Fiorentina File: Fiorentina 2 Sassuolo 2
I do not follow rugby- our Italian team always seems to finish bottom in the Six Nations – but I did read the post yesterday about Harlequins with interest.
Fiorentina do put winning before entertaining but you are normally assured a good game because they are so unpredictable.
One person once called them a capricious woman that does not know what she wants.
Yesterday’s match v Sassuolo was good example.
Sassuolo are well below la Viola in serie a and should have been 3 easy points on a crisp but clear Tuscan morning.
Instead we went down 2 goals down in the first 30 minutes.
Between then and half-time we had scoring chances, their keeper saving 3 miraculously and us missing three, including golden boy Dusan Vlahavic an easy header.
At half-time John Pargiter messaged me.
Was it worth backing the draw at 4-1? I said yes, the only risk for the bet is that Fiorentina might win it.
Indeed they scored 2 goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half and, with the Curva Fiesole urging them on, a winner did seem likely.
Captain Biraghi had been booked in the first half and he committed a second offence to get red carded.
Italian footballers – unlike rugby players – do not accept cautions quietly but demonstratively.
He continued to complain vocally but the referee had made up his mind so off he went.
Fiorentina reorganised defensively.
Even Vlahavic came off and sadly his disgruntled figure might be the last sight of him in a Viola shirt as it looks like he will be transferred in the January window.
He is the best finisher we have had since Batistuta and – like the great Argentinian bomber – has the same ability to score one on one against any keeper.
At six foot four inches he is superb in the air. He is still only 21.
Borussia Dortmund’s Erliung Harland and he are the two most sought-after forwards in Europe.
However a high proportion of his goal are penalties. We accept he will go but unlike the the two Federicos – Bernardeschi and Chiesa – we hope it will not be to Juventus.
Personally I think it will be Manchester City, who have bought Nastasic and Jovetic from us, Claudio Pizarro going the other way.
Liverpool and Manchester United will be in the reckoning and possibly PSG, who will looking to replace Mbappe.
