Schalke vs Fiorentina: Lineups and match thread

Fiorentina travel to Gelsenkirchen to take on Schalke 04 in the final tuneup of the preseason. This will be the first chance for fans to see new signings Marko Pjaca (who spent last spring on loan with the die Königsblauen) and Kevin Mirallas in action, although they’ll both feature as substitutes. Conspicuously absent from the squad are Riccardo Saponara, Lorenzo Venuti, Maxi Olivera, Sebastian Cristoforo, Cyril Théréau, Vincent Laurini, Tofol Montiel, Petko Hristov, and Riccardo Sottil.

Stefano Pioli, however, is still sending out a fairly experimental lineup. Kevin Diks, who had a strong preseason, will start from the bench in favor of Nikola Milenković, who returns to the first XI. Jordan Veretout will begin from the bench, giving Christian Nørgaard and Gerson a chance to prove themselves.

Schalke will line up in a 3-4-2-1 predicated on high pressing and quick attacks. Keep an eye out for former Viola defender Matija Nastasić. The danger men are striker Guido Burgstaller and Daniel Caligiuri. The former is a big, strong hit man and tireless runner who’s got a knack for finding any inch of space the defense leaves him. The latter is a tricky wingback whose dribbling and crossing ability make him a serious threat going forward.

Lineups

Schalke (3-4-2-1): Fährmann; Stambouli, Naldo, Nastasić; Caligiuri, Bentaleb, Schöpf, Baba; Harit, Embolo; Burgstaller

Fiorentina (4-3-3): Lafont; Milenković, Pezzella, Vitor Hugo, Biraghi; Benassi, Nørgaard, Gerson; Chiesa, Simeone, Eysseric

How to watch

TV: Nope.

Online: Here is your list of safe, reliable, and legal streams. Alternatively, you can watch for free on the Viola website. As usual, avoid the illegal streams or we’ll ban you.

Forza Viola!