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Fiorentina 1-1 Spurs: Statistical analysis

A good match for both spectacle and statistics, which is a pleasant departure from recent form for Fiorentina.

Perhaps not your finest effort, Mauro.
Perhaps not your finest effort, Mauro.
Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images

Well, let's get down to the nitty-gritty of an entertaining, back-and-forth match that's pretty much perfectly set up for an exciting return leg, with Fiorentina needing to chase the game, but only slightly. As usual, all of the numbers come from WhoScored.com.

Team statistics

Shots (on goal) Shots inside/outside area Possession Passes (short/long) Passing success Crosses/attempted Dribbles/attempted Aerial duels won/attempted Tackles/attempted Interceptions Clearances Fouls Yellow/red cards Corners Offsides
Fiorentina 14 (3) 4/8 50% 527 (426/73) 80% 3/24 4/11 18/28 17/33 23 9 20 1/0 7 3
Tottenham Hotspur 8 (4) 4/4 50% 531 (449/70) 78% 3/12 16/28 10/28 16/20 5 22 23 4/0 3 2

Player statistics

Short passes/attempted Long passes/attempted Crosses/attempted Touches Shots (on target) Shots inside/outside area Dribbles/attempted Possession lost Tackles/attempted Interceptions Clearances Successful aerial battles Fouls committed/suffered Yellow/red cards Offsides Saves Goals Assists Minutes
Tătăruşanu 16/16 10/15 0/0 43 0 (0) 0/0 0/0 0 0/0 0 0 0 0/0 0/0 0 3 0 0 90
Tomović 30/36 0/6 0/1 52 0 (0) 0/0 0/0 0 3/4 2 2 3 3/1 1/0 0 0 0 0 90
Gonzalo 35/38 8/12 0/0 65 1 (0) 1/0 1/1 0 4/6 4 3 1 0/3 0/0 0 0 0 0 90
Astori 57/63 8/18 0/0 92 0 (0) 0/0 1/1 0 1/2 6 3 4 3/3 0/0 0 0 0 0 90
Błaszczykowski 20/25 1/1 0/1 30 1 (0) 0/1 0/0 0 0/3 1 0 0 2/2 0/0 0 0 0 1 90
Costa 26/32 2/5 0/3 46 0 (0) 0/0 0/0 2 1/2 2 0 1 3/2 0/0 0 0 0 0 66
Valero 38/42 1/4 0/1 55 0 (0) 0/0 1/2 4 1/3 0 0 1 0/3 0/0 1 0 0 0 90
Alonso 48/57 2/3 1/6 73 1 (0) 1/0 1/1 1 0/1 2 1 3 3/2 0/0 0 0 0 0 90
Iličić 12/17 0/0 1/4 26 0 (0) 0/0 0/2 1 1/3 1 0 0 1/3 0/0 0 0 0 0 60
Bernardeschi 16/21 4/5 1/3 40 3 (1) 1/3 0/2 5 0/0 1 0 1 1/0 0/0 0 0 1 0 90
Zárate 15/21 0/0 0/5 44 6 (1) 2/4 0/1 8 2/3 1 0 2 3/3 0/0 2 0 0 0 61
Badelj 26/30 1/1 0/0 40 1 (0) 0/1 0/1 0 4/4 3 0 0 0/1 0/0 0 0 0 0 30
Kalinić 11/14 0/0 0/0 14 0 (0) 0/0 0/0 0 0/0 0 0 1 0/0 0/0 0 0 0 0 29
Vecino 13/14 0/0 0/0 17 1 (1) 0/1 0/0 1 0/2 0 0 1 1/0 0/0 0 0 0 0 24

Conclusions

Paulo Sousa deserves some credit for his gameplan, but also a bit of stick. The decision to revert to the 3-4-2-1 (albeit a modified and "tilted" one), even after using 4-2-3-1 to beat Inter Milan, seemed like a risky decision from the get-go. It would give Fiorentina a numerical advantage in the midfield, allowing them to control the game while conceding the wings, which usually leads to dangerous counterattacks. After seeing how vulnerable his squad was down the right, he might have ordered Tino Costa to sit farther back to help out. And, considering that possession was even (mostly due to an extremely physical contest that prevented any passing moves from developing), you could probably even argue that the tactic didn't work out very well; he may consider trying the 4-2-3-1 next week at White Hart Lane. However, his subs were all intelligent and forward thinking, and he did well to keep the team in it after they went down.

Quick thoughts: Guess the Luigi Sepe era is over, and not with a bang but with a whimper. All in all, Nenad Tomović just had one of the worst matches you're likely to see at this level; Facundo Roncaglia's ban can't end soon enough. So, apparently Milan Badelj is healthy enough to produce a pretty stunning stat line; can't have him back soon enough. Okay, Mauro Zárate, that's about as frustrating a game as you can have, but at least you're working hard.

Spot any other trends or stuff worth discussing in these numbers? Holler in the comments.