Real Madrid vs Fiorentina — Wörthersee Stadion, Klagenfurt
Kickoff: 7:00 PM EAT**
José Mourinho’s second spell in charge of Real Madrid continues, and results so far have been emphatic — a win over Alcorcón followed by a 4-1 demolition of Leganés, with Federico Valverde (fresh off a disappointing World Cup with Uruguay) scoring twice in that game.
Fiorentina, now under new manager Fabio Grosso following Paolo Vanoli’s exit, have had a mixed London tour, losing 3-2 to QPR before edging Watford 1-0 courtesy of a Roberto Piccoli winner.
Key context: Madrid are still missing a host of World Cup participants — Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Ibrahima Konaté and new signing Marc Cucurella are all still on break.
Even so, the squad named still carries real quality: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Güler and Endrick are all included. This is a historic novelty of a fixture — the only previous meeting between these clubs was the 1957 European Cup final, which Madrid won 2-0. Fiorentina, for context, are still finding their identity under a first-time top-flight manager in Grosso after narrowly avoiding relegation last season.
Verdict: Even a weakened Madrid side has more firepower and squad depth than this Fiorentina group, who are still bedding in a new manager and system. Expect Madrid’s technical quality to tell, with goals likely at both ends given the attacking players involved.
Prediction: Real Madrid to win, both teams to score. Correct score lean: 3-1.
