Marco Negri knows Fiorentina are in for the fight of their lives when they run out at Tynecastle tomorrow night. But the Italian reckons his compatriots might just have a bit too much for Robbie Neilson 's team - if they can handle the Gorgie heat.
It's a highly anticipated Euro clash in Edinburgh as Hearts welcome the Serie A heavyweights to their patch in the Europa Conference League. Neilson's side gave themselves a fighting chance of qualifying when they beat RFS before the break but will need to make the most of their two remaining home games if they are to progress to the knockout stage.
The first of those comes on Thursday against a Fiorentina team who have struggled in their opening games - shockingly dropping points to RFS before going down 3-0 to Istanbul in their last game. It means the pressure is on ahead of the Tynecastle showdown and former Rangers striker Negri predicts it won't get much easier for them - particularly with Lawrence Shankland firing.
He said: "Hearts are a tough team, they have a strong striker who has scored a lot of goals in the Scottish league. They are a very fast team who are full of players with great physical strength.
"They will put Fiorentina under intense pressure, especially at the start of the match. Tynecastle is a small stadium but it has a very fiery atmosphere. It will be a very difficult environment to play in, because their fans have a great attachment to their team.
"I'm sure Hearts will start very aggressively, especially in the first few minutes. Fiorentina will have to pay great attention to their intensity and try and keep hold of the ball. Hearts will try and ride the wave of support from their fans.
"But I believe if they keep calm and weather the initial burst of action from Hearts, their superior quality should see them through. Looking at the table, Fiorentina just have to make sure they don't lose this game."
READ NEXT
