Mohamed Salah
Salah joined Fiorentina as part of Cuadrado's deal Getty

Fiorentina host Sevilla in the second leg of the semi-finals of the Europa League on Thursday, with a humongous task of overturning a 3-0 deficit they incurred from the first leg.

Where to watch live

Kick-off is set for 8:05pm BST. Live coverage will be available on Setanta Ireland.

Overview

Fiorentina come into the game as stark underdogs to progress into the finals, having been handed a massive defeat in the round trip in Spain. To give an idea of the magnitude of the task at hand, Valencia are the only team to ever overturn a 3-0 deficit, having been handed a similar scoreline by Basel in Switzerland.

The Italians will take inspiration from their league rivals Juventus, who have progressed to the finals of the Champions League at the expense of Real Madrid, in what was another Italy vs Spain match-up in Europe.

Sevilla come into the game having never lost a Europa League semi-final, though their luck has not always been the same, when pitted against quality oppositions in the finals.

Manager Unai Emery will be confident that the Spanish club can extend the run and thereby take another step in confirming their place in the Champions League next season. The Spaniards have won the league thrice, and progression into the finals will allow them to stake their claim on the title for a record fourth time.

What managers say

Unai Emery: "We're very motivated. Our only thought is on competing and playing our best game. We have to play a good game, and a good game comes when you play to win. I can't guarantee that we will be [in the final]. All I can guarantee is that we will give it our all to get there. We may have beaten them in first leg, but we can't take it for granted that we'll beat them again. We know it's going to be a difficult game tomorrow, but it's a game we will play to win. A tie lasts 180 minutes and if Fiorentina go in front, then they really will believe they can turn the tie around."

Vicenzo Montella: "Sevilla are a great team but we are not far behind. We need to find the required cynicism and, as mentioned, a bit of luck. One goal can change the complexion of the tie. We have to force the issue while remaining balanced. In my mind, I have thought of all of the possible scenarios. It will be important to have faith and stay in the game right until the end. We could win 5-0 as well. Why not?"

Betting Odds (888sport.com)

  • Fiorentina to win: 6/5
  • Draw: 13/5
  • Sevilla to win: 28/13

Team news

Fiorentina

Possible XI: Neto; Tomovic, Savic, Rodriguez, Alonso; Fernandez, Valero, Jaoquin, Ilicic; Gomez, Salah.

Sevilla

Possible XI: Rico; Vidal, Carrico, Kolodziejczak, Tremoulinas; Krychowiak, Mbia, Reyes, Banega, Vitolo; Bacca.