Ruslan Rotan leads his Ukrainian side "Polissya" Zhytomyr into their toughest challenge yet as they prepare to face Italian giants "Fiorentina" in the UEFA Conference League playoff round. The first leg takes place Thursday at Tatran Arena in Presov, Slovakia, where the Ukrainian club will host their "home" match due to the ongoing war.
"This is what European football is all about - testing yourself against top opponents with rich history," Rotan might say before what will undoubtedly be his team's most high-profile match to date.
The challenge couldn't be much steeper for the Ukrainian underdogs. "Polissya" earned their place in this playoff round by eliminating Andorra's "Santa Coloma" and Hungary's "Paksh" in previous qualifying rounds. Their reward? Drawing perhaps the strongest possible opponent at this stage.
Fiorentina brings impressive European pedigree to this matchup. The Florence-based club reached the Conference League final in three consecutive seasons, though they fell short each time - losing to "West Ham", "Olympiacos", and "Chelsea" respectively. They've consistently proven themselves as one of the competition's strongest teams.
Interestingly, "Polissya" might have one advantage: match fitness. While the Ukrainian team already has competitive games under their belt this season, "Fiorentina" hasn't yet started their official season. The Italians have only played friendlies against "Leicester" (0-2), "Nottingham Forest" (0-0), and "Manchester United" (1-1, lost on penalties) in recent weeks.
The summer brought significant changes for the Italian side. Stefano Pioli took over as head coach, and the squad saw numerous departures including Sofyan Amrabat, Cristiano Biraghi, and M'Bala Nzola. However, they strengthened with notable additions like veteran striker Edin Dzeko, plus newcomers Simon Zurkowski, Nicolo Fagioli, and Robin Gosens.
"Polissya" has struggled for consistency early this season. After starting well with a 3-0 win over "Paksh" (though they nearly squandered that advantage with a 1-2 second-leg defeat) and beating "Karpaty" Lviv 2-0 in the Ukrainian Premier League, they've suffered consecutive 0-1 defeats to "Kolos" and "LNZ". Rotan's squad rotation between domestic and European matches has clearly taken its toll.
The bookmakers see little hope for an upset, offering odds of 4.50 on a "Polissya" win compared to 1.41 for "Fiorentina". A draw pays 7.00.
Can the Ukrainian underdogs produce a shock result against their illustrious opponents? The first chapter in this David versus Goliath story unfolds Thursday night in Slovakia.
