Thu Oct 23 17:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Fiorentina Looks to Continue European Success Against Struggling Rapid Vienna

Vienna, Austria – Riding high off a confidence-boosting win in their Conference League opener, Fiorentina travels to Vienna to face Rapid Vienna on Thursday, hoping to extend their unbeaten run in the competition. The Italian side, currently eighth in the Conference League standings, defeated Sigma Olomouc 2-0 in their first match, a welcome change of pace from their recent Serie A struggles.

Rapid Vienna, on the other hand, is looking for a much-needed turnaround. After navigating through three qualifying rounds to reach the league phase, they suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Lech Poznan in their opening match. Currently on a five-match winless streak across all competitions, with four consecutive losses, the Austrian side hopes a return to their Weststadion will provide the home advantage they need. While they’ve historically performed well at home in qualifying rounds, scoring at least two goals in each fixture, facing Fiorentina presents a different challenge altogether.

Despite Fiorentina’s inconsistent domestic form and recent Serie A losses against Roma and AC Milan, they have consistently shown promise in Europe’s third-tier club competition. Manager Stefano Pioli will be looking to capitalize on Rapid Vienna’s current struggles and secure a second consecutive win.

Team News:

Rapid Vienna will be without Oliver Strunz, Tobias Borkeeiet, Jean Marcelin, and Noah Bischof due to ineligibility or injury. Jakob Scholler and Petter Dahl are also sidelined. Key players Nikolaus Wurmbrand and Claudy Mbuyi, who have scored three league goals each, will be crucial to the Austrian side’s attack.

Fiorentina is missing Tariq Lamptey and Christian Kouame due to long-term knee injuries. Moise Kean is expected to return to the starting XI after serving a suspension. Cher Ndour, who impressed in the opening match, will be hoping to retain his place in the starting lineup.

Possible Lineups:

Rapid Vienna: Hedl; Bolla, Cvetkovic, Raux-Yao, Horn; Seidl, Amane; Wurmbrand, Gulliksen, Radulovic; Mbuyi

Fiorentina: De Gea; Pongracic, Mari, Ranieri; Dodo, Mandragora, Caviglia, Ndour, Gosens; Gudmundsson, Kean

Fiorentina are heavily favored to secure another victory, further compounding Rapid Vienna’s current woes. The match kicks off on Thursday evening.

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