Next stop, San Marino! 🇸🇲  

Fiorentina Women are virtually all set for their fourth away game in a row this weekend, which sees them travel to San Marino to take on San Marino Academy in their second Coppa Italia Group C clash of the season.

November began with an excellent showing against Como in the Coppa Italia, with the Viola running out 6-1 winners to take control of the group. Daniela Sabatino and Martina Piemonte both hit doubles in that game, while Claudio Neto (her first competitive goal in Fiorentina colours) and Tatiana Bonetti also found the net to help Antonio Cincotta’s side coast to victory.

That result provided a much-needed boost for the side after a run of three consecutive defeats – and the Viola built on the win by securing a respectable 2-2 draw away at Roma next time out, with Bonetti’s wonderful free-kick the pick of the goals. Fiorentina got back to winning ways in the following game, away at Bari, where Irish defender Louise Quinn bagged her first goal since joining from Arsenal.

The return of the Coppa Italia should be a welcome one for Fiorentina, who have reached the final of this competition three times in a row between the 2016/17 and 2018/19 seasons, lifting the cup itself in 2017 and 2018. And Cincotta’s side looked well on their way to making it into the semi-finals in the 2019/20 edition, having beaten AC Milan 2-1 away in the first leg of the quarter-final, before the competition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fiorentina’s opponents on Sunday are San Marino Academy, who were promoted to Serie A this season and have had a mixed start to life in Italy’s top tier. A record of one win, two draws and five defeats mean they currently sit on four points in tenth position in the league table.

With a rejigged squad that includes our very own Azzurra Corazzi, who is loan at the club this season, San Marino Academy are trying to find the right balance and come into the cup game off the back of a fine 0-0 draw with Napoli. In their first Coppa Italia game this season, San Marino pulled off a stunning comeback, fighting back from 3-0 down to beat Como 4-3.

Sunday’s 14:30 CET kick-off will decide which of Fiorentina and San Marino will advance to the next round, with the game set to be streamed live on the Fiorentina website and the official ACF Fiorentina Femminile Facebook page.

The clash against San Marino will be the last before the international break, after which a crunch game on home turf awaits against AC Milan.