Deportivo faces ambitious Fiorentina in high-level friendly test

Deportivo significantly raises the bar in their preseason tour. After a draw in Hamburg against St. Pauli and a week training at Coverciano (Italian football's headquarters), Antonio Hidalgo's side face Fiorentina this Thursday (20.00) at the Curva Fiesole stadium. The Galician outfit are fine-tuning their setup and identifying potential weaknesses before the league campaign begins.

The Viola arrive with clear European ambitions following last season's close brush with relegation. Under Fabio Grosso, Fiorentina have invested heavily with signings including Christ Inao Oulaï (standout performer for Ivory Coast at the World Cup), French midfielder Arthur Atta (from Udinese), Brazilian defender Viery, and goalkeeper David de Gea. They're also awaiting Franco Mastantuono on loan from Real Madrid.

The Italians have shown mixed preseason results: defeats to Queens Park Rangers (3-2) and Watford, but an impressive (2-2) draw against Real Madrid. For Deportivo, just ten days before their league opener against Elche, this represents a tough examination to clear remaining doubts, as reported by Sport.