Fiorentina vs Tottenham preview: Mauricio Pochettino side prepare to fight on three fronts

A look ahead to the Champions League fixture at Stadio Artemio Franchi

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino (Getty Images)

It’s a big game for…

Nikola Kalinic: The Croatian striker bagged 11 goals in a 13 game period earlier in the season but has managed just one further goal in the fourteen games since.

Yet to find the net this year, the former Blackburn forward is on his leanest scoring run since 2010, and ominously he never managed to put one past Tottenham while playing in England.

If Kalinic’s barren run continues there are plenty of others vying for his place in the team, particularly with Christian Tello arriving on loan from Porto in January.

Best stat…

Erik Lamela is the only Tottenham player to have played in Serie A where Fiorentina’s David Pizarro was a former team-mate at Roma.

Remember when…

Mohamed Salah’s goal in the Europa League round of 32 second leg effectively dumped Tottenham out of the competition last year.

Taking advantage of a mistake by Jan Vertonghen, Salah shrugged him to fire past Hugo Lloris in the Tottenham goal.

Player to watch…

Kevin Wimmer: Much was made of whether Tottenham’s defence would cope without the injured Jan Vertonghen at the heart of it, but Kevin Wimmer’s performances in his place have meant the Belgian has hardly been missed.

Previously confined mainly to cup competitions, Wimmer has started each of Tottenham’s last five games. They have won them all.

The summer arrival from Cologne is proving he’s more than just a back-up option and if Spurs are to compete both domestically and in Europe for the rest of this season, he has proven he can be relied upon.

Past three-meetings…

Fiorentina 2 (Gomez, Salah) Tottenham 0
February 2015

Tottenham 1 (Soldado) Fiorentina 1 (Basanta)
February 2015

Tottenham 3 (Pavlyuchenko, Keane 2) Fiorentina 2 (Gilardino, Ljajic)
August 2010

Form guide…

Fiorentina: LWDWDW

Tottenham: WWWWWW

Vital Information…

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TV: BT Sport Europe