Yeah, thumbs up all around. | Mairo Cinquetti/NurPhoto via Getty Images Fiorentina will try to get this season off the ground for the 14th time in a row with a trip to take on 1oth-place Sassuolo. Last year’s Serie B winners have impressed, sticking to their identity and developing young talent as they always do; perhaps that’s a template for our listless, beloved idiots to follow next year in the second tier. A loss here won’t confirm relegation—it’s only December, after all—but no team’s ever started the season this badly and escaped the drop. To climb out of this hole, Paolo Vanoli and company need to start stacking wins right now.The match will be played on Saturday, 6 December 2025, at 14:00 GMT/9:00 AM EST, at the Stadio Mapei in Sassuolo. The forecast calls for a chilly autumn day but expect a warm patch in Reggio Emilia: the Curva Fiesole released a statement Thursday morning calling on supporters to get behind the team and 3000 fans are expected to make the trek north. Apparently people are more than willing to obey any instructions Edin Džeko shouts at them through a megaphone.La #Fiesole come sempre risponde presente nel momento di difficoltà.NOI E LORO💜 pic.twitter.com/jbbUdWfPoa— Andrea Pagni (@AndreaPagni9) December 3, 2025Three things to watch for1. The back fourNews leaked out this week that Vanoli’s going to change his formation to a back four. I wrote at length about what that will and won’t fix for this fundamentally broken team so I won’t get too granular here. What we need to remember is that just changing shape doesn’t fix anything in and of itself, and often results in a short-term decline as players figure out how to work together in this new context. Basically, if things don’t immediately improve, don’t panic. Or at least don’t panic any more than you’re already panicking.There are three things I’ll really be watching to get a sense of how this system works. On an individual level, I’m worried about attacking width with the fullbacks taking on more defensive duties and want to see if/how they get into the final third. I also want to see if getting that third centerback out of the way improves the passing angles into Hans Nicolussi Caviglia, allowing him to exert even the slightest influence on the game.On a more team-oriented level, I want to see how Fiorentina copes with opposing fullbacks. If the Viola fullbacks pick up opposing wingers, that leaves a ton of space out wide for opposing fullbacks/midfielders to exploit. I expect to see the mezzale sliding across to occupy that space, allowing the number 10s to stay central while dropping deeper. Because fullbacks are now some of the most important attacking creators in the game and midfielders often morph into wingers, protecting the Viola fullbacks has to be a priority. 2. It’s time for your weekly vibe checkThe aftermath of the Atalanta defeat could’ve turned ugly as the traveling fans demanded answers from their team, but Džeko helped disarm any unpleasantness. Vanoli and Ranieri both spoke with the supporters as well and seem to have bought the side more time. Given how awful the product on the pitch has been, the fans would be well within their rights to fully rebel, and the fact that they’ve chosen to dig in behind the team even more here reflects very well on them.Nevertheless, this is an inflection point. Fiorentina can only ward off the Curva’s fury with words for so long; eventually, it needs to show something on the pitch. If the guys turn in another abject performance after pleading for support, the fans will rightly feel a sense of betrayal. The Fiesole faithful love the club too much to turn on it completely but another subpar performance could be the first step towards a full-blown fan rebellion.3. How the Neroverdi do without their safety blanketDomenico Berardi is a titan of modern calcio. He’s got 6 double-digit scoring campaigns in Serie A and has spent his entire career with Sassuolo despite rumors every summer of a big money move elsewhere (and yeah, that includes Fiorentina). He’s never done it in the Champions League or at international level but, despite being a winger, he’s the closest thing this generation has to Toto di Natale: both a bomber di provincia and a bandiera. In this age of mercenary optimization, that’s worth celebrating.Now 31, he’s lost some of the explosiveness that made him so fun as injuries have sapped his athleticism. Nevertheless, he’s got 4 goals and 3 assists this year and is undoubtedly Sassuolo’s best attacker. He’s also out for the next month with a hip injury. His inspiration in the final third is why the Neroverdi have outperformed their xG. Striker Andrea Pinamonti’s been excellent this year and right winger Armand Laurienté has moments of brilliance (alternating with major blunders) but the attack revolves around Berardi.Fabio Grosso will have to figure out how to replicate his talisman’s impact. Alieu Fadera and Christian Volpato are the likeliest replacements and can both do some of what Berardi does, cutting inside to provide a goal threat. They’re both quick, technically adept players, but neither commands the same level of fear. Especially with the defensively-suspect Robin Gosens potentially returning from injury, Grosso would doubtless prefer to have Berardi testing that wing rather than one of the backups.Possible lineupsTed’s Memorial Blind Guess DepartmentThe oddsmakers aren’t sure what to do with this one but seem to be leaning Fiorentina’s direction. Given the past 13 game weeks of Serie A, that is insane; a team that can lose at home to Lecce or AEK is more than capable of losing at Sassuolo. Maybe the bookies are worried about Berardi’s absence, but the smart money here is fading the Viola until they wink out of existence.Because TMBGT is only positive, though, I’m calling it a 2-1 win for the hosts. Moise Kean’s the obvious goal threat so let’s say he gets one before Pinamonti pulls one back, setting the stage for a dramatic Rolando Mandragora winner. Sassuolo will probably control possession and territory while creating more chances, but I still think Grosso’s boys look a bit fragile. To be clear, though, they’re miles and miles ahead of Fiorentina. It’s not even close.Forza Viola!