Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli knows his side face a tough match when they travel to Genoa in Serie A on Wednesday night, with only two points separating the fifth-placed Viola and their hosts who are five places below.

What is more, both teams will be determined to bounce back from weekend reverses. Fiorentina went down 1-0 at home to Napoli, who had not even taken a point on their travels before the game, with Christian Maggio scoring the only goal with just two minutes left.

Genoa found themselves in a similar position with Andrea Lazuli pouncing three minutes from time for Cagliari with manager Gian Piero Gasperini's misery compounded when Emiliano Moretti was sent off.

Both sides will be aiming to return to winning ways at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris with the hosts desperate to avoid the fate of their last home game, when they were hammered 5-0 by Jose Mourinho's table-topping Inter Milan.

"It will be a difficult game. They are having problems but they remain a competitive team despite injuries and suspensions. We know how hard it is. Again, it will be tough," Prandelli told his club's official website. 

"We must get in the trenches with our helmets on and our desire to progress. This team has values, has its pride. We need the right kind of concentration and the rest will follow."

Over in the Genoa camp, Prandelli's opposite number Gasperini was extremely disappointed following his side's defeat to Cagliari. The latter reverse was their third in a row in all competitions, and the well-respected supremo will be keen to halt a slide which threatens to spoil a good start to the season.