi at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Aston Villa vs. Bologna on the Liveblog.

Crystal Palace make only one change from the side that played in London, and that is forced, as Evann Guessand picked up an injury.

“We rotated against Newcastle, so the three players in the front and two midfielders should be fresh. In defence they are doing so well, so it’s all good,” Glasner told TNT Sports.

Glasner notes Fiorentina changes

The Viola have a mountain to climb after losing the first leg 3-0 at Selhurst Park, especially as they are missing suspended Dodo, plus injured Moise Kean, Marco Brescianini, Fabiano Parisi, Tariq Lamptey and Niccolò Fortini.

With nothing left to lose, Fiorentina coach Paolo Vanoli has chosen a very attacking 4-2-3-1 formation with two creative midfielders supporting Jack Harrison, Albert Gudmundsson, Manor Solomon and Roberto Piccoli.

“Maybe it’s a bit more attacking than we expected, Solomon is more of a winger than Gudmundsson when he played in that position, he’s more of a Number 10, where we expect him today,” confessed Glasner.

“Comuzzo of course is a centre-back and not as attacking as Dodo. I think in April, you can’t change the way you are playing, so you have to rely on the things you are doing well.

“We know pretty well how they are going to play, and we know what we want to do against them.”

Fiorentina are on home turf with a 3-0 deficit to overturn, so they are going to come flying out of the blocks.

“We expect them to be more aggressive than at Selhurst Park, going man for man, making a lot of pressure, you always try to find the pockets, with flick-ons, one touches, the inverted wingers try to cut in and then deliver the cross, with three players in the box,” noted Glasner.

“That is how they are playing. Similarly, we want to move it to the side quickly and find space, then we will create opportunities.

“When you play two legs, this is the situation, but we trust ourselves and the way we are playing. We saw yesterday in the Champions League, at this stage of the competition they are always tight games, and that is what we expect here as well.”

“We know pretty well how they’re going to play, and we know what we want to do”

Oliver Glasner ahead of tonight’s Conference League second leg against Fiorentina

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