After 2 weeks on the road concluded with a streak-snapping loss at APOEL on Thursday, Fiorentina finally returns to Tuscany for the final game before the international break. Their opponent? None other than Hellas Verona. Expect a fraternal atmosphere from two sets of fans who enjoy their gemellaggio. The match will be played on Sunday, 9 November 2024at 2:00 PM GMT/9:00 AM ESTat the Stadio Artemio Franchi in beautiful Firenze. The forecast calls for a pretty nice day, too, so expect a raucous crowd.
Three things to watch for
1. Who’s on the left wing. Getting Moise Kean back is the big news for this one, but the main tactical question is what to do on the left wing. Edoardo Bove, despite being a box-to-box dynamo in the past, has sparkled out there. However, with Danilo Cataldi injured, he may be needed in the engine room, leaving Riccardo Sottil as the only other option. The dynamic between Dodô and Andrea Colpani is firmly established on the right; now it’s time to get the other side ironed out so we can see Robin Gosens at his best.
Photo by Simone Arveda/Getty Images
2. Attacking a low block. After scoring 15 goals in 3 games at the end of last month, the Viola attack has managed just 3 in its past outings as opponents have defended very deep. Raffaele Palladino hasn’t quite figured out how to unravel that challenge but has had enough time to study the problem and start implementing some wrinkles to unbalance the opposing defense and create space.
One option is freeing up Gosens to attack the back post more often; the German’s aerial prowess and timing is impeccable but he has to cover a lot of ground to get into threatening positions. Another option is pushing Lucas Beltrán wider to the left, dropping Bove deeper, and getting him to crash the box from more central positions to ensure Kean doesn’t get squeezed. Maybe it’s pushing Colpani into a narrower position, trusting Dodô to provide the width. Maybe it’s something else entirely. Regardless of the solution, though, Palladino needs to change things up a bit to get the goals flowing again.
3. What’s the starting tempo? Fiorentina has achieved some remarkable attacking symmetry this year. In 11 league games, the Viola have scored 11 goals in the first half and 11 in the second half. Besides being statistically pleasing, it demonstrates that Palladino’s frequently gotten his initial plan right and also made intelligent halftime adjustments. In short, he’s done all the things you want a coach to do.
The issue is the goals conceded. The Viola have coughed up 8 in the first half and just 1 in the second. While it clearly hasn’t hampered the overall attacking output, it’s been a little rougher during games; Fiorentina is designed to soak up pressure and hit quickly on the break. That’s much easier to do when the opponent has to push forward, and the best way to convince an opponent to push forward is to score on them, forcing them to be more proactive in attack.
Giving up first half goals negates that advantage, allowing opponents to sit back and refuse the initiative in order to maintain a solid defensive shape. Against a team like Hellas Verona that’s near the bottom of the table for PPDA and possession, an early goal would provide a wealth of subsequent attacking opportunities. Finding a way to create early chances should thus be high on this team’s list of priorities, as it will also force the opponent to spend more time chasing the game, leading to tired legs for Kean and company to attack on the break.
Possible lineups
Ted’s Memorial Blind Guess Department
Fiorentina is pretty heavily favored here for pretty obvious reasons: this is, after all, the 5th-place team (that could go top of the standings with a very specific set of results in other games) against the 13th. Verona’s also looked pretty rocky; before knocking off the reeling AS Roma last week, it had lost 3 straight and boasts a -8 goal difference through 11 games. Whatever happens, though, one team should come away with all 3 points because the Gialloblu have yet to draw a game this year.
I’ll back Fiorentina to come out with a 2-0 win. The home cooking should help, but this is mostly about having the starters back. I don’t think that the Mastini can cope with Kean, so I’ll take him to add to his tally, with Beltrán adding the second in typically scruffy fashion. The Viola will control possession and territory and should make it count, especially since they haven’t lost to Hellas in Florence since 2018.
Go Viola!
