The undefeated Plzen triumphantly held off Fiorentina
Home side Viktoria Plzen are in hot form this season and are currently unbeaten in the UEFA Europa League.
Can the Uncrowned King go further?
While the focus of this season's Europa League is Unai Emery's Aston Villa and Fiorentina, Czech side Viktoria Plzen have quietly emerged as a dark horse in the tournament.
In eight matches (14 if you count qualifying) in the Europa League, Plzen are unbeaten. They were the only team to win all of their group stage.
Their excellent defence was key to their success, with manager Nick Kubek's side keeping 11 clean sheets in their last 14 matches, with only Kazakhstan's Astana finding the back of the net in the group stage.
In the knockout rounds, against Swiss side Servette, Viktoria Viktoria Viktoria once again showed a tenacious defence. Goalkeeper Jedlic made a number of crucial saves at home and eventually won the penalty shoot-out.
Will Fiorentina be able to break down their opponents' bucket formation?
Unlike Viktoria Plzen, who defended well, Fiorentina possessed a strong attacking force. They have scored almost every game in the Europa League this season, only failing to score in the first leg of the play-offs against Rapid Vienna.
However, Fiorentina's away record is not ideal, with just one win in their last five away matches (including the play-offs). Not only did they concede twice away from home in the group stage, but they also conceded a full three goals on the road in the knockout stages.
Therefore, this game will be a battle of attack and defence. Fiorentina's ability to break through Plzen's victory will be crucial in the game.
summary
Fiorentina coach Itano is well aware of the threat posed by Viktoria Plzen and will be hoping his side will overcome the difficulties and avoid a repeat of last year's defeat in both the Europa League and Coppa Italia finals.
For their part, Viktoria Plzen will defend home advantage and try to take the lead ahead of the second leg away. We're anticipating a 1-1 draw between the two sides.