Pre-match
Raffaele Palladino changed his entire XI, bringing back just one player from the Empoli game (Christian Kouamé) and even using him in a different position. Cristiano Biraghi drew the short straw and kicked inside to partner Matías Moreno in central defense, while Rolando Mandragora got the nod ahead of Amir Richardson next to Yacine Adli. Lucas Beltrán got a rare chance as the number 10.
First half
The New Saints caused a bit of chaos in the Fiorentina box right from the opening kick, but the game quickly settled into a pattern: the probed the visitors defended resolutely with everyone. The Viola couldn’t figure out a way through; there were a lot of hesitant passes and missed runs, which isn’t surprising considering that most of these guys haven’t shared the pitch outside of training. Rolando Mandragora curled a right-footed effort off the upright (and immediately had to go off) but that was as close as it got.
Second half
Things got, if anything, even more dire after the break. Fiorentina prioritized getting the balls to the wingers quickly, but Riccardo Sottil and Jonathan Ikoné accomplished nothing. Palladino had seen enough and chucked on Moise Kean, Albert Guðmundsson, and Dodô at the hour mark and it paid almost immediate dividends, albeit not directly. Ikoné made a nice break down the right and tapped it infield to Kouamé at the top of the box. Chris let it run past him and Yacine Adli whacked it, but his effort was blocked. Luckily for him (and us) it held up for him and he lashed it home with his left for his first Fiorentina goal.
It took all of 4 minutes for Fiorentina to double the lead in slightly scrappy fashion. Amir Richardson smashed one from the top of the box and a deflection looped it straight to Kean. Connor Roberts saved his first effort but it popped up in the air and Moise smashed it in with his toes on the goal line.
He had a chance to double his tally after a brilliant run and cross by Dodô but somehow whiffed on an open net, allowing Connor Roberts to make a goal line save; it was shades of Ikoné against Monza last year.
That was just about the final meaningful action of the game, aside from a nice left-footed shot from Amir Richardson outside the box.
Full time
Goals: Adli 65′, Kean 69′ (nice)
Cards: Kouamé 87′; D Williams 14′
Stats
What’s next
It’s easy to say that the result is all that matters but it’s a still a little worrying that Fiorentina was so unable to get to grips with the New Saints until Kean and Dodô came on. It’s a credit to the work that Craig Harrison’s done with TNS, especially considering that they were playing an entirely different style than they do in the Cymru Premier League, but if anything that makes the Viola struggles to break them down even more concerning.
Still, 3 points is 3 points and we move on. Fiorentina returns to Serie A action on Sunday against an AC Milan side that started the season really poorly but has righted the ship in the league of late, winning its past 3 games by an aggregate score of 9-1, inlcuding the Derby della Madonnina. These good vibes are nice but could vanish like fog in the afternoon sun if these guys don’t tighten up.
