Raffaele Palladino admits Dodo’s recovery surprised him to start for Fiorentina against Real Betis in the Conference League semi-final and Inter ‘set the example’ with their UEFA attitude.
It kicks off at the Stadio Artemio Franchi at 20.00 UK time (19.00 GMT, 21.00 CET).
You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.
The first leg was a 2-1 Betis victory in Seville, so it means the Viola must win here by one clear goal to force extra time and potentially even penalties, but at least a two-goal cushion to turn the tie around and reach their third consecutive Conference League Final.
“You need to understand the mood in the dressing room, whether the team needs to be fired up or calmed down, as there is the risk of going too far the other way,” Palladino told Sky Sport Italia.
“I had no need to fire up the team today. The lads worked with great confidence and energy this week, I just had a brief speech to press certain buttons, but they rarely have the wrong attitude. We need a great performance, because we are facing a very strong opponent.”
Fiorentina made a show of faith in coach Palladino this week by extending his contract, without waiting for the result of this match, and just days after the Serie A defeat to Roma.
Palladino impressed by Dodo recovery
Florence, ITALY – FEBRUARY 28: Head coach Raffaele Palladino manager of ACF Fiorentina and Domilson Cordeiro dos Santos known as Dodo reacts during the Serie A match between Fiorentina and Lecce at Stadio Artemio Franchi on February 28, 2025 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
Moise Kean returns to the starting XI after he was a substitute in Seville, while Dodo is back just two weeks after having his appendix taken out.
“Gosens wasn’t great after the Roma game, but he has recovered, worked with the team and is fine now. Dodo performed a miracle to get back in time this week, the medical staff got him ready in a few days, I honestly struggled to believe he would manage it,” confessed Palladino.
Manuel Pellegrini is 30 years older than his counterpart and made some changes to the Real Betis starting XI, including ex-Torino and Milan full-back Ricardo Rodriguez, while Giovani Lo Celso steps in for Abde Azzalzouli.
“When you prepare these games, you need to be ready for anything, including the different decisions your opponent can make. We expected them to change one of the full-backs, I wasn’t expecting Ricardo Rodriguez, but we do know him well from his time in Serie A.
“We did see Lo Celso coming, as he did well against us in the second half in Seville, so we prepared for that.”
Inter fight inspired Palladino
epa12078784 FC Inter’s Davide Frattesi (R) celebrates scoring the 4-3 goal during the UEFA Champions League semifinal 2nd leg soccer match between Inter Milan and FC Barcelona, in Milan, Italy, 06 May 2025. EPA-EFE/ROBERTO BREGANI
Palladino concluded by pointing out Fiorentina were eager to follow in the footsteps of Inter, who scored at the 93rd minute to force extra time and eventually beat Barcelona 4-3 in the Champions League semi-final.
“This has been a difficult year for the club, on and off the field, so if we managed to remain united, getting here ready to play for a Conference League Final, that means we’ve done remarkable things,” added the coach.
“We must not be afraid of difficulties, our mentality has to be to get past every obstacle. If our opponents do better, we’ll shake their hands and congratulate them, but we can learn from Inter’s performance against Barcelona in their semi-final, to never give up. They really set the example for everyone.”
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