Torino – Fiorentina
After a disastrous 5-0 defeat at San Siro, Turin faces its first test at home at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, where Marco Baroni’s Granata will host AC Florence on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. The hosts are in desperate need of redemption after their debacle against Inter, while the Viola arrive with the morale of a spectacular Conference League comeback. After falling behind 2-0 against Polissya, Stefano Pioli’s men turned the game around to win 3-2, with Edin Džeko underlining his importance to the new system with his late winner. The head-to-head record clearly favors the visitors: in the last five encounters, Turin has failed to win, conceding two defeats and managing only three draws, with all games since 2023 ending with under 2.5 goals. Despite Torino’s poor start to the season, the bookmakers see this as an evenly matched contest, reflecting the unpredictability of Serie A, while Kristjan Asllani’s home debut could be the decisive factor for the hosts.
- Venue: Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, Torino
- Date and time: 08/31/2025, 6:30 p.m.
- Competition: Serie A (Matchday 2)
Turin form & record check
Turin faces an important home game after a disastrous start to the season. The 5-0 defeat at Inter was more than just a bad start; it was a declaration of bankruptcy by a team that looked overwhelmed in all areas. They were already 2-0 down at halftime, and by the time they conceded their third goal shortly after the restart, all resistance was broken. Marco Baroni will have to learn from this debacle. The defense around Coco, Lazaro, and Biraghi looked helpless against Inter’s offense. New midfielder Asllani, who ironically moved from Inter to the Granata, is expected to provide more stability as a playmaker and is ready to make his debut. Something also needs to change in attack. Simeone was lackluster against his former club and was substituted for Adams in the 64th minute. The Argentine talks about “fire” and “grinta,” but that was not evident against Inter. Ngonge is another new signing who is dreaming of scoring his first home goal. The current form is worrying: Turin has won only once in its last five competitive games, against third-division Modena in the cup. In the league, the Granata are in 19th place. The injuries to Ismajli and Schuurs in defense further complicate the situation.
Marco Baroni is expected to switch to a 4-3-3 system after the 0-5 defeat to Inter. The biggest news is likely to be Kristjan Asllani, who is ready to make his debut in the Granata jersey after his transfer from Inter. The Albanian playmaker has a good chance of starting in central midfield. In defense, Maripán could make his debut after the back line looked very vulnerable in Milan. Together with Coco, the Chilean should bring more stability. Fullbacks Lazaro and Biraghi are likely to retain their positions, while Israel could start between the posts. In attack, the duel between Simeone and Adams remains exciting. Both new signings have shown themselves to be ready for battle, with Simeone looking particularly motivated after his first statements. Ngonge and Vlašić are expected to support the offensive actions. Important absences are Ismajli and Schuurs, who will both be missing due to injury.
Florence Form & Record Check
Fiorentina has made a decent start to the new season. They are currently tenth in the table with one point, which is perfectly reasonable after their opening draw against Cagliari. They share this position with several teams, including Udinese and Atalanta, who also have one point to their name. The 1-1 draw in Sardinia was indicative of the team’s current state. Mandragora gave the Viola the lead with a header, but Luperto equalized in stoppage time. The performance revealed two sides to the team: a weak first half followed by a much-improved second half. Stefano Pioli’s influence is not yet fully apparent. However, the last five games show an impressive record of four wins and one draw, with the team scoring in each of those games. The dramatic Conference League qualifier against Polissya underlined the character of this team. After trailing 0-2 at halftime, they managed a spectacular comeback with three goals in the second half. Dodô, substitute Ranieri, and finally Džeko completely turned the game around. The Bosnian veteran scored his first goal in a Viola jersey at a crucial moment. The personnel situation remains tense. Kouamé will be out for months with a cruciate ligament rupture, further weakening an already thin offense. At least Piccoli, a promising new signing who came from Cagliari for €25 million, has been brought in to revitalize the attack.
Stefano Pioli is likely to field his tried-and-tested 3-4-2-1 formation, which has already proven itself in the first games of the season. De Gea will be in goal, while the back three could consist of Comuzzo, Pongracic, and Ranieri. In midfield, Fagioli and Sohm are set to play in central roles, supported by wingers Dodô and Gosens. In the attacking zone behind striker Kean, Gudmundsson and Ndour could provide creative impetus. Kouamé is still out with a cruciate ligament injury, so Pioli will have to rely on other options such as Džeko or new signing Piccoli from the bench.
H2H Turin – Florence Head-to-head comparison & statistics
The matches between Turin and Fiorentina have become real tests of patience in recent years. In the last five encounters since 2023, Turin has not managed a single victory, while the Florentines have emerged victorious twice and three games have ended in a draw. The pattern in the first half is particularly striking: across all five encounters, the score was always goalless at half-time. Turin failed to score in any of the first halves, while Fiorentina always scored their goals after the break. The most recent meeting in January 2025 in Florence ended 1-1. The statistics speak for themselves: Turin has now been waiting over two years for a win against the Viola. The matches are characterized by few goals, with not a single game in the last five exceeding the two-goal mark. The games usually only come to life in the second half, if at all.
The tip for under 2.5 goals reflects Turin’s offensive problems: in four of the last five games, the Granata failed to score, while their first-half tally is an alarmingly low zero. Florence has a strong offensive record, with 80% of their games seeing over 2.5 goals, but Torino’s home strength in defense could be the deciding factor here. The market odds for “Both teams to score: No” seem fair, especially since Asllani is supposed to bring creativity to the midfield, but doubts about Torino’s effectiveness after the Inter debacle are justified. Florence has conceded goals in 80% of cases, but against such a harmless offense, they could keep a clean sheet for the first time. The double chance tip on X2 reflects the clear differences in form: while Pioli’s team gained confidence after the dramatic Conference League qualification, Turin is under enormous pressure after a disastrous start to the season.
